Off topic....question regarding the M4

mrfreeze

Hi Guys,
Sorry a question thats a little off topic.

Can anyone give me feedback regarding the M4 travelling between Reading and Bristol.
What is it like to travel on during Rush hour etc, does it have any known bottle necks or is it a smooth running Motorway for the best part.

The reason i ask, we are planning a return to the UK and will need to base ourselves somewhere that allows easy travel to Reading and Bristol.

Does anyone have opinions on where would be best to locate, or where to avoid like the plague etc.

Any advice would be most welcome.
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Go 720 v8.351 GPS v1.20 Boot 5.5120
Kate v710 UK & ROI v850.2781
Go 920 v8.351 GPS v1.20 Boot 5.5120
Kate v710 UK & ROI v850.2781

DennisN · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 1:46 am Post subject:

M4 is usually reasonable. Real problem is M32 down into Bristol (which jams frequently at the Newfoundland road end - that's redesigned, by the way - and often leads back onto M4 too) and to be honest, any other route into Bristol. Just at the moment, the ring road round the eastern side travelling clockwise is a complete nightmare at the A420 roundabout for long term roadworks. I find that the rush hour starts to subside at about 9:15am for my approaches from Bath direction (A4).

My limited experience of Reading is a nightmare both ends of the day. It looks to be something of a commuter base for London, so I fancy if you could arrange your lives to go in to Reading in the morning and come out at night, you'd do yourselves a favour. Best of all, I think, would be live in Bristol and go to work in Reading so that at each end of the day you are out of the major flow.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

GPS_fan · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 2:24 am Post subject:

Do you need roughly equal access to both Bristol and Reading?

Will there be a possible of flexible travel times, particularly if work is involved?
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Andy
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MrT · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:37 am Post subject:

I used to drive regularly on the M4 and there were only really problems on the actual motorway when there were accidents or roadworks as there are not really any good alternative routes. The old A4 is not good.

The problems were always getting on or off the motorway. Reading was a nightmare in the rush hours but easily accessable outside of these. The same goes for Swindon, Bath, Chippenham and Bristol and M25 access points. It all depends whether you want the City Centres or just near the cities.

Have you considered the train? If you want the City Centres you could locate yourself somewhere between Bristol and Reading and travel that way. It is a fast line and property is a lot cheaper outside of the major cities. The main stations are Reading, Didcot, Swindon, Chippenham, Bath & Bristol.
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Drivelux

mrfreeze · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 4:48 pm Post subject:

Guys,
Thanks for the feedback.
Yes work dictates that travel initially will be to Reading but then this will change and focus more on Bristol & Bath.

From what i get so far, we are better towards Bristol & Bath so on an evening we would be travelling west awat from Reading and thus the London Commuters. Would you agree?

Lastly any particulary nice places along the M4 that people would recomend or any not so nice place that we should avoid?
_________________
Go 720 v8.351 GPS v1.20 Boot 5.5120
Kate v710 UK & ROI v850.2781
Go 920 v8.351 GPS v1.20 Boot 5.5120
Kate v710 UK & ROI v850.2781

DennisN · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 1:08 pm Post subject:

A4 into Bath from the bottom of the A46 (south of M4 Jct 18) is a total horror, but then my opinion of Bath traffic is total horror anyway!

Housing in Swindon area was pricey as a good employment and commuter centre, but might be more reasonably priced now that there are job problems - Honda is currently shut down for a very extended Christmas and last I heard, RAF Lyneham is heading for closure. If you can afford it, I'm sure you'd find some lovely places in rural Wiltshire not too far from the motorway.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

mrfreeze · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:14 pm Post subject:

Dennis,
Appreciate all the input thanks. Wink

Anyone else have any info on the area, the more the merrier!
_________________
Go 720 v8.351 GPS v1.20 Boot 5.5120
Kate v710 UK & ROI v850.2781
Go 920 v8.351 GPS v1.20 Boot 5.5120
Kate v710 UK & ROI v850.2781

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