Verified April 2026
M6 Toll from London
The London-to-Midlands corridor uses M40 north, M42 east, then M6 Toll at T1. Total toll for the full route to T8 is £11.60 contactless for a car. The toll exists to make the Birmingham crossing predictable for southern-origin drivers.
Full-route toll
£11.60
On Breeze
£9.80
Toll entry junction
T1 via M42 J9
The London-to-toll route
From central London or any M25 origin, the corridor is M40 north all the way to J16, then M42 east at J3a. From M42 J9 the M6 Toll T1 entry is a 200-yard slip road.
| Stage | Roads | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| London to Oxford | M40 J1 to M40 J9 | around 60 miles |
| Oxford to M42 J3a | M40 to M42 east | around 60 miles |
| M42 east to T1 (M6 Toll) | M42 J3a to M42 J9 / T1 | around 18 miles |
| M6 Toll T1 to T8 | The 27-mile toll itself | 27 miles |
| T8 (M6 J11a) onwards | Free M6 north | onward to Stafford, Stoke, Manchester |
Trip cost: London to Manchester
Typical petrol-car cost for the 200-mile London-to-Manchester run.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Distance | around 200 miles |
| Fuel (45 mpg, £1.45 / litre) | £29.00 |
| M6 Toll (full route, contactless) | £11.60 |
| Other tolls / charges (Dartford if from Kent) | £0 (assumed central London origin) |
| Total marginal cost | £40.60 |
| Toll as a share of total cost | around 28% |
| Time saved on the toll segment (peak) | 25 to 60 minutes |
M6 Toll from London FAQ
What is the M6 Toll cost from London?
London does not have a direct M6 Toll route. The standard approach is M40 north to M42 east at J3a, then M42 north to J9 to pick up the M6 Toll at T1. The full-route toll from T1 to T8 (for onward Manchester, Stoke, Crewe, Lake District) is £11.60 contactless for a car or £9.80 with a Breeze account.
Is the M6 Toll worth it from London?
Almost always yes for any onward destination beyond Birmingham. The free M6 through Spaghetti Junction is the worst motorway congestion in England at most working hours. For £11.60 the toll buys 25 to 60 minutes back. For a London-to-Manchester trip the toll is around 4% of the total trip cost (petrol plus toll) and saves around 15 to 25% of the total time.
How long is London to Manchester via M6 Toll?
Around 200 miles and 3h 30m to 3h 50m off-peak. At peak the free route can add 60 to 90 minutes through the Birmingham crossing. The toll keeps the trip predictable at the upper end of off-peak timing.
Is there an alternative I do not need the toll for?
For destinations west of Birmingham (Worcester, Hereford, Bristol) the M40 ends at J16 and you transfer to the M42 west and the M5 south. You do not touch the M6 Toll. For destinations north of Birmingham the M6 Toll is the bypass.
Is the toll cheaper if I join further north?
Only if you can reach a junction north of T1 without using the M6 itself. From a London origin, T1 (via M40 / M42) is the natural entry. There is no cheaper way to skip the Birmingham crossing.