OK...it's Monday morning and I'm holed up in the office trying to avoid the Congressional hearings taking place downstairs...and thinking about my upcoming trip to the UK which is much more fun than what I'm <b>supposed</b> to be doing.

I'll be picking up a rental car at Heathrow about 10:00 AM on a Tuesday morning and basically, all I have to do is get to Norwich by that afternoon.

Last Fall I rented a car but only did a &quot;short&quot; stretch of the M-25 before heading off toward the Cotswolds.

On that occasion he traffic wasn't particularly bad/slow/jammed etc. and, in fact, it seemed pretty easy..at least on that northwestern stretch of the road.

I realize that nobody can predict accidents, weather, etc. but, in general, is this roadway the nighmare some people purport it to be?

&quot; is this roadway the nighmare some people purport it to be?&quot;

No. It's one of those know-nothing myths, like needing 6 months' validity on your passport.

In fact, since they imposed variable speed limits on the whole system and expanded the width of the trickist bits in the SW quarter, it's usually slow but smooth almost all the time.

The real problem is that if anything goes wrong, tailbacks build up very fast, and there's no alternative route anyone can take. So trivial bumps can lead to huge queues. But traffic is usualy slow enough (50 mph or so)bumps are rare.

Which said, the stretch between the M40 and M4 is usually easier than the m40-M10 stretch.

Agree with Flanner, it really isn't that bad, you've missed the rush hour, it isn't a bank holiday, we don't tend to get hurricanes that wipe cars off the road, snow is practically unheard of at any time of year, there's really no reason why it shouldnt be a steady, smotth, uneventful journey.

I'd definitely avoid it during the morning/afternoon commutes. The rest of the time it is congested but certainly doable.

My concern is driving from LHR to Norwich right off the plane. Driving after an overnight flight on the M25 or anywhere else is pretty risky.

Flanner, Kate, and Janis:

Thank you <b>all</b> for your kind replies...makes me feel a little better.

As to the driving right off the plane...normally I would have second thoughts but for this particular trip I am flying Business Class and have a very reclinable seat in which I know I'll be able to sleep.

I also have access to the &quot;arrivals lounge&quot; where I plan to get a shower, etc., before hitting the road.

I do appreciate your concern and thank you for bringing that up.

Unfortunately, I'm a cattle class sort of traveler -- reclining seats/beds certainly would make a difference.

(I have driven right after flights several times - but I find it gets harder every year and now I try never to plan things that way)