Newcastle to Manchester - driving today, route advice? & thank you

[Guest]

Staying at Premier Inn MAN tonight before flying to MCO tomorrow. Will be leaving NCL about 15:15pm. Other than last minute checking of the google maps / satnav recommendation. Is A19 and/or A1 - M62 route going to be better than A69/M6/M61.

Pretty much resigned to the fact it'll be "rush-hour" all the way (getting out of Newcastle and across the Tyne will be the first battle!) but any thoughts on current road trends welcome.

Plus I'd wanted to take the opportunity to post a thanks for advice to Dibbers before we head to Orlando for the first time.

[tinkerella123]

Can’t help you with any traffic routes but have a fab time, with either route you take you made a good plan on driving the day before. Happy holidays.

[Guest]

Yes, decided it wasn't worth the risk of a early morning drive (especially with ice this week). Premier Inn South with 2 weeks M&G parking £120 so happy enough with that. I suspect the hotel/parking cost will be a mere drop in the ocean for the next 2 weeks.

[iang27]

We have done this route several times, most recently in August.
We go A1 all the way down to the M62 then stay on that past the Trafford Centre. Our sat nav kept trying to take us towards Oldham for some reason but we just ignored it.
Watch for the speed cameras, they are on every overhead gantry facing backwards and are variable speed limits.
The traffic around rush hour is ridiculous, makes the Metro centre traffic seem nothing !

We stayed at the same hotel, when you get off the motorway and get to some traffic lights you go straight over, my sat nav said right, it wasn't !

[Guest]

Thanks iang27. Looking at that route it takes you "over the top" of Manchester (which I don't know very well) but staying on motorway seems sensible, whereas the google/satnav version via Oldham seems a bit of a faff on!

[Ball81]

The M62 merges into the M60 which is a ring road/motorway if you look on the map, it will take you off and head to Oldham/Stockport then eventually back past the Trafford Centre if you didn't exit for the airport.

I suspect Sat Nav is routing you that way because of the on going road works. its longer miles round past stockport but sometimes quicker traffic dependent.

I'd be setting of early with it being Friday anyway and maybe re-assess the traffic at the Bury junction M66/M60


good luck and enjoy

[novocastrian]

Bearing in mind its friday i'd be tempted to go A1-A66-M6-M61 or A69/M6-M61 depends on where abouts in gods country you are setting out from i guess..

M1/M62 can get mental busy between leeds-halifax then you will hit traffic on the M60

to be honest expect traffic anywhere on a friday but id avoid the m62

[brown78p]

We do this route regularly for both holidays and I used to work in Bolton. I live near Durham. If you go A1 then M62 it will be busy but you will struggle to avoid the traffic. We normally go off onto the M60 at the Bury turn off Ie. before Manchester and go clock wise around the ring road which I think is better than going past the Trafford Centre traffic wise. Be careful as our sat nav always tries to take us off a junction earlier than the M60 Bury junction which lands you onto very busy town centre type roads and takes ages to cut the corner off and get onto the M60.
Note: When I say the M60 Bury junction Bury is to the North and you would want to head South at this Junction.

[novocastrian]

Originally Posted by SuperK

Thanks iang27. Looking at that route it takes you "over the top" of Manchester (which I don't know very well) but staying on motorway seems sensible, whereas the google/satnav version via Oldham seems a bit of a faff on!

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the oldham route sort of cuts the corner off and is a tad shorter hence your sat nav will take you that way. we have an office near the airport and depending on time of day it is a quicker route, just

also as above would go iclockwise round the m60 through stockport rather than the trafford centre way personally

either way its gonna be busy but your off tomorrow

[bella9]

Originally Posted by novocastrian

the oldham route sort of cuts the corner off and is a tad shorter hence your sat nav will take you that way. we have an office near the airport and depending on time of day it is a quicker route, just

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Yes, thought there must be a reason sat-nav suggests this route - we visit eldest DD who lives Manchester way, and the sat-nav has taken us Oldham way the last few visits. I mentioned this to DD, and she said that she often took the Oldham route back home if the traffic was heavy.