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FromToEurope

🇬🇧 Same-country drive · United Kingdom

Driving from Oxford to Kingston upon Hull

Practical driving advice for the 280km route from historic Oxford to the port city of Hull, covering M40 and M1 motorway navigation.

Heads up Headlight deflectors required for continental cars Drive on the left — give yourself a buffer day Fuel sold in litres but priced in pence See all →
Drive time
3h 28m
Distance
282 km
Same day?
Yes, half day
under 4 h
Fuel cost
≈ €35
petrol · diesel ≈ €29
Tolls
Toll-free
no charges en route
EV charging
Unknown
not yet surveyed
Countries
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
1 country
On this page

Route map

Route options

Other paths OSRM found between the two cities — handy when traffic, tolls, or scenery matter more than raw speed.

Alternative

+18m
Distance:
288 km
(+6 km)
Duration:
3h 46m

Via: A43 · A1 · A15 · A34

How else can you make this trip?

Driving is the focus of this guide; here's how cycling, coach, and (soon) train and plane stack up for the same pair.

By car

3h 28m

282 km · €35 fuel

See details ↓
By bike

15h 58m

313 km · Climb 1.349 m

8 km on EV12 North Sea Cycle Route

See details ↓
By bus

No direct service

Our coach data (FlixBus + BlaBlaCar) doesn't list a direct service for this pair. National operators (e.g., National Express in the UK, Eurolines feeders) may still cover it — check their site directly.

What the drive is like

Drafted from the route's computed data on May 1, 2026 and reviewed against the route summary card. Read our methodology.

You pick up the A34 north out of Oxford, immediately trading the university ring road for the steady flow of the M40 toward the Midlands. This corridor is the backbone of your climb toward the north, and you will want to watch the overhead gantries for variable speed limits as you pass near Banbury and Leamington Spa. Transitioning to the A43 toward the M1 junction near Northampton is a critical turning point where the scenery shifts from the rolling hills of the Cotswolds toward the industrial heartlands of the East Midlands.

Merging onto the M1 puts you in the thick of heavy freight traffic, which defines the character of the journey from Leicestershire all the way up to Nottinghamshire. While the motorway remains a dual-carriageway standard throughout, the volume of heavy goods vehicles requires constant vigilance. Keep a steady eye on the slip roads around the M1/A46 interchange; traffic here can be unpredictable, and the transition onto the A46 requires a focused shift from high-speed motorway driving to the more intermittent, roundabout-heavy pace of the Lincolnshire approach.

The final stretch along the A15 takes you through the flatter, expansive agricultural landscapes that serve as the gateway to the Humber estuary. As you approach Hull, the environment changes noticeably; the elevation levels off entirely, and the skyline begins to feature the distinctive masts and cranes of the port. Remember that the UK speed limit of 70 mph is strictly enforced by average speed cameras on many motorway sections, so keep your cruise control honest. If you are arriving during the late afternoon, the low sun hitting the Humber Bridge can cause significant glare, so have your sunglasses ready for the final descent into the city.

Route highlights

  • The transition from the rolling Cotswold fringe on the M40 to the flat expanses of the Lincolnshire fens.
  • The impressive sight of the Humber Bridge as you near the destination.
  • Navigating the complex M1/M62 junction interchange near the end of the journey.

Trip plan

How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.

Easy one-day drive

Comfortable as a single day for one driver. Leave after breakfast, arrive with time to settle in.

Distance:
282 km
Duration:
3h 28m (free-flow, no traffic)

Where to stop

Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.

  1. Lutterworth 🇬🇧 gb

    ≈94 km

    ≈ 6.2 km detour from the main route

  2. Newark on Trent 🇬🇧 gb

    ≈188 km

    ≈ 8.9 km detour from the main route

Must-know before you go

The things a driver from another country wouldn't think to ask about — fines, stickers, payment cards, opening hours.

Borders & documents

EU drivers don't need an International Driving Permit

Tip

A common piece of post-Brexit confusion: EU and UK driving licences are still mutually recognised for short visits. You don't need an IDP for a holiday or business trip. You also no longer need a Green Card — the UK rejoined the unified motor-insurance system in 2021. Bring your registration document and insurance certificate.

What your car must carry

Headlight deflectors required for continental cars

Must know

Continental left-hand-drive headlight beams cut up-and-right — point them straight at oncoming British traffic at night. €15 stick-on deflectors in the right pattern fix this. Many newer cars have a software "tourist mode" in the headlight menu instead. Without one, you'll dazzle every car you pass after dark and risk an MOT-style stop.

Driving rules & habits

Drive on the left — give yourself a buffer day

Must know

Switching sides isn't the danger people imagine for the first hour — it's the moment you're tired in week 2 and pull into a quiet petrol station. Park, then think. Roundabouts go clockwise; entering one feels backwards. The first 30 minutes after the ferry/Eurotunnel are the highest-risk: take a coffee at a service area before joining the M20.

Fuel stations

Contactless cards work at virtually every motorway pump

Tip

Major brand stations (Shell, Total, BP, Repsol, Cepsa, OMV, Eni, Esso) take Visa and Mastercard contactless without an issue. American Express and Diners are spotty south of the Alps. A €100 pre-authorisation hold is normal — it releases within 5 days. Carry €50 cash for the rare independent station.

Money & connectivity

Fuel sold in litres but priced in pence

Useful

Pumps quote pence per litre (e.g., 145.9p). Multiply by 100 then divide by 100 to get £/L. Card payments at the pump are universal. Most stations are pay-after-fill — you fuel first, then walk inside. Contactless on a foreign card works almost everywhere; American Express is sometimes refused at smaller stations.

Rules, fees, and thresholds change. Always verify against the official source the day before you drive — this page is a checklist, not a legal reference.

Main roads

The highways this route spends the most kilometres on.

  • A46 Newark Bypass
    85 km
  • M1 —
    55 km
  • A15 Ermine Street
    49 km
  • A43 —
    29 km
  • A34 —
    10 km
  • M180 —
    10 km
  • M40 —
    8 km
  • A63 Clive Sullivan Way
    6 km
  • A4144 Woodstock Road
    4 km

Route character

How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.

Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.

Motorway
98%
Secondary
0%
Other / rural
2%

Drive difficulty

At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?

Overall

Easy

Straightforward drive. One driver, one day, little to worry about beyond fuel and a toilet stop.

  • No major complicating factors — motorway-heavy, single country, comfortable length.

Fuel & tolls

Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.

Petrol (RON 95)

≈ €35

21.1 L × €1.68 / L · 7.5 L/100 km

Diesel

≈ €29

16.9 L × €1.72 / L · 6 L/100 km

Electric (DC fast)

≈ €42

49 kWh × €0.85 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km

Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.

Prices last refreshed 2026-04-01.

Weather by month

Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.

🇬🇧 Oxford

Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
7°
1°
9°
3°
11°
4°
14°
5°
18°
9°
22°
12°
22°
13°
22°
13°
20°
11°
15°
9°
11°
5°
9°
5°
68mm 64mm 79mm 58mm 57mm 37mm 81mm 48mm 105mm 82mm 99mm 81mm

hot mild cold

🇬🇧 Kingston upon Hull

Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
7°
2°
9°
4°
11°
4°
13°
5°
17°
9°
20°
12°
21°
13°
21°
13°
19°
11°
15°
8°
10°
5°
9°
5°
67mm 50mm 58mm 65mm 54mm 52mm 96mm 55mm 77mm 99mm 84mm 88mm

hot mild cold

Next 5 days at Kingston upon Hull

Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.

  • Tue 12

    🌧️

    12° / 7°

    18.7mm

  • Wed 13

    🌧️

    10° / 5°

    55.3mm

  • Thu 14

    🌧️

    11° / 4°

    50.2mm

  • Fri 15

    🌧️

    11° / 6°

    2.1mm

  • Sat 16

    🌧️

    11° / 4°

    3mm

Forecast: MET Norway

Directions

Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.

Show all 68 manoeuvres
  1. High Street (A420) 0.1 km
  2. St Giles' (A4144) 0.2 km
  3. Woodstock Road (A4144) 4 km
  4. Woodstock Road (A44)
  5. — 0.2 km
  6. (A34) 10 km
  7. (M40)
  8. (M40) 8 km
  9. (A43)
  10. (A43) 0.3 km
  11. (A43) 0.7 km
  12. (A43)
  13. (A43) 5 km
  14. (A43)
  15. (A43)
  16. —
  17. Brackley Bypass (A43) 1 km
  18. Brackley Bypass (A43)
  19. (A43)
  20. (A43) 15 km
  21. (A43)
  22. (A43)
  23. (A43) 9 km
  24. (A43) 0.3 km
  25. (A43) 0.4 km
  26. (M1) 19 km
  27. (M1) 36 km
  28. (M1) 2 km
  29. (A46) 11 km
  30. (A46)
  31. (A46) 45 km
  32. (A46)
  33. Newark Bypass (A46) 0.1 km
  34. Newark Bypass (A46) 3 km
  35. Newark Bypass (A46)
  36. Newark Bypass (A46) 3 km
  37. Lincoln Road (A46)
  38. (A46)
  39. (A46) 9 km
  40. Fosse Way (A46)
  41. Fosse Way (A46) 4 km
  42. (A46)
  43. (A46) 3 km
  44. (A46)
  45. (A46)
  46. (A46) 2 km
  47. (A46)
  48. (A46) 3 km
  49. (A46)
  50. (A46) 3 km
  51. Ermine Street (A15)
  52. Ermine Street (A15) 4 km
  53. Ermine Street (A15)
  54. Ermine Street (A15) 12 km
  55. Ermine Street (A15)
  56. Ermine Street (A15) 17 km
  57. — 0.3 km
  58. (M180) 10 km
  59. (A15)
  60. (A15) 16 km
  61. Lowthorpe Way (A15)
  62. (A15)
  63. Clive Sullivan Way (A63) 6 km
  64. Clive Sullivan Way
  65. Clive Sullivan Way (A63) 2 km
  66. — 0.8 km
  67. Castle Street (A63) 0.2 km
  68. Guildhall Road

Cycling from Oxford to Kingston upon Hull

Touring-pace bicycle route generated by BRouter, with elevation gain and matched against the EuroVelo cycle network.

Distance
313 km
vs 282 km driving
Riding time
15h 58m
Touring pace; experienced riders cut this 20–30%.
Total climb
↑ 1.349 m

Routed on the BRouter trekking profile — balanced for paved leisure tourers; gravel and fast-bike profiles produce different lines.

On the EuroVelo network

Sections of this route follow signed EuroVelo cycle routes — well-maintained, signposted, and bike-friendly:

  • EV12 North Sea Cycle Route · 8 km

Total: 8,0 km on EuroVelo (3% of the route).

Show route on map

Frequently asked

Are there any tolls on this route?

No, this route consists of standard public motorways and A-roads; there are no tolls to pay between Oxford and Hull.

What is the best way to handle the M1 motorway traffic?

The M1 is heavily used by long-haul freight. Stay in the left or middle lanes to avoid lane-hopping, and be prepared for significant speed fluctuations near major junctions like the M62 intersection.

Is the route suitable for a novice driver?

The route is almost entirely dual-carriageway and motorway, making it straightforward to navigate, though the volume of lorries on the M1 requires confidence in high-speed traffic.

How this page is built

Compiled by COD Solutions Oy from open European data — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for the route geometry, BRouter for the bicycle route, EuroVelo GPX (ODbL) by the European Cyclists' Federation for the cycle-network overlay, Open-Meteo for monthly climate normals, and Google Gemini drafts the narrative and FAQ from the computed route data. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Keep exploring

More routes to Kingston upon Hull