Hi,
I am visiting friends in Southampton/Winchester, its my first major long trip and hope you guys can answer some of my questions (stupid as they may seem). I've been driving to work on the motorway for a good couple of months now, so i have got some good experience of this type of driving.
I am driving to Southampton from Exeter and unfortently there is no motorway for the majority of the trip.
My route is as follows leave the m5 at junction 29 on to the a30, at Hontion take the A35, continue along the A35 until i reach the A31. Continue along the A31 which turns into the M27=Southampton.
Will roads be sign posted as e.g A30? I am worried i won't have a clue where i am going otherwise. Roads never seem to look the same in the Atlas as they do in real life lol.
Thanks for your help
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all will be signposted nice and easy, the AA website is pretty good for directions giving a lot of detail, like pub or hotel names garages that you pass or turn near
cheers keo
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the route finder on the aa website confirmed my gut reaction - A30, then A303 all the way along to Deptford then A36 south. I've only traveled the A303 in bits, but from memory much of it is dual carriageway and fairly quick road. Watch the junction of A303 / A36, there are two junctions one straight after the other.
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This is a journey I do fairly regularly. I think the A35 (coast road) is much better than the A30/A303 (inland) option. Its improved greatly over the last few years, with bypasses and dual carriageway for a lot of the route. Exeter to Southampton should take you around 2hrs (depends on time of day & what part of Soutampton), add another 20-30mins for Winchester.
I think signage is good, but I know the route well so I don't really look at it.
In summary: Leave the A30 at Honiton and pick up the A35, then head for Axminster, Bridport, Dorchester, Ringwood, Southampton. Use the bypasses at Bridport, & Dorchester, unless you need to stop for a toilet break, in which case either one of these towns has suitably equipted car parks. There are speed cameras on entering & leaving Charmouth.
Once you get to Ringwood its dual carriageway all the way to the M27.
Check with your friends in Southampton as to where they are. If they are to the North or East, you will probably be better staying on the M27 to one of the junctions further round (5,7 or 8).
For Winchester leave exit the M27 at junc 4 for Winchester.
Hope this helps.
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Are there two Deptfords? I only know the one in the middle of London, and that's cause I worked there last year :P
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I often do this as part of a regular trip from Plymouth to Portsmouth.
Don't touch the A303 - its a pig of a route that way, the A35 is a far superior option and is quite a lot of it dual carriageway now.
I went the inland route last time and whilst it didnt take much longer it was a lot more frustrating.
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The A303 is quite a dangerous road as well. Locally it's known as "Death Valley"...
Also, the A36 round Salisbury can be very congested at certain times of the day.
Go via B'Mouth/Poole etc if you can.
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Edit: By this I don't mean go into the centre of B'Mouth/Poole, merely scoot round the outside on the A31.
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With full acknowledgment and apologies to the AA...
I\'ve posted this because you\'re obviously nervous and the following step by step process will def. get you there. There may be short cuts, alternatives, whatever - but for your first journey you need certainty.
Bear in mind that this is city centre to city centre which may or may not be appropriate.
The first two figures at the beginning of each direction are total elapsed time and distance to next instruction. The following number is the road number you should be taking.
Acc. Dist Route Directions
0.00 0.00 A3015 Start out at Exeter,Devon
Follow signs Exmouth (A376) to leave by A3015
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2.50 2.50 A379 Countess Wear Roundabout
At roundabout take 1st exit A379 (signposted Honiton, Taunton M5)
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2.80 0.30 A379 Junction with A3015
Branch left
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4.20 1.40 M5 EXETER SERVICE AREA (Junction with A376/M5)
Travelodge (Exeter) At roundabout take 2nd exit (signposted Taunton) to join Motorway M5
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5.30 1.10 A30 Junction 29 (A30/A3015)
Leave Motorway (signposted Honiton) and at traffic signals turn left A30
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18.10 12.80 A30 \"Turks Head\" (Junction with A35/A375)
Forward into bypass (signposted London, Andover (A303)
TRAFFIC BLACKSPOT - CALL 401 100 from your mobile*
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21.30 3.20 A30 Monkton (\"Monkton Court Inn\")
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24.70 3.40 A303 Junction with A303
Forward A303 (signposted Andover)
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30.20 5.50 A303 Newtown
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30.40 0.20 A303 Eagle Cross (\"The Eagle Tavern\")
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34.60 4.20 A303 Southfields
Travelodge (Ilminster) At roundabout take 3rd exit
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41.00 6.40 A303 Hayes End
At roundabout take 2nd exit
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44.30 3.30 A303 Cartgate (Cartgate Picnic Area)
At roundabout take 2nd exit
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49.70 5.40 A303 Podimore
Travelodge (Yeovil - Podimore) At roundabout take 3rd exit (signposted London)
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53.80 4.10 A303 Hazelgrove
At roundabout take 2nd exit In 0.6 mile descend (12%)
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75.20 21.40 A303 Chicklade
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82.50 7.30 A36 Deptford
Branch left and follow signs Salisbury to join A36
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86.40 3.90 A36 \"The Pelican\" public house (Stapleford)
Shortly bear right
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87.60 1.20 A36 Stoford (\"The Swan Inn\")
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88.20 0.60 A36 South Newton (\"The Bell Inn\")
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90.40 2.20 A36 Wilton Roundabout
Take 2nd exit (signposted Salisbury)
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92.80 2.40 A36 St Paul\'s Roundabout (SALISBURY)
Take 2nd exit (signposted Southampton)
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93.20 0.40 A36 Castle Roundabout
At roundabout take 2nd exit
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93.80 0.60 A36 St Mark\'s Roundabout
At roundabout take 4th exit (signposted Southampton)
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94.60 0.80 A36 College Roundabout (Salisbury College)
At roundabout take 1st exit In 0.6 mile at Bourne Way Roundabout take 2nd exit
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101.00 6.40 A36 Brickworth (Junction with A27)
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106.50 5.50 A36 Wellow
At roundabout take 2nd exit
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109.00 2.50 A36 Junction with A31/A3090
At roundabout take 2nd main exit (signposted Southampton)
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109.60 0.60 M27 Junction with M27
At roundabout take 1st exit to join Motorway M27
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111.90 2.30 M271 Junction 3 (M271)
Branch left (signposted Southampton) and at roundabout take 3rd exit to join M271
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113.50 1.60 A33 Motorway Terminal Roundabout
Take 1st exit A33 (signposted Southampton)
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114.00 0.50 A33 Millbrook Roundabout
Take right-hand lane A33 (signposted City Centre) and cross flyover
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116.00 2.00 A3024 Junction with A3024
Keep in left-hand lane A3024 (signposted City Centre)
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116.20 0.20 A3024 Junction with A3057
At traffic signals forward
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116.60 0.40 A3024 Junction for Civic Centre
At traffic signals turn left (signposted Ring Road North, East) into Havelock Road
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117.10 0.50 A3024 Arrive at SOUTHAMPTON (Charlotte Place)
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- - - Section time 2:38, Total time 2:38
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I do the journey from Salisbury to Exeter several times a year and went just this last weekend and can offer the following advice.
Long term roadworks on A303 at Deptford interchange with A36 at Wylye Valley. Dual carriageway down to single and contraflow, with 40mph limit and lots of cameras. This work is scheduled to last until middle of December.
Other parts of A30/A303 can be awful as stretches of single and dual carriageway led to frustration from some drivers.
Section of A30 after Honiton is over the Blackdown Hills and is known as a major problem area due to long hilly with lots of bends and no opportuniy to overtake. You can often average under 30mph for this section!
Also Salisbury can be a nightmare to cross at the best of times.
Would seriously advise taking A35 route off the end of A30 Honiton bypass.
Enjoy the scenery!
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Thanks guys, some really helpful suggestions. I will let you know if i make it there and back ok! Cheers
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"if i make it there and back ok! Cheers"
Course you will! Just take it easy and don't get flustered! Brings back memories of my first long drives - I used to get really excited in anticipation!!
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I too regularly run this journey. Forget the A303; if ever there was a road managed by satan's minions, this is it. A30, A35, A31 is the only option and a pleasant one at that. Take your time between Lyme Regis and Dorchester and enjoy the views. But not to the exclusion of watching the road!
Enjoy and have a safe trip,
No Dosh - Backroom Moderator
mailto:moderators@honestjohn.co.uk
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Hey, I object. I like the A303. Its always been good to me, and the view of Stonehenge always gets me. Satans minions indeed.
Anyway, must go the Boss wants his cat Lucifer back. "Turn the heat down boss"
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Hey, I object. I like the A303. Its always been good to me, and the view of Stonehenge always gets me. Satans minions indeed.
Oh, so it's you doing 48mph with an overweight caravan, is it?
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48? FORTY EIGHT? My eyes would bleed at such velocity....
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Well, I don;t use it that often anymore, but I always did quite well on the A303. Whereas I was guaranteed to get a) lost and b) stuck behind something on the other roads.
Still, you pay your money....
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Got there and back safe and sound without getting lost. Was a lot easyier then i thought. Thanks for your help.
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Oh no, you don't get off that easily. Which way did you go?
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Got there and back safe and sound without getting lost.
No problems with the Renault Berlingo van I take it? ;o)
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re the note earlier in this thread about speed cameras at Charmouth on the A35 coast road route: it isn't Charmouth, it's Chideock, a bit further along and just before you get to Bridport. There's sometimes one at Morcombelake, just before you get to Chideock, as well. They are all very well signed but they have what I think our American cousins call a 'high attrition rate'...
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I too like Saten's road the A 303, especially that nice bit of wide single carridgeway that seems to have overtaking laws like none other!
Little chef at Sparkford used to be my main stop off when coming back from Farnborough.
H
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