AA Route Planner UK: How to Plan a Drive from A to Z

If you want an AA auto route UK drivers can trust for a journey, the AA route planner is the tool to try. It is a free online service on the AA website that gives driving directions, distances and estimated journey times between UK addresses and postcodes. Enter a start and finish, choose your preferences and compare routes before you set off. This guide shows the steps, what to check and how to combine it with live traffic information.

How to plan a route step by step

1. Go to the AA website at theaa.com and find the route planner in the navigation or by searching the site.
2. Type your start point. A full postcode is more accurate than a town name, particularly in cities where the same road name appears many times.
3. Enter your destination in the same way.
4. Add any stops using the option to add a waypoint, if you need to collect someone or visit more than one place.
5. Choose your route type, such as quickest, shortest or avoiding motorways, and set a departure time if the tool lets you.
6. Add vehicle details if prompted, because fuel cost estimates may depend on the fuel type or efficiency you enter.
7. Read the turn-by-turn directions and map. Print them or send them to your phone if the option is offered.

Websites change their layout from time to time, so follow the on-screen prompts on the current version of the site. The steps above describe the general flow rather than exact button names.

What the planner can tell you

Output	How to use it	Limitation
Distance	Estimate fuel, charging stops and rest breaks	Detours and diversions add miles
Journey time	Plan an arrival time	Real time depends on traffic and weather
Route options	Compare fast and short alternatives	The fastest route may use tolls or busy motorways
Fuel cost estimate	Rough budgeting	Based on figures you provide, not today’s pump prices
Directions	Print or save as a backup	Does not replace live navigation

The AA also publishes traffic news pages that report incidents and roadworks. Check them just before leaving, as conditions change by the hour.

Things to check before you drive

A planner gives you a route, not a guarantee of road conditions. Before a longer trip, do a few quick checks.

• Live traffic: use a navigation app or radio traffic bulletins to spot closures and collisions. The National Highways site at nationalhighways.co.uk covers motorways and major A roads in England.
• Charging zones: London’s Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone, and clean air zones in cities such as Birmingham, Bristol and Bath, may apply to your vehicle. Scottish cities also operate low emission zones. Look up the rules for each place you will pass through, as exemptions depend on the vehicle.
• Tolls and crossings: the Dartford Crossing and some bridges and toll roads need to be paid, often online and by a deadline after your journey. See GOV.UK for official payment pages and avoid unofficial look-alike sites.
• Weather: high winds, flooding and snow can close roads and bridges, especially in the north and in Scotland.
• Vehicle readiness: check tyres, oil, coolant, screenwash and fuel or charge before a long run.

Choosing between route types

Quickest

This normally favours motorways and dual carriageways and gives the lowest estimated time. It is the usual choice for business trips.

Shortest

This minimises miles but may send you along slower country roads, through villages and past more junctions. It can be good for saving fuel, but it may take longer and be more tiring.

Avoiding motorways

Useful for drivers who prefer a calmer drive, are towing, or have a vehicle that is not suited to high speeds. Expect a longer journey and more built-up areas.

With stops

Adding stops lets you plan breaks, which the Highway Code advises on long trips. A common rule of thumb is to stop and rest at least every two hours.

Using it for different journeys

Daily commutes. Compare two or three alternatives on a quiet weekend, then use a live traffic app in the week.

Holiday trips. Plan the route at home, mark service stations for breaks and note the arrival time at your accommodation. Save the directions offline in case of poor signal in rural areas.

Hire cars and vans. If you are collecting a vehicle, plan both the route to the pick-up location and the route onwards. The guides to van hire in Leeds and car hire in East Kilbride cover what to prepare, and it is helpful to know the depot’s postcode before you start the planner.

Visits to unfamiliar towns. Look up the car parks near your destination in advance. For examples of how to do this, see the guides to NCP parking in Cardiff and St Austell station parking.

Combining the planner with other tools

No single tool is best at everything. Many drivers use a desktop planner at home for the overview, then a phone navigation app on the road for live re-routing. Compare the estimated time from two sources; a large gap often signals roadworks or a closure on one route. For electric vehicles, add a charging-point app to check availability and plan stops, and allow a buffer in case chargers are occupied or out of service. Do not enter information into a phone while driving; set it up before you leave or have a passenger do it.

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion

For an AA auto route UK drivers can compare in minutes, enter full postcodes, test quickest and shortest options, and add your stops. Then check live traffic, charging zones and your vehicle before leaving, and treat the journey time as an estimate rather than a promise.