Driving to Holyhead via Birmingham

[Huge]

Evening all.
Google tells me it's going to take around 4 hours 30 mins from me Mum's in Newbury (A34, M40, M6, M56, A55) to Holyhead. My ferry to the land of the black stuff is at midday (next Thursday).
I've pre-checked at different times of the day and it varies with the traffic. I know what times to avoid places down here (ie. Oxford) but haven't a clue around Birmingham. Any advice from you lot?
It looks like I might be enjoying the M6 around Brum at rush hour. Is the M6 toll worth it around 8am?
Cheers, Hugh

 

[alex]

M6 Toll everytime....I used to commute to Knutsford (Cheshire) from Norfolk on a Monday, returning on a Thursday. I wouldn't entertain the non-toll version!

Its not like its an expense you're doing daily and it can save you 10's of minutes, even hours in a car.

 

[Billo01]

The only PIA I remember when travelling from Portsmouth to Northwest last year was the smart motorway works on the M6 after the toll, I think around Crewe for about 20-30 miles but felt more like 100 miles; 50 mph limit, narrow lanes and average speed cameras. You should be able to avoid this by cutting across country to Anglesey.

Use the toll road though, it's pain free.

 

[RacersEdge]

Yep. I live just North of Birmingham and the M6 at rush hour just is not worth the risk. Occasionally you might be alright (half term for example), but one little bump somewhere and the whole thing tails back for miles. The toll is half the price of cars for bikes... i think its ?3, and you will cover so much ground compared to the M6. Like Alex said, if you were doing it daily and in a car I think you'd be paying ?12 a day or something for both ways but for a one off on a bike at rush hour don't even think about not doing it.