Cheers
Alex
I'm going to a place near to Nairn in Scotland in a couple of weeks. Although I have a reasonably good idea of my route, I thought I'd try
out a couple of route planners to get some idea of mileage. Note: the "crow fly" route is straight up the east coast of Britain.
Google Maps - no, I don't think I want to go via Birmingham, Stoke, Manchester, Glasgow... 608 miles.
RAC - shortest route - no, I don't want to go along country roads via places like Bury St Edmunds, Thetford, Kings Lynn and so on, even if
it's just 530 miles.
RAC - quickest route - partially along the route I expected, but then diverts to near Glasgow. 575 miles - but vaguely plausible.
My route - taking a couple of days, stopping to look at selected scenery along the way - A12, A14, then A1 all the way to Edinburgh. I'm sure I
can work out a route from there...
A few weeks ago I wanted to go from home to Barton Mills to meet up with the East Anglian locosters. Obvious route is A14 to Bury St Edmunds, then
take a short and direct road straight to the destination (a few miles). Every route planner took me via Newmarket and back up another major road -
doubling the distance for the last bit of the journey.
Unbelievable.
DJ
BTW: Don't suggest a GPS system - apart from one or two journeys a year I have no need for one.
[Edited on 23/3/07 by David Jenkins]
North of Edinburgh is easy, just follow the speed cameras all the way
Cheers
Alex
Autoroutes fairly good for getting a rough idea, but i tend to find going back the good old map is the best way.
My dad reckons that GPS systems will make congestion worse in the long term. As everyone will be taking the same routes everywhere. Probably some
truth in that! Where as if you pick your own route, you can go whichever way you fancy.
A14, A1(m) is the way we go up to Scotland.
David
You get a sensible route on goggle maps
if you put Newcastle upon tyne in as the first destination, followed by Nairn.
580 mi (about 14 hours 43 mins)
quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
A14, A1(m) is the way we go up to Scotland.
quote:
Originally posted by David Jenkins
quote:
Originally posted by flak monkey
A14, A1(m) is the way we go up to Scotland.
That's the plan - probably including Newcastle!
I want to go along the coast next to Lindisfarne, through Berwick and so on, so there will be diversions off the main route!
Was just suggesting it as it forces the route along the east coast.
Ooooo Nairn!
Thats where t'other halfs rellies live...... excellent roads around there! 
We usually fly up to Inverness then hire a car from there, but this year we are driving up in the VXT, and have the same dilemma as yourself. 
So...... we will probably go up one side and come back the other...... as we have found route planners 'quickest' route, isn't always
the fastest..
ATB Fozzie
[Edited on 23/3/07 by Fozzie]
quote:
Originally posted by iank
If you get the time do the whole coast road up to Bamburgh rather than the A1(M) much more interesting drive. Are you going in the 7?
Yes http://www.bamburghcastle.com/ the finest castle in England (not that they sell it hard). Alnwick castle is also very good and the gardens are worth a visit.
Yep I agree well worth a visit to Bamburgh castle, and fish and chips at Seahouses has to be on list.
Make sure you check the tide times if you go to Lindisfarne
70 odd miles difference is not much for 3 days travel, make your route fun by making it varied, straights, curvey, sightseeing, obscure etc....
The alternative (i.e. too long) route suggested by the route planning website would have put me on some of the worst roads in the UK...
And a 600 mile journey is huge by UK standards!
David
My own personal route, from Newcastle to Edinburgh would be via either A696 / A68 or A697 / A68.
It's worth noting that the M6 / M74 from Carlisle to Glasgow is about 100 miles, and as it is three lane motorway for the majority of the route,
sparsley policed and very lightly trafficed, can be covered in about an hour! Which is why most route planners incorporate that section into the
route.
On the other hand from Newcastle to Edinburgh via A1 or either of the two routes above is 120 miles, mainly single carriageway and from as soon as you
cross the border into Scotland there are cameras approximately every 8 feet until you get to Edinburgh! This makes it difficult to cover the 120
miles in anything less than 3 hours!
Anyway, if your chosen route comes past Newcastle, you are more than welcome to call in for a cup of tea. I won't charge you motorway service
station prices either!
If you are going up over the weekend, in the locost, we might be up for a bit of a blast up to the border too!
Cheers
Mike
David make sure your not on the Cambridge/Huntingdon section of the A14 between about 7.30 - 9.30 am and 4.30 -6.30 pm . You won't be going anywhere!
You may find the aviation museum at Bamburgh castle worth a look, I did.
quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
David make sure your not on the Cambridge/Huntingdon section of the A14 between about 7.30 - 9.30 am and 4.30 -6.30 pm . You won't be going anywhere!