Best route from Essex to Winchester over Easter weekend?

[qwertyK]

Not sure if right sub, apologies if it's in the wrong place.

Need to be in Winchester on Sunday evening coming down from south Essex. What's the best route given there's often quite a fair bit of traffic on the M25?

I need to be in winchester by around 7pm, thinking of travelling via London.

Either using the A12, the most direct route, or the A13, then through the Blackwall Tunnel, down onto the A2 and then M25 to potentially cut out any traffic around the dartford crossing.

Or is it better to go further south/southwest, take the A3, A31?

Usually for me it would be A12, M25 North, then M3.

Looking for the route which avoids sitting in the most traffic.

[KeithW]

Check on the day but normally It would be straightforward A12 or A13,M25 and M3. The question is clockwise or counter clockwise around the M25. Being born pessimist I always have a plan B or C and a good set of maps Plan B would be the north circular and A40 rather than the M25. It can get sticky at the Chiswick Roundabout but I have always got through reasonably well.

I would not take the M4/M5 as I have taken an hour to get from the M4/M5 junction to and what ever you do don't try the A27, that would likely take 12 hours , made that mistake once in pre M25 days, getting from Kent to Southampton - never again and that was not a bank holiday weekend.

[Chris5156]

Or is it better to go further south/southwest, take the A3, A31?

I'd avoid any route that involves passing through M25 J10 at the moment. It's being rebuilt and there are delays all day long. Stick to the M3.

Usually for me it would be A12, M25 North, then M3.

I'm not convinced that you could do better than this by going through the Blackwall Tunnel on a Sunday afternoon.

I would not take the M4/M5 as I have taken an hour to get from the M4/M5 junction

I don't think I'd ever take the M4 or M5 to get to Winchester!

[trickstat]

In normal circumstances, I think it's very unlikely that driving extra distance to use Blackwall rather than Dartford will save time.

[qwertyK]

Or is it better to go further south/southwest, take the A3, A31?

I'd avoid any route that involves passing through M25 J10 at the moment. It's being rebuilt and there are delays all day long. Stick to the M3.

Usually for me it would be A12, M25 North, then M3.

I'm not convinced that you could do better than this by going through the Blackwall Tunnel on a Sunday afternoon.

I would not take the M4/M5 as I have taken an hour to get from the M4/M5 junction

I don't think I'd ever take the M4 or M5 to get to Winchester!

Oh yes of course how could I forget about J10. Definitely rules that out.

Hopefully traffic should be at normal or close to normal conditions

I'm guessing then northbound m25 rather than southbound will be the best option, to avoid j10.

[Herned]

I would have thought Sunday evening would be quieter than a normal Sunday, with most people having the Monday off. Be amazed if there is a quicker route than anticlockwise M25, M3 at that time of day, subject to accidents etc

[JammyDodge]

I need to be in winchester by around 7pm

If you can travel earlier then that could be an option.
Looking at Chelmsford - Winchester, it would be around 2-3h if you left at 7am arriving by 10am (via A12, M25 Anti-clockwise, M3)

Plenty of things to do in and around Winchester:

Hawk Conservancy - Personal Recommendation
Army Flying Museum
Winchester Science Centre (good for kids)
Milestones (good for kids)
Danbury Hill Fort (Free)
Farley Mounty Country Park (Free)
and of course Winchester itself