Motorways and the National Road network

There is a certain apprehension about driving in the UK, the traffic can be very heavy, you can get stuck on a certain road and have difficulty finding the exit you need to take, and if you are visiting the UK for the first time the thought of hiring a car and driving around the UK can be sufficiently daunting to influence you to take an organised bus tour. Our experience has been that you discover the real Britain when you hire a car and drive. A good road map that you can refer to as you drive is essential as is planning your route before you venture out each day.

Now in 2007 Google maps provide an easy way to set-up and display the route to take from one location to another - click here for Google map of the UK Simply click "from here" or "to here" then enter the location and the Google map will draw the route between the two location. The display will change to a detailed picture of the route between the two locations with the route to take drawn-in and detailed instructions covering road junctions and distances will be displayed.

Chris's British Road Directory - CBRD

In 2005 we discovered the website described on this page below and recommend that you make use of the links to explore the website because it contains a depth of information about Britain's road network. You will find a lot of good commonsense information, plus maps and even a simulator that enables you to traverse the road intersections and signs that you will encounter on many of Britain's roads.    

Entire Road Network Database

During 2005 we placed the link to the M25 Simulator on this page. Since that time the British Roads Website has developed into a comprehensive repository of information about UK roads and it is truly a work in progress with new content being constantly added. Not only does the website cover the main motorway M roads, but also an increasing number of A roads and now it is expanding into Northern Island. Here are links to the main pages, they will open a new window, just close the window/s to return to this page:

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London Orbital M25

The M25 is a modern motorway that encircles greater London. Of all the motorways in Britain none is more used or better known than the M25.

The M25 Simulator takes you through the various road signs that you will encounter on the M25. From central London you will not find it difficult to locate a road leading to the M25.Because the M25 encircles London the main motorways heading North, South, East and West can be easily accessed from the M25.

If you want to get to London Heathrow or Gatwick airports the M25 is the logical route to take. Heathrow is accessed from the Western-most point of the M25 while Gatwick is accessed from the Southern part of the M25. You will find that the signs to exit the M25 contain ascending or descending numbers depending on which way you are travelling. These numbers help you identify how many exits you need to pass before you reach your exit. London City is not a good place to take your car, the driving is intense, the parking very difficult and you have to pay to enter the city. We recommend that you use the railway to get into the city.

Other Main Arterial Motorways:

• The M1 departing from the North-West section of the M25 will take you right through to Leeds close to York in Yorkshire.

• The M11 will be your quickest route to Cambridge.

• The M40 will take you straight through to Birmingham.

• The M4 will take you just North of Bath past Newport, Cardiff to Swansea in Wales.

• The M3 is your quickest route to Southampton.

• The M20 will take you down to Dover where the ferries depart for the Continent

Unless you wish to visit a city, avoid large cities like the plague when driving. As you near the large cities it is not uncommon to encounter intense traffic where you start and stop, moving very slowly for eight or ten miles until you pass the outskirts of the city.

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