
01Section
The M40 from Denham to Warwick
We head out of London along the A40 Western Avenue, pick up the M40 at junction 1 and pass the M25 at junction 1A. On a weekday morning, those opening fifteen miles are the slowest part of the whole drive north, which is why setting off early does more good here than driving fast.
Beyond High Wycombe, the M40 climbs the Chiltern escarpment at Stokenchurch before levelling out through open countryside. Once you're past Oxford, there's far less traffic. Between junction 8A and junction 12 things tend to keep moving, so the average speed goes up even though the driving stays the same.
At junctions 14 and 13 you pass Warwick and Leamington, and both serve as handy markers. If the car goes by Warwick Services on time, the arrival we set at booking will stand.









