Driving in England question - late on a weekend

Motorway service centers are open 24/7 as required by law. Here's the link where you can also find a map of and info about the service centers. Motorway Services areas

I agree with Tex about the motorway service ares. They are 24/7/365, but because of that they are >>VERY<< expensive. I find it hard to imagine that any medium sized car can't comfortably make it for 300 miles of steady 70 mph motorway driving, so I'd be surprised if you have to tank up. If your car is diesel you should be able to get lots further. My 7 year old Honda Accord regularly gets 400 to 500 miles for my 60 litre tank. Please tell me that you are not doing that drive just after getting off a transatlantic flight while you are jetlagged!!! Take plenty of breaks. Starbucks or Costa coffee at most service area. M4 extension to M4 to M25 to M1 to M6 or M4 extension to M4 to A404(M) to M40 to M42 to M6 or M4 extension to M4 to M25 to M40 to M42 to M6 or M4 extension to M4 to M25 to M40 to M5 to M6 are all pretty much a wash at that time of night on Sunday. Plenty of roadworks on: M6 north of Birmingham M1 in the vicinity of M6
M1 north of M25 near Luton In those areas the yellow poles with a camera looking thing at the top are speed averaging cameras. You must not exceed 50 mph both at them and between them. They will take your photo and send you an expensive ticket. You are also right that virtually all other petrol stations will be closed by 10pm on Sunday night.

Exactly the information I needed, both you Tex and Nigel! Nigel, no, I will have been in Europe for more than a week at that point, so jet lag should be behind me. However, it will be at the tail end of a long day sightseeing in London. I suppose I'm just being overly cautious...even my gas guzzler at home still manages to get 350 miles to a 15 gal tank. I just like to have the information in case I need it. Regarding the yellow poles and 50mph - I recall seeing speed cameras from my previous trips (last 2001), but they weren't yellow...are you saying these are in the construction areas or are they just in certain <70mph areas? And the roadworks on M1 - is it bad enough to avoid the M1 and use another route?

Normal speed cameras are gray with hi-vis yellow on the camera itself and sometimes up the support. These that I spoke about are the super duper speed averaging type which are well signed and have nothing reflective on them but the whole column is painted yellow. When you pass the 50mph signs you MUST have the anchors out and don't be tempted to pick up the speed until the derestriction sign comes. At M1 into M6 its about a mile to move a bridge, I haven't been through the Luton M1 recently but the last time I was there a couple of months ago it was about 5 miles with contraflow for installation of active traffic management, the north of Birmingham is to install active traffic management and goes for many miles. At the time you're going you should be OK. About the active traffic management which is creeping around the country, be really careful if they have it switched on. It will be well signed and if it is switched on there are cameras behind most of the gantry speed limits. Don't pass the gantry faster than the speed indicated on it. We have been told by the government that active traffic management is to speed up traffic by slowing it down and it is not a money making scheme. Active traffic management started on the M25, spread to the M42, and is now on M6, and spreading to others.

I once had active speed management explained to me. While I was being told I understood why it worked but if anyone asked me to explain it now ... errrrrrr!

Jeremy, One point to add is that I've found that driving in England ALWAYS takes longer than planned. Be sure to allow for some extra time. As someone else mentioned, I hope you won't be doing that drive after a long transatlantic flight! Cheers!

I would say that your chances of doing 250 miles in 4 hours are pretty slight. Five to six hours is probably more realistic.
Roger

Sunday evening is one of the busiest times for traffic around Heathrow of the week as everyone returns to London for the working week or after a day on the coast or in the countryside.
As a result you may well find yourself in gridlock on the M25 motorway at the start of your journey.