Whats the best route from the North to Dover to avoid ULEZ?

[froli's]

It's been a couple of years since we drove south to the Dover ferry port. We've always used the Dartford crossing but I understand you have to pay ULEZ as well as the toll now. Is this correct?

 

[Guigsy]

M25 is the boundary of the ULEZ. But it's not in it.

 

[Neil S]

It's been a couple of years since we drove south to the Dover ferry port. We've always used the Dartford crossing but I understand you have to pay ULEZ as well as the toll now. Is this correct?

the M25 is not part of the ULEZ zone

 

[Figaro]

Just be careful you don't get tempted to turn off M25 to visit somewhere and get clobbered for ulez

 

[pagey]

Your safe on the m25 as far as ulez is concerned

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[Simon Meadwell]

Dont turn off M25 for fuel or something else you can easily stumble into ulez.

 

[Chris]

I suggest you register for autopay on the TFL website so that even if you do stray into ULEZ ( you won’t if you stay on the M25) then it’s only £12.50 instead of the £180 (?) fine

 

[Camdoon]

Make sure Sat Nav is not set to avoid tolls

 

[enark]

Nah, just stay on the M25 and A282 (Dartford crossing), then M25 and M20 and you will be fine

 

[froli's]

Thank you for the info

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[PaulyP]

I suggest you register for autopay on the TFL website so that even if you do stray into ULEZ ( you won’t if you stay on the M25) then it’s only £12.50 instead of the £180 (?) fine

Better idea is to put false number plates on.

 

[Brains]

It's been a couple of years since we drove south to the Dover ferry port. We've always used the Dartford crossing but I understand you have to pay ULEZ as well as the toll now. Is this correct?

The Dartford crossing is tolled.
Inside the M25 you are into the ULEZ areas, but there is no reason to go there.

I'd strongly suggest you set up a Dartford Crossing account here
It costs nothing to set up
Even if you only use it once in a blue moon, it worth doing.
It's simple to do at home with your wifi.
It is a lot harder to do on a mobile phone whilst travelling.
You can put as many vehicles as you like on a single account, so add the other car, the kids cars etc.
You will be sent an automated email each time your account is used, so you will know who owes you £2.50, which is a lot less than the fine if you 'forget' to pay!

As long as you log into your account at least once per year the account will stay open.

In answer to the original question:
How to get from ooop t'north to Dover:

M40, M1, A1(M), M11, A12 to the roads to Dover M2, M20. In all cases it's faster to go around the M25 clockwise (Via the Dartford Crossing).

For the M3, A3, A25, and M23 then anti-clockwise to the M2 and M20 is fastest.

For the M4, it depends on the traffic at the given moment, anti-clockwise is slightly fewer miles, but may not be fewer minutes.

Also for Folkestone, as long as they don't have thousands of trucks in the 'Brexit Benefit' queue then the M20 is the fastest.
For Dover, especially in the holiday season, the the M2 is the fastest, especially as you can get off at any exit and go via A256 in case of heavy traffic or roadworks.
(Just be aware if they are using Manston as a Lorry park, the A256 is the route the lorries will use)

 

[Solwaybuggier]

Make sure Sat Nav is not set to avoid tolls

I think my Garmin regards the Dart charge as a toll so I suspect would route either via Heathrow (M25 anticlockwise) or going into ULEZ to cross the Thames.

 

[froli's]

Thanks for replying.
Good call about registering for ulez, I’ll do that

 

[denisejoe]

The Dartford crossing is tolled.
Inside the M25 you are into the ULEZ areas, but there is no reason to go there.

I'd strongly suggest you set up a Dartford Crossing account here
It costs nothing to set up
Even if you only use it once in a blue moon, it worth doing.
It's simple to do at home with your wifi.
It is a lot harder to do on a mobile phone whilst travelling.
You can put as many vehicles as you like on a single account, so add the other car, the kids cars etc.
You will be sent an automated email each time your account is used, so you will know who owes you £2.50, which is a lot less than the fine if you 'forget' to pay!

As long as you log into your account at least once per year the account will stay open.

In answer to the original question:
How to get from ooop t'north to Dover:

M40, M1, A1(M), M11, A12 to the roads to Dover M2, M20. In all cases it's faster to go around the M25 clockwise (Via the Dartford Crossing).

For the M3, A3, A25, and M23 then anti-clockwise to the M2 and M20 is fastest.

For the M4, it depends on the traffic at the given moment, anti-clockwise is slightly fewer miles, but may not be fewer minutes.

Also for Folkestone, as long as they don't have thousands of trucks in the 'Brexit Benefit' queue then the M20 is the fastest.
For Dover, especially in the holiday season, the the M2 is the fastest, especially as you can get off at any exit and go via A256 in case of heavy traffic or roadworks.
(Just be aware if they are using Manston as a Lorry park, the A256 is the route the lorries will use)

Would‘t need A12

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[Solwaybuggier]

In answer to the original question:
How to get from ooop t'north to Dover:

M40, M1, A1(M), M11, A12 to the roads to Dover M2, M20. In all cases it's faster to go around the M25 clockwise (Via the Dartford Crossing).

It all depends where in the North. Since the OP is in Newcastle (presumably upon Tyne rather than under Lyme) the M40 is well out of their likely route. From West Cumbria our normal route is to cut across to Scotch Corner on the A66, joining the main route from Newcastle there, then A1M, A1, A14, M11 to M25 (although with the holdups at Darrington on the A1 we’ve been trying alternatives!). We don’t touch the M1 or A12.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Just be careful you don't get tempted to turn off M25 to visit somewhere and get clobbered for ulez

Your safe on the m25 as far as ulez is concerned

Dont turn off M25 for fuel or something else you can easily stumble into ulez.

Nearly Di and the cost would have been £600

I suggest you register for autopay on the TFL website so that even if you do stray into ULEZ ( you won’t if you stay on the M25) then it’s only £12.50 instead of the £180 (?) fine

£12 ! its £300 a day for us

Nah, just stay on the M25 and A282 (Dartford crossing), then M25 and M20 and you will be fine

Depends where you are going to in the "North"

I avoid the Dartford crossing and go via M26 (so Clockwise from Dover)

 

[BikerGraham]

It's been a couple of years since we drove south to the Dover ferry port. We've always used the Dartford crossing but I understand you have to pay ULEZ as well as the toll now. Is this correct?

we always travel from just north of Newcastle upon Tyne

A1 - A14- M11 - M25 - over Dartford Crossing - M20 to Folkestone or Dover.

360 miles (or thereabouts) from Cramlington and pretty straight run. On an uneventful run its around 7.5 - 8 hrs at a nice pace.

Pay in advance for the Dartford Crossing both ways. as already mentioned, stay on the M25 and direct feeder section to and across the Dartford Crossing and straight onto the M25 and you dont enter ULEZ.

mind you had a strange thing with the last return through the Dartford Crossing going north which uses the tunnel. I have the width on the sat nav set to include mirrors plus a little extra. The sat nave tried to avoid the tunnel due to width restriction. Never happened previously. Ignored it anyway as I knew we were OK.

 

[busby]

It's been a couple of years since we drove south to the Dover ferry port. We've always used the Dartford crossing but I understand you have to pay ULEZ as well as the toll now. Is this correct?

No.BUSBY.

 

[Brains]

It all depends where in the North. Since the OP is in Newcastle (presumably upon Tyne rather than under Lyme) the M40 is well out of their likely route. From West Cumbria our normal route is to cut across to Scotch Corner on the A66, joining the main route from Newcastle there, then A1M, A1, A14, M11 to M25 (although with the holdups at Darrington on the A1 we’ve been trying alternatives!). We don’t touch the M1 or A12.

I was just pointing out that as a rule of thumb:

All the roads north of the M4,/The Thames, the fastest route around the M25 to Dover/Folkstone
Is clockwise, via the Dartford Crossings.

All the roads south of the M4/Thames, then its usually fastest to go anti-clockwise

For the M4: Anti Clockwise is shorter,
Clockwise 'may' be faster, it all depends on traffic density

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[vzac]

Avoid the lot go by Harwich, hull, Portsmouth, Poole or Plymouth.

 

[froli's]

Avoid the lot go by Harwich, hull, Portsmouth, Poole or Plymouth.

I know, I'd sooner do Portsmouth to Spain but it's £75 dover/Calais and £575 Portsmouth/Spain. Even with the extra fuel and tolls I can't justify it.

 

[Brains]

I know, I'd sooner do Portsmouth to Spain but it's £75 dover/Calais and £575 Portsmouth/Spain. Even with the extra fuel and tolls I can't justify it.

But Newcastle or Hull to Rotterdam, by the time you take camp fees, fuel, tolls and ferry costs into consideration may be both faster and cheaper.

It will certainly be way more pleasant to overnight in a cabin and be passing Paris by Lunch time on day two!

 

[Al n Val]

It all depends where in the North. Since the OP is in Newcastle (presumably upon Tyne rather than under Lyme) the M40 is well out of their likely route. From West Cumbria our normal route is to cut across to Scotch Corner on the A66, joining the main route from Newcastle there, then A1M, A1, A14, M11 to M25 (although with the holdups at Darrington on the A1 we’ve been trying alternatives!). We don’t touch the M1 or A12.

Go down to the Ferrybridge services on the A1 and turn left (east) towards Hull, 2nd junction take the M18 until you get back onto the A1 which is after Doncaster, it’s 7miles longer and an hour quicker

 

[Brains]

Go down to the Ferrybridge services on the A1 and turn left (east) towards Hull, 2nd junction take the M18 until you get back onto the A1 which is after Doncaster, it’s 7miles longer and an hour quicker

Worth remembering that 'short' cut next time we are up that way!
It looks like it's traffic dependent though

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[DT]

Make the most of M25 only matter of time.

 

[Camdoon]

I think my Garmin regards the Dart charge as a toll so I suspect would route either via Heathrow (M25 anticlockwise) or going into ULEZ to cross the Thames.

There was an article on here a few years ago about a motorhomer who had set his SatNav to avoid tolls which he thought would do him well in France but which had then routed him into the Blackwall Tunnel and the Ulez allowing him to accumulate further penalties while he was abroad for 3/4 months.

 

[RM_Marine]

Just buy a van that's ULEZ compliant

 

[BikerGraham]

Worth remembering that 'short' cut next time we are up that way!
It looks like it's traffic dependent though


View attachment 816371

Yep it is. Done this a number of times in the last 6 months and generally it holds you up for no more than 20 minutes overall. Darrington road works are frustrating as hell but it usually does keep moving.

 

[froli's]

Just buy a van that's ULEZ compliant

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