Advice on road access to FIA 2014

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Ninyule
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed 09 Jul 2014, 9:46 am

Advice on road access to FIA 2014

Post by Ninyule »

Hi everyone

I am new here so please be kind with me! Just wondered if any of you veterans have any advice on getting to the show. I have a ticket for Saturday and wondered how long it would take to get in by car from LHR. I thought about avoiding the M3, and carrying on round the M25 to do a manoeuvre in from the south-east. This would be A3-A31-A331. Is this a good idea?

I am assuming this would avoid a lot of the traffic coming M4-M25-M3 from London...

Any advice greatly appreciated!

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Rampvan
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Joined: Mon 21 Oct 2013, 1:00 pm
Location: Farnborough

Re: Advice on road access to FIA 2014

Post by Rampvan »

Leave early.....Personally I would go M3, it takes 25 mins from LHR to Farnborough.....you may as well get there early and wait in the car park for the airfield to open rather than leave later and sit on the M3 after the airfield is opened !!

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Thumper
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Location: Sherborne, Dorset

Re: Advice on road access to FIA 2014

Post by Thumper »

Definitely leave early and do take the M3 as it's one of the main routes there and 'well policed' so any issues will be dealt with quickly rather than being snarled up on a single carriageway.

I got to the airfield in 2012 at 9am and the traffic was really good, no major delays anywhere. The one problem was we were sent to the wrong car park so had to do a bit of a detour to come back and go to the right one, it's things like this where you need that extra time. We sat in the car park with our breakfast and thermos until the airfield opened at 9:30. However the queue to get in was hideous and took well over an hour and then a further 30 minutes over a ridiculous security matter, so I wished I had not sat in my car for 30 minutes, although I heard people say some had been queuing outside the shut gates since 7am :confused:

Hope you have a great time! :biggrin:

Ninyule
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed 09 Jul 2014, 9:46 am

Re: Advice on road access to FIA 2014

Post by Ninyule »

Thanks guys, most helpful and I will take the M3 instead.

Very torn between staying as long as possible at LHR (I am a commercial transport man!) and possibly getting snarled up approaching FAB, or leaving smartly at approx 0930 and getting to FAB (presumably) about 1030.

My main reasons for visiting FAB are to see the Connie (most beautiful aircraft ever) and the BAW A318. I am hoping to get a look inside but I guess the queues will be fearsome!

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Thumper
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Re: Advice on road access to FIA 2014

Post by Thumper »

I found the queues for the fighters were pretty big but others like the Virgin Galactic aircraft and some civi stuff were relatively small. Is the Connie open to the public then? That was the main reason I wanted to go (and the Harriers), the Constellation most certainly is the second most beautiful aircraft ever made (sorry the VC-10 pips it to the post for me) :wink:

Whatever you decide I hope you have a great time, just be warned it'll be massively busy with it now possibly being the F-35 debut so getting in will be a long process and then you have to do the sardine march to get around the grounds. I would suggest earlier rather than later to avoid disappointment to be honest. Not much you can do if you get there late, at least getting there early you did everything you could and won't regret anything!

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