A trip around the M25

Last week, we drove all the way round the M25.  First time ever!   More or less in one go too.  But not for the fun of doing such a thing, I might add!

We were very lucky, too, as we drove on a mostly free flowing motorway, with just a little congestion between the M40 and M4 junctions.

A little information for those people who have never had the dubious experience of travelling on the M25.    It is an extremely busy motorway, which circles London.   The motorway is sometimes called a giant 'carpark' as traffic often comes to a standstill on it, due to accidents, volume of traffic or snow.  Yes snow, which causes mayhem generally on roads in the United Kingdom, but causes the M25 to seize up altogether, with people spending hours, often overnight, sitting in their cars.

Road works, always seem to be occurring somewhere on the M25, and slows the traffic almost to a standstill.    But the worst offender, congestion wise, are the toll booths on the Kent side of the Dartford crossing, where people need to drive through the tunnels or over the QE II bridge.   At certain times of the day, or week, traffic can be banked up for miles on either side of the toll booths.   Very frustrating.

The M25 is a vital link for vehicles travelling to other parts of the country.  The M1, A/M12, A/M2, M20. M26, M23, M3, M4, M40 all converge onto the M25 at different points.    Luton, Stanstead, Heathrow, Gatwick Airports also feed onto the motorways which lead onto the M25.  The result, traffic, traffic and more traffic.

The scenery on each side of the motorway is often magnificent, especially travelling through the rolling hills on the southern side, as the M25 passes through farmland, and forested areas.   Of course you need to be a passenger to appreciate the scenery, as the driver has his or her eyes glued to the road, and the traffic around the vehicle.   Mind you, even the front passenger needs to keep a watchful eye on the road too. Just in case!

We are used to travelling on the M25, as we live so close to it, although like everyone else we get fed up with the traffic congestion, and traffic jams.  But I can remember, it was not so when I first arrived in this country in 1992.   I considered the M25 as being more dangerous than any situation involving snakes, sharks or spiders in Australia.

The purpose for driving around the M25 last week.   We left home to drive to Herfordshire, which required us to travel via the tolls, and tunnel under the Thames River, and along the eastern and  northern part of the motorway, in order to collect Donna, Patrick and Lucy.    We then continued around the western part of the M25 to Heathrow, where we dropped them off at Terminal 3.   After that we travelled along the southern part, until we arrived at the A2, and home.   And a glorious sunset to welcome us home.

Phew!