Route Glasgow to Great Yarmouth
Discussion
Heading to Gt Yarmouth in March. Route I was thinking was A1 south to A14 then east on A14. Google maps suggesting coming off A1 at Newark on Trent and using A17 and A47.
This is around 40 miles shorter but has 90 miles or so between the A1 and Norwich on what looks like slower roads.
So save 40 miles or cruise at 70 without being held up by slow moving traffic on the direct route?
Even if the time was the same both ways I would think the A1 A14 would be a more relaxed drive.
Any locals know different.
This is around 40 miles shorter but has 90 miles or so between the A1 and Norwich on what looks like slower roads.
So save 40 miles or cruise at 70 without being held up by slow moving traffic on the direct route?
Even if the time was the same both ways I would think the A1 A14 would be a more relaxed drive.
Any locals know different.
Always six of one and half a dozen of the other on that route.
Based on the time of year (harvest) you can be held up by farm machinery on the shorter route and a few lorry drivers usually end up ploughing off the road every year which closes the stretch.
Depends on how quickly you want to get down there, I do prefer the countryside via the more direct route but keep both in mind right until you need to make the turn off and commit….
Based on the time of year (harvest) you can be held up by farm machinery on the shorter route and a few lorry drivers usually end up ploughing off the road every year which closes the stretch.
Depends on how quickly you want to get down there, I do prefer the countryside via the more direct route but keep both in mind right until you need to make the turn off and commit….
I’ve done your route a number of times, and I’ve always gone A47, A17 to Newark etc etc. I’ve done it on a bike (a joy!) and I’ve done it in a car…
Expect your average speed to drop to about 50mph once you’re on the 17 & 47 when it’s down to single lane. It rarely comes to a grinding halt. But as someone else says, I’d just use Waze. Set it to Great Yarmouth 2 miles away from Newark and then decide
. Unless you’re on a motorbike, then you can just ride around all the hold ups.
Expect your average speed to drop to about 50mph once you’re on the 17 & 47 when it’s down to single lane. It rarely comes to a grinding halt. But as someone else says, I’d just use Waze. Set it to Great Yarmouth 2 miles away from Newark and then decide

I’ve done Norwich to the Highlands for the last four summers and have always gone A11, A14 and then North from Cambridge and I’ve not had any issues on this part of the trip going or coming back.
However last summer decided to do A17/A47 to come home and nearly ended up chewing the steering wheel whilst following lorries, tractors and various other slow moving vehicles……
However last summer decided to do A17/A47 to come home and nearly ended up chewing the steering wheel whilst following lorries, tractors and various other slow moving vehicles……
Funnily enough the last trip I did, where I came back on the A17/A47, was our return trip from Skye when we went across the Highlands using the A890 along Loch Carron on to the A832/A835/A9 to Inverness and over to Nairn to take the Old Military Road down to our stop over in Ballater.
Next day we followed the Old Military Road down to Perth followed by the schlep down to Norwich hence my dislike of the A17/A47 as it’s not a good way to end a lovely road trip.
Not sure if the route I took would be any good for your trip to Skye, as it looks a little out of the way, and there are so many good roads you’ll be spoilt for choice as I’m sure you know.
Next day we followed the Old Military Road down to Perth followed by the schlep down to Norwich hence my dislike of the A17/A47 as it’s not a good way to end a lovely road trip.
Not sure if the route I took would be any good for your trip to Skye, as it looks a little out of the way, and there are so many good roads you’ll be spoilt for choice as I’m sure you know.
irc said:
A11/A14it is then!! My tolerance for being stuck behind lorries is very limited. Perhaps a character flaw.
In that case, never ever go near the A17.I'm in North Norfolk so it's near unavoidable but I'll spend half an hour extra going via Peterborough if I can just to avoid putting teeth marks on my steering wheel when I start chewing on it in frustration!
It's compounded but the fact that for at least 90 minutes of the drive (if you're making decent progress) there are no distinguishing features.
It's like being in the tunnel at the entrance to The Labyrinth, but without the sociable worm.
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