Advice for alternative route to Blackwall Tunnel

Tric914

An infrequent poster hoping for some help if possible. I travel to home games from Northampton and generally use Blackwall Tunnel. I couldnt make the Blackpool game but I see that it is due to be closed again on 21st October when we play Reading. I wondered if there was any advice of a best alternative route to use? Any advice would be great. 

masicat

M25 off of the M1, then Dartford Tunnel. Then A2. 

letthegoodtimesroll

masicat said:

M25 off of the M1, then Dartford Tunnel. Then A2. 

Not that I’ve ever had to trek north across the river there after a game but on those occasions I’ve had to go through the Dartford tunnel the queues to do so are very long and very slow. Is that still the case ?

clive

The tunnel will be closed Southbound only that weekend.

swords_alive

Is it not an option to park in North London and get a train so avoiding the tunnel issue?

Or train the whole way. Northampton to Charlton approx £43 rtn. (assuming no strike or engineering!)

Billericaydickie

I have used the Blackwall tunnel to get to the Valley ever since we returned to the Valley in 1992.

However for the past two seasons I have changed to the Dartford crossing.

if anything it is easier. I am generally getting home slightly earlier.

So far I haven’t really encountered any real problems.
The only problems seem to be Christmas time with shopping at Bluewater, and Saturday games in August with the Bridge clogged with lots of holiday traffic.

So any month apart from August and December should be fine.

InspectorSands

swords_alive said:

Is it not an option to park in North London and get a train so avoiding the tunnel issue?

Annoyingly, Thameslink's out that day, so the obvious really good idea - go down the M1 to somewhere like St Albans or West Hampstead and take a direct train - is a non-starter. 

It might be simpler just to park up next to a Jubilee Line station in NW London and hop on the tube to North Greenwich. 

Big William

InspectorSands said:

swords_alive said:

Is it not an option to park in North London and get a train so avoiding the tunnel issue?

Annoyingly, Thameslink's out that day, so the obvious really good idea - go down the M1 to somewhere like St Albans or West Hampstead and take a direct train - is a non-starter. 

It might be simpler just to park up next to a Jubilee Line station in NW London and hop on the tube to North Greenwich. 

Funny enough, my brother in law in Edgware mentioned this last week regarding getting to Wembley from the North - Canons Park on the Jubilee has a car park, six quid if the below is accurate. No idea about street parking nearby, bit a minefield anywhere near London now. Obviously, keep going past Wembley and onto North Greenwich to the real home of football. 

https://www.sabaparking.co.uk/car-park/canons-park-station-car-park-tfl

Carl Leaburn

I use Dartford crossing every home game from Essex. it can be a little slow at about 12:30 going but nothing out of the ordinary. Normally fine coming home after 17:30.

Tric914

Thanks to all. Looks like I will give Dartford Crossing a bash

LenGlover

Most weekends at the moment RMT or ASLEF or both are on strike and /or overtime bans which makes train travel even more problematic than it usually is with standard buses, engineering works etc.

LenGlover

Hopefully you have a relatively new car (2015 or later) as otherwise you will have to pay the Bastard Sadiq Khan tax sometimes called ULEZ of £12.50.

swords_alive

LenGlover said:

Hopefully you have a relatively new car (2015 or later) as otherwise you will have to pay the Bastard Sadiq Khan tax sometimes called ULEZ of £12.50.

And rightly so, that being the law and all.. btw some petrol cars from 2002 meet the relevant Ulez standard so not all hope is lost for so many. Still, avoid all that stress too with a train!

Siv_in_Norfolk

Nice bonus to have recently gained he potential to head to the valley for one of the home games on 21st and 28th Oct. Checked trains....1st date is £60rtn from Norwich, plus tube/bus, 2nd date is all rail replacement buses and palaver....

So...driving it is...   looks like I'll do Dartford one way and Blackwall the other... thx for info on this thread.... and also figure out a new parking spot given the enhanced checks on the 2-hour zone... 

Would have preferred to take train... buuut... it's basically 35 car vs 70 quid train as only have a couple of weeks' notice on train tix....

pickwick

Looked at the local roads to Cannon's Park Tube and they are restricted Monday to Friday 2pm to 3pm so you can park all day for free on the right single yellow lines on a Saturday as always refer to the road side signs.  Might be that they are rammed at the weekends though.

All petrol cars post 2006 are ULEZ free and there are plenty older thne that are as well.

R0TW

Rather than the Jubilee Line, How about Thameslink straight into Charlton?

cafcfan

masicat said:

M25 off of the M1, then Dartford Tunnel. Then A2. 

This. You'll find the tunnels are busy going the other way but that will clear for your homebound trip. The bridge will probably be slow but moving. It's my usual route from Essex.  (If the M25 or A2 looks clogged, come off at junction 1a just after the bridge and take the A206 all the way to The Valley.

Don't forget to pay the toll!

AFKABartram

R0TW said:

Rather than the Jubilee Line, How about Thameslink straight into Charlton?

Thameslink strike that day 

clive

AFKABartram said:

R0TW said:

Rather than the Jubilee Line, How about Thameslink straight into Charlton?

Thameslink strike that day 

No Strike, but engineering work.

Date:
21 October - 22 October 2023 11:59 PM

Routes affected:
Thameslink services via Farringdon

Engineering work is taking place between London St Pancras International and London Bridge, closing all lines. ​​​​​​​No trains will run between London St Pancras International and London Blackfriars / London Bridge. Trains between St Albans and Sutton will not run.

Trains will run to an amended timetable between:

• London St Pancras and Bedford / Luton. Trains will not call at Kentish Town, your tickets will be accepted on London Bus route 214.
• London King's Cross and Cambridge / Peterborough.
• London Bridge and Brighton / Horsham / Three Bridges / Rainham.
• London Victoria and Sevenoaks (on Saturday only) / Swanley and Sevenoaks (on Sunday only).

https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/travel-information/plan-your-journey/planned-engineering-work?date=2023-10-21#engineering-departure-board

CatfordCat

Tric914 said:

Thanks to all. Looks like I will give Dartford Crossing a bash

cafcfan said:

masicat said:

M25 off of the M1, then Dartford Tunnel. Then A2. 

This. You'll find the tunnels are busy going the other way but that will clear for your homebound trip. The bridge will probably be slow but moving. It's my usual route from Essex.  (If the M25 or A2 looks clogged, come off at junction 1a just after the bridge and take the A206 all the way to The Valley.

Don't forget to pay the toll!

yes - at the risk of stating the obvious (depends how long ago you last used the dartford crossing) you can't pay cash at the crossing any more. it's all online now.  more here.

and make damn sure you go to the right .gov.uk page - there are occasional scam websites that come up on search engines...

Stig

We regularly use the A206, it seems a little quicker than the A2 (slower, but more direct).

WrightCharlie

https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/m25-dartford-crossing-closed-over-8805463.amp

Dartford tunnel closures Saturday 21 and 28 at 8pm until 10am Sunday might make traffic busier than usual in the hours leading up to closure

O-Randy-Hunt

WrightCharlie said:

https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/m25-dartford-crossing-closed-over-8805463.amp

Dartford tunnel closures Saturday 21 and 28 at 8pm until 10am Sunday might make traffic busier than usual in the hours leading up to closure

Tower Bridge closed the weekend of the 21st too. Imagine they close the blackwall aswell 🤣