Best road into Central London from north?
Discussion
Coming into central London (Oxford Street) from the M1, the sat nav always brings me via the A5 Kilburn High Street and then Edgware Road.
The road is ok but I was hoping any locals might be able to advise a quicker and/or easier road to navigate down. The A5 can get a bit crazy as it's two lanes and you are sharing it with bus lanes, right turning traffic meaning last minute lane changes, TONS of cyclists and scooters from every angle and pedestrians who seem to be in the middle of the road at all times
I was inspired by discovering a better route to Gatwick from Central London in my last post. I was offered some very good advice from a fellow poster about ignoring the sat nav wanting to take me down the A23 and instead follow the A3 towards the M25. But you'd only know this if you were a local and knew that the direct route through Brixton was a nightmare so am hoping for some similar advice.
Any alternatives route gratefully appreciated
The road is ok but I was hoping any locals might be able to advise a quicker and/or easier road to navigate down. The A5 can get a bit crazy as it's two lanes and you are sharing it with bus lanes, right turning traffic meaning last minute lane changes, TONS of cyclists and scooters from every angle and pedestrians who seem to be in the middle of the road at all times
I was inspired by discovering a better route to Gatwick from Central London in my last post. I was offered some very good advice from a fellow poster about ignoring the sat nav wanting to take me down the A23 and instead follow the A3 towards the M25. But you'd only know this if you were a local and knew that the direct route through Brixton was a nightmare so am hoping for some similar advice.
Any alternatives route gratefully appreciated
The edgware road (a5) is a nightmare!
You come of the m1 at edgware, turn right at the roundabout then left on to the a5 at the next (tesco metro) roundabout?
Instead of that, stay on the m1 until it ends (near brent cross) then follow signs for central london. It will take you on the a41 down the finchley road.
When you get to swiss cottage, go straight on at the huge roundabout and multi lane lights on to bishops avenue.
Perve at the obscenely priced houses and straight on through lights at the end of the road.
Into regents park. Do a left and follow the outer circle (past london zoo) follow it all the way round then straight out of the park onto portland place.
Straight down (broadcasting house on the left, monks protesting outside the chinese embassy on left), follow straight down and you are on oxford st.
Finchley road can be a bit sticky but its a good route. I do it often.
You come of the m1 at edgware, turn right at the roundabout then left on to the a5 at the next (tesco metro) roundabout?
Instead of that, stay on the m1 until it ends (near brent cross) then follow signs for central london. It will take you on the a41 down the finchley road.
When you get to swiss cottage, go straight on at the huge roundabout and multi lane lights on to bishops avenue.
Perve at the obscenely priced houses and straight on through lights at the end of the road.
Into regents park. Do a left and follow the outer circle (past london zoo) follow it all the way round then straight out of the park onto portland place.
Straight down (broadcasting house on the left, monks protesting outside the chinese embassy on left), follow straight down and you are on oxford st.
Finchley road can be a bit sticky but its a good route. I do it often.
pidsy said:
It will take you on the a41 down the finchley road.
When you get to swiss cottage, go straight on at the huge roundabout and multi lane lights on to bishops avenue.
Thanks for the advice mate, yes I remember that roundabout, next time I'll keep left.When you get to swiss cottage, go straight on at the huge roundabout and multi lane lights on to bishops avenue.
If you were heading to the opposite side of Oxford Street, (ie Marble Arch) would you stay on the Finchley Road A41 instead of heading off the Avenue Road?
Google maps is advising me to stay on the A41 ALL the way (Park Road then Baker street, then right onto George Street). Or is the Avenue Road better for traffic?
BTW, for some reason, your discussion of Bishops Avenue vs Avenue Road reminds me of the Only Fools episode where Rodney asks to dropped off on the King's Road where all the big pervy houses are and then has to walk home in the rain. No idea why!
Thanks for the advice mate, appreciate it
Hi,
I promised I'd post on this thread... I make fairly regular trips into Central from Yorkshire, but only in the evening when the traffic's cleared, and I'd follow Pidsy's suggestion to stay on the M1 until it ends, then A41 and Avenue Road (which is certainly preferable to staying on the A41 past St John's Wood).
Alternatively - depending on where your starting point up north is - you could do far worse than cut across to the M40 (via the M25, if need be), which, via the A40, Western Avenue, the West Cross Route and Notting Hill, would drop you straight at Marble Arch.
The A5 is a ruler-straight single carriageway city high street infested with buses, blind pedestrians and general morons and should be avoided at all costs.
I promised I'd post on this thread... I make fairly regular trips into Central from Yorkshire, but only in the evening when the traffic's cleared, and I'd follow Pidsy's suggestion to stay on the M1 until it ends, then A41 and Avenue Road (which is certainly preferable to staying on the A41 past St John's Wood).
Alternatively - depending on where your starting point up north is - you could do far worse than cut across to the M40 (via the M25, if need be), which, via the A40, Western Avenue, the West Cross Route and Notting Hill, would drop you straight at Marble Arch.
The A5 is a ruler-straight single carriageway city high street infested with buses, blind pedestrians and general morons and should be avoided at all costs.
I travel in quite regularly down the M1 -> A5 -> Paddington and have never had a problem on the A5, yes it's quite busy but always seems to be moving and the pedestrians soon move if you just keep driving towards them!
I'd go any way to avoid that stupid 'roundabout' at Swiss Cottage(?) chaos guaranteed everytime!
I'd go any way to avoid that stupid 'roundabout' at Swiss Cottage(?) chaos guaranteed everytime!
Cyder said:
I travel in quite regularly down the M1 -> A5 -> Paddington and have never had a problem on the A5, yes it's quite busy but always seems to be moving and the pedestrians soon move if you just keep driving towards them!
I'd go any way to avoid that stupid 'roundabout' at Swiss Cottage(?) chaos guaranteed everytime!
You just have to launch yourself into it and pray you dont get hit by a bus or one of the billion smartcars that seem to always be there. It is interesting when you come down the a41 and join it the metal reservation on the left suddenly disappears and you are faced with 6 lanes of people who want to go in every diifferent direction.I'd go any way to avoid that stupid 'roundabout' at Swiss Cottage(?) chaos guaranteed everytime!
pidsy said:
The edgware road (a5) is a nightmare!
You come of the m1 at edgware, turn right at the roundabout then left on to the a5 at the next (tesco metro) roundabout?
Instead of that, stay on the m1 until it ends (near brent cross) then follow signs for central london. It will take you on the a41 down the finchley road.
When you get to swiss cottage, go straight on at the huge roundabout and multi lane lights on to bishops avenue.
Perve at the obscenely priced houses and straight on through lights at the end of the road.
Into regents park. Do a left and follow the outer circle (past london zoo) follow it all the way round then straight out of the park onto portland place.
Straight down (broadcasting house on the left, monks protesting outside the chinese embassy on left), follow straight down and you are on oxford st.
Finchley road can be a bit sticky but its a good route. I do it often.
I'm with you until Swiss Cottage, but then I'd head down Wellington Rd/Park Rd, and on down Baker St. You come of the m1 at edgware, turn right at the roundabout then left on to the a5 at the next (tesco metro) roundabout?
Instead of that, stay on the m1 until it ends (near brent cross) then follow signs for central london. It will take you on the a41 down the finchley road.
When you get to swiss cottage, go straight on at the huge roundabout and multi lane lights on to bishops avenue.
Perve at the obscenely priced houses and straight on through lights at the end of the road.
Into regents park. Do a left and follow the outer circle (past london zoo) follow it all the way round then straight out of the park onto portland place.
Straight down (broadcasting house on the left, monks protesting outside the chinese embassy on left), follow straight down and you are on oxford st.
Finchley road can be a bit sticky but its a good route. I do it often.
pidsy said:
You just have to launch yourself into it and pray you dont get hit by a bus or one of the billion smartcars that seem to always be there. It is interesting when you come down the a41 and join it the metal reservation on the left suddenly disappears and you are faced with 6 lanes of people who want to go in every diifferent direction.
It easy once you know how 
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