Can someone give me the easiest way to park and tube to the V & A from a M3/M25/A1(M) flyby of London...?

[TheConfusedMan]

Basically we are driving from Southampton to Wisbech - so M3 > M25 > A1(M) - but want to go to the V&A on the way.

I'm guessing it's easier to park near a tube station on the outskirts of London and tube in and out, but my knowledge of which lines go where, which zones are cheapest, which stations have big car parks and general London geography is terrible.

What would be the easiest way to do this?

 

[bramling]

Basically we are driving from Southampton to Wisbech - so M3 > M25 > A1(M) - but want to go to the V&A on the way.

I'm guessing it's easier to park near a tube station on the outskirts of London and tube in and out, but my knowledge of which lines go where, which zones are cheapest, which stations have big car parks and general London geography is terrible.

What would be the easiest way to do this?

High Barnet is a fairly reliable way to get into town, and is only a few minutes from the M25. However the car park is normally full on weekdays during the daytime, though if this is the case it’s normally possible to drive an extra couple of miles to either Totteridge or Woodside Park.

Stanmore also has a large car park but I’ve no idea what the score is with getting a space there.

 

[Ken H]

Basically we are driving from Southampton to Wisbech - so M3 > M25 > A1(M) - but want to go to the V&A on the way.

I'm guessing it's easier to park near a tube station on the outskirts of London and tube in and out, but my knowledge of which lines go where, which zones are cheapest, which stations have big car parks and general London geography is terrible.

What would be the easiest way to do this?

I used to use Greenford and park in nearby residential streets. But they have put in residents parking now.
I think gettong the tube is easy. Parking is more difficult. OR v expensive.
I would look for somewhere on the piccadilly or District lines to save changing.

Radical but Heathrow Airport may be worth a look...

 

[Gloster]

Purely based on driving, presuming that you are going to use the A1 and are going to use the North Orbital to cut the corner from Bricket Wood to Hatfield, what about Kings Langley on the West Coast Main Line or one of the stations in the Hatfield area? It is not the tube, but the extra rail distance may be countered by less driving off the main roads. I do not know these locations, so others will have to judge their suitability.

 

[30907]

Purely based on driving, presuming that you are going to use the A1 and are going to use the North Orbital to cut the corner from Bricket Wood to Hatfield, what about Kings Langley on the West Coast Main Li

Very easily accessed from the M25 but infrequent trains.

Hillingdon Tube (Met/Picc) is easily accessed off the A40 and has plenty of parking.

That side of London isn't desperately convenient for South Ken, but if you drive further in to London on the M3 to pick up the District Line you then have to battle the North Circular to Brent Cross, the sole merit of which is being better than the South Circular.

It's not my side of London so someone else might have a better suggestion for that area.

 

[TheConfusedMan]

Ok, thanks people. That's all good food for thought.

 

[zero]

There is unrestricted parking on residential streets around South Ealing / Northfields / Boston Manor, but about 10-15 minutes' walk from the stations. Don't know how long you want to spend in the V&A, but nearer to the stations there are restrictions mostly from 10am to 11am and 3pm to 4pm on weekdays, so you could get about 2.5 hours in - or all day on Sundays (and sometimes Saturdays).

This area is easily accessed from M25 > M4 J2, it really only gets jammed on weekdays around 8-9am because of 3 lanes of motorway merging into 2 while the speed limit dropping to 40mph.

From there it is easy to go to the North Circular (use residential streets to cross Uxbridge Road and join the A406 at Hillcrest Road). In the anticlockwise direction from there to the A41 (leading to the A1) again it almost never gets jammed.

If you want to pay, then I think carparks at Hatton Cross / Hounslow West could be suitable. I don't think it makes sense to park anywhere but near the Piccadilly line.

Also there is free parking at Gunnersbury Park AFAIK.

 

[TheConfusedMan]

There is unrestricted parking on residential streets around South Ealing / Northfields / Boston Manor, but about 10-15 minutes' walk from the stations. Don't know how long you want to spend in the V&A, but nearer to the stations there are restrictions mostly from 10am to 11am and 3pm to 4pm on weekdays, so you could get about 2.5 hours in - or all day on Sundays (and sometimes Saturdays).

This area is easily accessed from M25 > M4 J2, it really only gets jammed on weekdays around 8-9am because of 3 lanes of motorway merging into 2 while the speed limit dropping to 40mph.

From there it is easy to go to the North Circular (use residential streets to cross Uxbridge Road and join the A406 at Hillcrest Road). In the anticlockwise direction from there to the A41 (leading to the A1) again it almost never gets jammed.

If you want to pay, then I think carparks at Hatton Cross / Hounslow West could be suitable. I don't think it makes sense to park anywhere but near the Piccadilly line.

Also there is free parking at Gunnersbury Park AFAIK.

Hmm, Gunnersbury Park could be interesting. It's straight down the M4, cheap, and right by a tube station. Thanks.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Try Osterley - easy access off the A4 , reasonable car park on the station and an excellent Piccadilly line service direct to South Kensington.