London to Holyhead what are the roads like?

[silverbird9t9]

I need to drive from London to Holyhead on Monday. My OH isn't up to the plane journey to Dublin so we are going by road and ferry. It's the first time I have driven that far (bit of a wuss) and I was wondering how clear the main roads en route are. I am hoping that by Monday they will be treated and passable.

 

[Ruth Mills]

Right, from London, I'd imagine that there are two ways that you'd probably want to consider:

(1) M40, M42, M6, M54, A5, A55 - which should hopefully be pretty clear up until at least Shrewsbury (as you'll be on motorway and dual carriageway all the way); after Shrewsbury it's mainly single carriageway until you get to near Bangor and join the A55 - which is then dual carriageway all the way to Holyhead from there. That route does cut across Snowdonia though - through Betws-y-Coed and Capel Curig - so you'd want to double check to make sure that stretch of the journey was OK.

(2) M40, M42, M6, M56, M53, A55 - this is a longer route as you're not cutting a corner off by going via Shropshire - but are instead going all the way up to near Warrington and then going via Cheshire and along the North Wales coast. However it's motorway or dual carriageway all the way.

I'd be inclined to check the AA or RAC route planner websites and get an opinion from there as to how long it's likely to take - and then make allowances based on the weather...

 

[silverbird9t9]

Thanks Ruth. Your second route seems to be the one that AA routeplanner gives and, from what you say, might be the clearest. I can't say I am looking forward to it but needs must...

 

[Ruth Mills]

You could also do a mixture of the two... take the M40, M42, M6, M54 and A5 up to just south of Wrexham - then take the A483 north from there instead of going west along the A5 - this will bring you to the A55 just south of Chester which will then take you all the way to Holyhead.

When we went to Holyhead to get the ferry to Dublin earlier this month, we went from Shrewsbury via the A5 through Snowdonia and it took the best part of 3 hours - but we were in our minibus which is slower than the car (you're only allowed to do 50 mph on single carriageways and 60 mph on dual carriageways in the minibus). It wasn't snowing then though!

Also, if you're travelling on Irish Ferries and are booked on the "Dublin Swift", please be aware that the Swift crossings may be cancelled in bad weather (it was cancelled both ways when we went); if you're booked on the 12.00 Swift from Holyhead and it's cancelled, you should be automatically be transferred to the 14.10 Ulysses crossing - but will arrive in Dublin about 3 and a half hours later than if you'd taken the Swift. It's more complicated if the Swift is cancelled on the return journey - as then you have to get to Dublin Port early in the morning for the Ulysses crossing that leaves just after 8... or if you get the evening crossing you won't get back to Holyhead until gone midnight...

Not sure what the situation is if you're travelling on Stena Line or whatever, as we took Irish Ferries... although the Ulysses was a reasonably smooth crossing both ways despite the adverse weather.

 

[rouge]

I've driven both ways Ruth has suggested (my parents live near Holyhead) and would highly recommend using the second route. For starters it's probably easier as you're on main roads more or less the whole way, so you're less likely to get lost. Plus, with the weather being what it is at the moment, with more snow on the way, I really wouldn't cut through the middle of Wales. It's very pretty, but much more likely to be difficult at the moment. Make sure you take blankets, food and a flask with you, just in case!

Have a lovely time in Dublin.

 

[silverbird9t9]

My OH worked for Stena in Dun Laoghaire for twenty years so we get freebies . So he usually rings the port before we leave home just to be sure. I am not worried about the time we arrive but I don't fancy being stranded in Holyhead for hours.

 

[silverbird9t9]

Thanks Rouge. It will do him a power of good to get home. He tells me that Brennan's batch has magical powers.

 

[Ruth Mills]

Depending on what time of day you're doing the journey, the M6 can be very slow with congestion around the Walsall area, especially during the rush hour. So taking the M6 Toll instead may well save a bit of time if that's the case. If you're taking the M56/M53 to the A55 then you'll just need to stay on the M6 Toll all the way as it will join the M6 northbound eventually.

Otherwise if you want the M54 for going via Shrewsbury, then you're best coming off at the A460 exit, and taking the A460 south towards Wolverhampton - as then you'll be able to turn right onto the M54 towards Telford.

 

[silverbird9t9]

The toll road sounds like a good idea. Thanks again.

 

[Ruth Mills]

The toll road sounds like a good idea. Thanks again.

What time will you be travelling incidentally?

 

[silverbird9t9]

We are planning to leave London around 8 or 9.

 

[Ruth Mills]

We are planning to leave London around 8 or 9.

Should be pretty clear most of the way then; you'll probably get away with not needing to do the toll road.

My bet would be to do M40, M42, M6, M54, A5 to just south of Wrexham, A483 to Chester, A55 all the way to Holyhead - as that should be fewer miles than taking the M6 all the way to near Warrington to join the M56, but still avoids Snowdonia...

Beware of speed cameras on the A5 if you go that way... there's often mobile speed vans on the single carriageway bits of the A5 west of Shrewsbury - and there's a fixed speed camera at Shottaton Crossroads (where there's a 40mph speed limit). If you're feeling peckish, the Enigma restaurant there does a fab curry though!

 

[silverbird9t9]

I think I will print this thread off for reference. Thanks Ruth, you're a star.

 

[Ruth Mills]

I think I will print this thread off for reference. Thanks Ruth, you're a star.

LOL, no problem! Living in Shrewsbury, I know the roads around here well; I've done a fair bit of commuting around the Midlands over the last few years too, and we like taking day trips up to the North Wales coast when the weather is nice too