Multiple Motorways in one Journey

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Chris Bertram
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Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by Chris Bertram »

So yesterday, travelling home from a holiday in the Dales, we took M6 to Orrell, M58 to Switch Island, M57 to its southern terminus (sorry, don't know its name) and then visited Speke Hall courtesy of our National Trust cards. We then went via the Kingsway Tunnel (the first time I've ever driven either of the Mersey tunnels) and took M53 en route to Caldy RUFC to see my team, Moseley, beat them 0-24, then back to M53. We used A41 from Chester to Tong and then picked up M54 which took us back to M6, then A38(M) was the final set of blue signs before we reached home.

Of these, M58 and M53 were completely new to me, with A38(M), M6 and M54 being very regular routes before Covid-19 had us all working from home. I'd done M57 before, approaching from A59 and then taking M62 back to M6 home.

I make that 6 different motorways in a single journey, but I bet someone here has done more. Anyone like to own up?
Last edited by Chris Bertram on Mon Sep 20, 2021 06:54, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by ForestChav »

Chris Bertram wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 21:20 So yesterday, travelling home from a holiday in the Dales, we took M6 to Orrell, M58 to Switch Island, M57 to its southern terminus (sorry, don't know its name) and then visited Speke Hall courtesy of our National Trust cards. We then went via the Kingsway Tunnel (the first time I've ever driven either of the Mersey tunnels) and took M53 en route to Caldy RUFC to see my team, Moseley, beat them 0-24, then back to M53. We used A41 from Chester to Tong and then picked up M54 which took us back to M6, then A38(M) was the final set of blue signs before we reached home.

Of these, M58 and M53 were completely new to me, with A38(M), M6 and M54 being very regular routes before Covid-19 had us all working from home. I'd done M57 before, approaching from A59 and then taking M62 back to M6 home.

I make that 5 different motorways in a single journey, but I bet someone here has done more. Anyone like to own up?
Not done it myself. But anyone going from England to Glasgow will do 3 straight away (M6, A74(M) and M74) plus any on their side (so someone from somewhere like Stockport would be able to add either M62/M60 or M61/M60) or on the destination end (where you could easily do M8, M80, M73 without going too far) so I'd imagine it isn't too difficult.

If you're travelling around the West Midlands you could easily clock up M40, M42, M5, M54, M6, A38(M) without going too far as well, and you're not too far from either the M1, M45 or M69 either, but probably won't use all of them. But if you were heading from somewhere like Telford without going too far you could easily clock up M54, M5, M42, M40 and reach the M25 without driving for too long (then maybe head into West London on the M4) which would be 6.

It's probably not too hard to get 7/8 in a single journey without doing too much driving to break what's sensible to do in a day or go out your way to do silly numbers of motorways for the sake of it.
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by exiled »

In one journey, interrupted by the Channel Tunnel, A25(F), A1 (F), A26 (F), A16 (F), M20, M25, M11, A1(M), M62, M60, M61, M6, A74(M), M74
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by M4Simon »

I think mine would be 7 - M4, (A449/A40), M50, M5, M42, M6, M69 and M1 - Swansea to Loughborough on multiple occasions when I was a student. When the A42 was opened, it became marginally quicker to use the A42 and A512, cutting out the last three.

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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by Beardy5632 »

The most I managed was 9 a couple of years back when I was staying by Cockermouth for a few days and decided it would be a great idea at 9pm the first night I was there to go on a night time drive. 400 odd miles and about 8 hours later (including stops at Scotch Corner, Birch and Tebay) I regretted it but I managed to drive on the A66(M), A1(M), M1, M62, M60, M66, M65, M61 and M6 that night.

Under normal circumstances the most I've managed in one go is 6 which are the M50, M5, M42, M1, A1(M) and A194(M).

EDIT: Just realised that I've managed an 11 when I stayed in Chester around Christmas 2018!
M53, M56, M6, M62, M57, M58, M61, Walton Summit, M65, M66, M60.
Last edited by Beardy5632 on Sun Sep 19, 2021 22:02, edited 1 time in total.
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DavidBrown
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by DavidBrown »

I went from Devon to Manchester for a day a couple of weeks back, and with a detour to avoid an accident on the M5 near Gloucester, I managed 10 in total;
M5, M49, M4, M50, M6, M62, M602, A57(M), M60, M56.
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by crb11 »

I used 7 on Friday getting home to Cambridge from Bristol: M32/M4/A404(M)/(A404)/M40/M25/A1(M)/(A505/A10)/M11 (although that includes a detour to avoid an accident) but I've done 8 under normal conditions from Stirling to the south side of Doncaster (M9/M80/M73/M74/A74(M)/M6/(A66)/A1(M)/M18).
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by owen b »

A bog standard hill walking trip to Scotland involves M1, M6, A74(M), M74, M73, M80, M9, that's seven (or if heading towards Loch Lomond or Fort William, replace M73, M80, M9 with M8, M898, which reduces it to six). On one occasion I took the M6 Toll (so eight), on another occasion coming back there was a crash on the M6 near Rugby so I went A46/A45/M45 (another eight). If the M6 is badly clogged, I might go via Black Cat and take in the A1(M) as an alternative, that's still seven. Another alternative which I have done is M1, M18, A1(M)...... M6, A74(M), M74, M73, M80, M9, which is nine.

I have a friend who quite often does Sussex to Scotland in a day, involving M23, M25, M40, M42, M6, A74(M), M74, M73, M80, M9, which is ten. He refuses point blank to use the M6 Toll, which is a shame for this thread, as it would give him 11 :) .
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by KeithW »

Coming back from Fort William to Edgware I went
M898
M8
M74
A74(M)
M6
A66
A1(M)
M18
M1
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by djw1981 »

I've done

M9, M80, M73, M8, M74, A74(M), M6, M6(T), M42, M40, M25, M4

and

M9, M80, M73, M8, M74, A74(M), M6, M61, M60, M62, M67
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owen b
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by owen b »

djw1981 wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 22:48 I've done

M9, M80, M73, M8, M74, A74(M), M6, M6(T), M42, M40, M25, M4
M73 then onto the M8, then onto the M74? How? Why?
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by ais523 »

exiled wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 21:40 In one journey, interrupted by the Channel Tunnel, A25(F), A1 (F), A26 (F), A16 (F), M20, [M25, M11, A1(M), M62, M60, M61, M6, A74(M), M74
I haven't experienced it myself, but I'm a little surprised: is the congestion around London really so bad that you'd use the M11 to reach the M6 rather than one of the more direct routes? Or is this just a hypothetical?
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by stu531 »

My daily commute (punishing, really) used to often be M65, M6, M58, M57, M62, M60, M621, A58(M)... or that in reverse order.
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solocle
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by solocle »

One journey, last week:
M9-M80-M73-M74-A74(M)-M6-M5
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by M4Simon »

ais523 wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 01:30
exiled wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 21:40 In one journey, interrupted by the Channel Tunnel, A25(F), A1 (F), A26 (F), A16 (F), M20, [M25, M11, A1(M), M62, M60, M61, M6, A74(M), M74
I haven't experienced it myself, but I'm a little surprised: is the congestion around London really so bad that you'd use the M11 to reach the M6 rather than one of the more direct routes? Or is this just a hypothetical?
I think it says more about the state of the M1/M6 corridor. My route of choice from Welwyn Garden to the northern M6 would take me via the A1(M) / M62 / M60 / M61 rather than the M1 / M6.

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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by KeithW »

ais523 wrote: Mon Sep 20, 2021 01:30
exiled wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 21:40 In one journey, interrupted by the Channel Tunnel, A25(F), A1 (F), A26 (F), A16 (F), M20, [M25, M11, A1(M), M62, M60, M61, M6, A74(M), M74
I haven't experienced it myself, but I'm a little surprised: is the congestion around London really so bad that you'd use the M11 to reach the M6 rather than one of the more direct routes? Or is this just a hypothetical?

If you are coming from East London of from the Dartford Crossing M11 then M11/A14 is only 12 miles or so farther than using the M25/M1 and usually quicker, admittedly not by much. I tend to use that route as there are more alternatives if something goes pear shaped on the M25 or M1. I have found myself using A10 when there was a snafu on the M11. That was quite a pleasant run as it happened. The only painful bit was getting through Royston then it was straight up the A1198 (old A14) to the A14 at Godmanchester.
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by A303Chris »

Mine was last year, 12, when I took a detour to go through Glasgow to drive the M8 through the city for the first time on the way to Fort William. I also had to pick up a friend in Datchet on the way so I went from Woodley near Reading, via

A329(M), M4, M25, M40, M42, M6(Toll), M6, A74(M), M74, M73, M8, M898
The M25 - The road to nowhere
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by JosephA22 »

I did 12 in the UK en route to a holiday in Scotland from here in Poland, a few years back. After spending the night at the Ibis in the Channel Tunnel terminal in France, I did:
M20, M26, M25, M40, M42, M6(T), M6, A74(M), M74, M73, M80, M9 before then using the A9 to a Premier Inn at Inverness.
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by Scratchwood »

On a journey back from Cornwall to London, but via Cardiff (for an evening football match) I went M5, M49, M4 to Cardiff then A48(M), {M4}, M48, so that's 5 without trying.

Sadly (for this thread) I followed the M4 straight back to London that evening, but normally would have gone M25 then M40 or M25 then M1, upping the number to 7, again without doing motorways for the sake of it.
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Re: Multiple Motorways in one Journey

Post by Micro The Maniac »

Chris Bertram wrote: Sun Sep 19, 2021 21:20 I make that 6 different motorways in a single journey, but I bet someone here has done more. Anyone like to own up?
My regular trip to The Wirral claims 10:

Start --> M3 --> [non-motorway] --> A329(M) --> M4 --> A404(M) --> M40 --> M42 --> M5 --> M6 --> M56 --> M53
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