Cars have long been considered the most convenient form of transport for travelling around Europe and the UK, among other places. However, toll roads can spoil the experience, especially if you don’t have basic knowledge about them. Experienced drivers have created an algorithm and useful tips to help you save time on your journey and avoid toll roads.
Why are toll roads necessary in the UK?
The existence of toll roads in the UK solves many important problems.
- The financial side – roads need regular repair and maintenance, and toll roads partially cover these costs, saving the state budget.
- Traffic regulation and minimisation of congestion – tolls on heavily congested sections encourage people to use public transport or plan their journeys to avoid peak hours. All this reduces the likelihood of traffic jams and speeds up traffic flow.
- Ecology – many toll roads are located in regions where there is a focus on reducing emissions into the atmosphere. Road tolls encourage a switch to environmentally friendly transport.
- Searching for alternative routes – the existence of toll roads allows drivers to look for other routes that are shorter or less congested, which distributes traffic flow throughout the country.
For many, finding short routes that bypass toll roads is a real problem. But it is easily solved if you know a few tricks.
Saving time on British roads: useful tips
85% of the time a driver spends on the road is travelling from point A to point B. Accordingly, the trip is carefully planned in terms of time, and traffic jams can disrupt all plans.
To save time on the roads, use the following useful tips.
- Choose the right time for your trip. It is best to avoid morning and evening rush hours, which are usually from 7-9.30 a.m. and 4.30-7 p.m. If you need to travel at these times, it is best to leave early to allow for traffic jams.
- Use special navigation apps. For example, Google or Apple Maps show several routes and also report closed or temporarily blocked roads, allowing you to plan your time. Even the most experienced driver should have a navigation app on their smartphone.
- Avoid toll roads if they do not shorten your journey. Most sections offer a detour via a free road that takes the same amount of time as travelling on a toll road. In this case, you can also use special apps to compare travel times on several roads.
- Plan your route in advance. If you are travelling during the morning rush hour, it is better to plan your route in advance, taking into account speed, traffic jams and other restrictions.
- Keep track of road works and events. Websites such as Highways England provide information on upcoming or ongoing repairs. Local news also often reports on such events.
In large cities, it is sometimes much faster to reach your destination by public transport. For short distances, you can use a bicycle or scooter, which will also save time.
How to avoid toll roads: a brief overview
Avoiding toll roads can save you a lot of time. At a minimum, you need to know where the toll roads are located.
There are six main steps that can help drivers.
- Know where the toll roads are located. In the UK, there are four main toll sections:
- M6 Toll (motorway in central England);
- Dartford Crossing (M25) (tunnel across the Thames);
- Queensferry Crossing in Scotland;
- Congestion Charge and Low/Ultra Low Emission Zones in London.
It is best to plan your route in advance so that you know which areas you will have to pay to drive through.
- Use maps or GPS. Maps have a ‘toll road avoidance’ feature that will find an alternative route using toll-free roads.
- Alternative roads. They often run parallel to toll roads, but not everyone knows this. Sometimes the detour takes an extra 10 minutes, but it will save you a lot of money.
- Congestion Charge and LEZ in London. These zones are only tolled on weekdays and at certain times.
- Choosing alternative options for crossing rivers. For example, in Scotland there are ferries or free bridges that you can cross for free, saving time.
- Highways England and checking the news. They often publish free routes or detours. This will allow you to avoid toll roads, even accidentally.
The main rule that helps you save time and avoid toll roads is to plan your route in advance. This will allow you to take into account all possible delays and financial costs on the roads.