Paying DART Charge

if you scroll down the following page http://www.payzone.co.uk/FAQs

there are FAQs on using pay zone and the Dart charge

You may already know this, but the bridge is only for journeys from Essex into Kent, southbound, or clockwise. In the other direction, into Essex from Kent, northbound, anti-clockwise, you will use the tunnel.

Traffic on the bridge can be affected by traffic (frequently) and weather (infrequently). A few days ago, when we had high winds, there were delays of several hours for the bridge.

If you read the previously noted FAQs you will see that you can either prepay for your crossing or pay after the crossing, by midnight of the following day. Pay by phone is also easy, but I use an account. If this will be your only use of the Dartford Crossing an account is probably not worth the effort. It gives me a discount on the toll, and I buy £10 worth at a time and it just comes off the account automatically when I make a crossing, and then tops up automatically.

Bill, if you give a little detail about the actual drive, there are a number of locals on here who can give a few hints about the different roads.

I can give hints about driving in Essex and Kent (and London and elsewhere) because I do it a lot.

One thing to bear in mind is I think you said before that you would be here in May? If so, beware trying the Dartford Crossing (or anything on the M25) on or near either of the May Bank Holidays. If you do try it you will understand. The same goes for rush hour which starts around 6 and goes to around 10, and in the afternoons from around 3 or 4 to about 7. That's Monday to Friday, but Saturday can be busy (to a lesser degree) all day.

Saturdays are particularly bad at Blue Water and Lakeside shopping centres so beware the A2. When I go to the south Kent area I always go beyond the A2 / M2 and stay on the M25 to the M20 which is only very little further but faster......

Thanks to those who replied. I think I understand how to go about paying the DART Charge.

Nigel, in his detailed and much appreciated reply, raised concerns about the timing of my trip to Kent. We are indeed traveling from York to Canterbury on Friday May 27th. We are committed and locked in for the Friday before that Bank Holiday.

Google maps plotted our intended route which, as we neared London, had us going from from A14 to M11 to M25 and onto A282 and over the QEII.

Nigel's comment about after the bridge made sense to me.

I also assume that if we're stuck with this route I would be well advised to get out of York as early as possible on that Friday morning.

Your continued assistance is much appreciated.

Bill

just so you know York to Canterbury would be a cinch by train

York to Kings Cross in two hours, walk next door to St Pancras and train to Canterbury in one hour