Route Planner UK

Routenplaner24 is a free route planner for the UK. Enter a start and a destination to get the fastest route with live traffic, the distance in miles and turn-by-turn directions.

Route Planner UK: route, distance and driving time

From London to Edinburgh, Manchester to Cardiff or a weekend on the coast: the UK has a dense network of motorways and A-roads, but also some of the busiest roads in Europe. Knowing the best route – and when the M25, M6 or M1 are likely to be jammed – can save you hours.

The UK route planner calculates the fastest route between any two places free of charge, with live traffic, up to two alternative routes and turn-by-turn directions. Below you will find popular routes with distances in miles, everything about tolls and the London charges, the most important rules of the road and answers to common questions.

Popular routes in the UK

Plan a route from London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Bristol, Cardiff or Newcastle to anywhere in the UK. The table shows the distance and driving time for frequently searched routes. Click “Plan route” to load the start and destination into the route planner.

Route	Distance	Driving time*	Plan route
London to Manchester	200 mi	4 h 35 min	Plan route
London to Birmingham	118 mi	2 h 55 min	Plan route
London to Edinburgh	403 mi	8 h 15 min	Plan route
London to Glasgow	404 mi	7 h 55 min	Plan route
London to Bristol	118 mi	2 h 40 min	Plan route
London to Cardiff	151 mi	3 h 25 min	Plan route
Leeds to London	196 mi	4 h 15 min	Plan route
London to Newcastle	283 mi	5 h 50 min	Plan route
London to Brighton	68 mi	2 h 10 min	Plan route
Manchester to Edinburgh	211 mi	4 h 55 min	Plan route
Birmingham to Manchester	86 mi	2 h	Plan route
Glasgow to Edinburgh	47 mi	1 h 20 min	Plan route

* Driving time for the fastest route without breaks, calculated for normal traffic. “Plan route” calculates the route with live traffic and alternatives.

Tolls and charges in the UK

There is no motorway toll and no vignette in the UK – cars can use motorways and A-roads free of charge. You only pay on a few roads, bridges and tunnels, and in some city centres:

Dartford Crossing (A282, the M25 crossing of the Thames east of London): £3.50 per crossing for a car, or £2.80 with a pre-pay account. There are no toll booths – pay online, by phone or at a Payzone shop by midnight the day after you cross, otherwise you get a £70 penalty. Crossings between 10pm and 6am are free.
M6 Toll (bypassing Birmingham): an optional 27-mile route that avoids the busy M6 through the West Midlands. A car currently pays about £12 for the whole route, less for shorter sections; prices are reviewed several times a year.
Bridges and tunnels: tolls are also charged at the Mersey Gateway and Silver Jubilee bridges in Runcorn, the Mersey Tunnels in Liverpool, the Humber Bridge and the Tamar Bridge in Plymouth. The Severn bridges between England and Wales have been free since 2018.

Driving into London: the Congestion Charge costs £18 a day in central London (Monday to Friday 7am–6pm, weekends and bank holidays 12pm–6pm), and electric cars are no longer exempt. On top of that, cars that do not meet the emission standards (as a rule of thumb, petrol cars older than 2006 and diesel cars older than 2015) pay the ULEZ charge of £12.50 a day anywhere in Greater London. Both are paid online at Transport for London – foreign-registered cars included.

Clean air zones: several other cities, such as Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow and Edinburgh, have clean air or low emission zones that charge or ban older vehicles. Check the city council’s website before you drive into the centre.

Rules of the road in the UK at a glance

Side of the road	Drive on the left, overtake on the right
Built-up areas	30 mph (48 km/h) unless signs show otherwise; many towns have 20 mph zones, and in Wales 20 mph is the default limit on most residential roads
Single carriageway	60 mph (97 km/h)
Dual carriageway / motorway	70 mph (113 km/h)
Drink-drive limit	80 mg alcohol per 100 ml blood (0.08%) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; 50 mg (0.05%) in Scotland
Mobile phones	holding or using a phone while driving is illegal – £200 fine and 6 penalty points
Smart motorways	never drive in a lane closed with a red X
Winter tyres	not required
Equipment	warning triangle, hi-vis vest and first-aid kit are not required by law but recommended
Emergency number	999 or 112

As of November 2026. No liability for accuracy – rules and prices can change.

Tips for driving in the UK

Avoid the worst traffic

The M25 around London, the M6 around Birmingham and Manchester and the M62 across the Pennines are often jammed in the rush hours (about 7–9am and 4–7pm) and on Friday afternoons. Bank holiday weekends and the start of the school holidays are especially busy on routes to the coast and the West Country.

Remember the Dart Charge

If your route uses the Dartford Crossing, set a reminder to pay by midnight the next day. Rental cars are not paid automatically, and the penalty is much higher than the charge.

Single-track roads in Scotland and Wales

In the Highlands and in rural Wales many roads are single-track with passing places. Pull into a passing place on your left – or wait opposite one on your right – to let oncoming traffic and faster cars pass. Allow more time than the distance suggests.

Fuel and breaks

Motorway service areas are usually about 30 miles apart, but fuel there costs noticeably more than at supermarket petrol stations a few minutes off the motorway. The Highway Code recommends a break of at least 15 minutes every two hours.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a vignette or motorway toll in the UK?

No. UK motorways and A-roads are free for cars. You only pay on a few toll roads, bridges and tunnels – such as the Dartford Crossing, the M6 Toll and the Mersey Gateway Bridge – and for the London Congestion Charge and ULEZ.

How do I pay the Dartford Crossing charge?

There are no toll booths. Pay the Dart Charge online, by phone or at a Payzone shop by midnight the day after you cross. A single crossing costs £3.50 for a car, or £2.80 with a pre-pay account; crossings between 10pm and 6am are free. If you forget, you get a £70 penalty notice.

What are the speed limits in the UK?

30 mph in built-up areas (20 mph in many towns and on most residential roads in Wales), 60 mph on single carriageway roads and 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways. Lower limits apply to cars towing a caravan or trailer.

How much is the London Congestion Charge?

£18 a day if you drive in the central London charging zone on weekdays between 7am and 6pm or on weekends and bank holidays between 12pm and 6pm. Older cars that do not meet the emission standards also pay the £12.50 ULEZ charge, which applies across Greater London every day.

How long is the drive from London to Edinburgh?

The fastest route is about 403 miles long, mostly via the A1(M). Without breaks and traffic the driving time is about 8 hours and 15 minutes; with breaks and normal traffic, plan for 9 to 10 hours.

What is the drink-drive limit in the UK?

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the limit is 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, in Scotland it is lower at 50 mg. The government is consulting on lowering the limit in England and Wales to the Scottish level, so the safest choice is not to drink at all before driving.