M6 toll, or not

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Discussion

Vipers

Original Poster:

33,117 posts

235 months

Sunday 18th December 2022
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Quick question, drive from Raynes Park to Aberdeen using M25 to the M40, then M42, then choice of M6 or the M6 toll..

Route planner shows minutes difference and 2 miles difference whether you use toll or not, from just before you chose either and arriving at Stafford. (I chose those two points for a. Reference).

My view is that I have never ever seen any trucks on the toll road, never it’s never ever busy as far as I know, (I only use it twice a year), and unless I have missed it I have never heard any road news on the radio where the toll is blocked.

Our son is driving up 23rd December, and will be at the point where the toll starts around 0600, but with so many cancelled trains may be more cars on the road than usual.

So excluding the cost, what would you suggest, M6 toll or not?

Glenn63

3,107 posts

91 months

Sunday 18th December 2022
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Not many trucks use it as it’s £12 so unless the company has a toll tag, we do but only for use when loaded.
I always use the toll as Birmingham can just be mayhem. Even if it’s flowing freely it’s still full of morons cutting and chopping lanes and last minute dives for exits.
It also now has a permanent 60mph limit for ‘emissions reduction’.

Vipers

Original Poster:

33,117 posts

235 months

Sunday 18th December 2022
quotequote all
Thanks Glenn

David87

6,788 posts

219 months

Sunday 18th December 2022
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Depends if you want to vmax the car or not, I suppose. biggrin

andy43

10,598 posts

261 months

Sunday 18th December 2022
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Glenn63 said:
Not many trucks use it as it’s £12 so unless the company has a toll tag, we do but only for use when loaded.
I always use the toll as Birmingham can just be mayhem. Even if it’s flowing freely it’s still full of morons cutting and chopping lanes and last minute dives for exits.
It also now has a permanent 60mph limit for ‘emissions reduction’.
That. I’m not sure the toll avoids that daft emissions bit although the 60mph section to the west of burmingum where you drive on a raised section of motorway thru an industrial area housing metal processors and all sorts of other nasty motorist-harming smelly stuff is hilarious. But 60mph saves the planet obvs.
The toll road is much better full stop. Better road surfaces, better traffic levels with much less chance of chaos, and generally much less burmingummy.

akadk

1,521 posts

186 months

Sunday 18th December 2022
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6am??? Take the M6

blue_haddock

3,866 posts

74 months

Sunday 18th December 2022
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Vipers said:
Quick question, drive from Raynes Park to Aberdeen using M25 to the M40, then M42, then choice of M6 or the M6 toll..

Route planner shows minutes difference and 2 miles difference whether you use toll or not, from just before you chose either and arriving at Stafford. (I chose those two points for a. Reference).

My view is that I have never ever seen any trucks on the toll road, never it’s never ever busy as far as I know, (I only use it twice a year), and unless I have missed it I have never heard any road news on the radio where the toll is blocked.

Our son is driving up 23rd December, and will be at the point where the toll starts around 0600, but with so many cancelled trains may be more cars on the road than usual.

So excluding the cost, what would you suggest, M6 toll or not?
The M6 toll does occasionally have traffic issues but it's pretty rare.

If he's hitting the area at 6 am he should be fine on the normal m6

Sheepshanks

35,030 posts

126 months

Sunday 18th December 2022
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Going north outside of peak periods I usually go west on the M42 at the top of the M40 then join the M6 via the M5.

For some reason sat nav in both our cars (Merc and VW) always tries the cut the M42 / M5 corner off at the M42's last junction so you have to ignore that but after the junction immediately stay left off the M42 otherwise you end up heading the wrong way on the M5.

Apart from anything else, the elevated sections of the M6 have horrendous joints between the sections which do my head in.

I can reclaim the cost on my expenses but still refuse to use the Toll road unless necessary.

mmm-five

11,437 posts

291 months

Sunday 18th December 2022
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...and there's more good news from the M6Toll...

I've recently received an email informing me of their 4th increase (total of 17%) in less than 12 months...it's now £8.20 for a Class 2 vehicle (i.e. a normal car) between 5am and 11pm. It was £7.00 this time last year.

Edited by mmm-five on Sunday 18th December 19:39

cherryowen

11,958 posts

211 months

Sunday 18th December 2022
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blue_haddock said:
If he's hitting the area at 6 am he should be fine on the normal m6
This 100%



Vipers

Original Poster:

33,117 posts

235 months

Sunday 18th December 2022
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Thank you all for the comments, much appreciated, passed it all on to my son to decide what to do.

Have a good one.


Glenn63

3,107 posts

91 months

Sunday 18th December 2022
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He might want to check if he’s going early morning but jc7-10 has been shut overnight last week or so, should normally be open by 6am though.

Canon_Fodder

1,775 posts

70 months

Sunday 18th December 2022
quotequote all
Toll Road unless you have a fetish for 15 miles of expansion joints and Bruv under-takers