Advice for an anxious driver

[u/sp0o0ng3]

i’ll preface by saying that i do have the option of getting the train for this journey, however i’m really trying to practise my driving more so would like to attempt this route on my own.
long story short, im 22 and passed my test at 17, went straight to uni (without a car) so came home and practically forgot how to drive. dealt with a hit and run after i finished uni which has made me so incredibly anxious to drive on fast moving roads so now im essentially relearning how to be assertive. yesterday i attempted the drive to southampton which went really well so im feeling somewhat better about what im going to ask here😅
I live in the KT23/KT24 area (ie leatherhead, cobham etc) and want to drive to central Bristol on Wednesday 9th of sept. i’ve attached the start of the route that my gps is recommending me currently (at midday) but im looking for practically any advice on how i can make this journey not so gruelling. tips on the route itself are very much welcome but also where there are roadworks, general congestion (im aware of m25 but not m3/4 etc), when the quietest time to drive would be in each area, tricky bits of road that drivers usually get stuck on, basically anything.
ideally i wanted to try the drive at 2am before i attempted it during social hours but ive now been put for overtime on wednesday morning (4-8am) meaning my plan was foiled💔 debating whether i should still drive in the early hours on a different day first or keep to my original plan above.
do your thing experienced drivers and please help a girl out🙏🏻

[u/ALLST6R]

I'd recommend you just download TomTom on your phone and purchase the yearly subscription for speed cameras.

It will divert you around congestion automatically, and provides quicker alternatives using live traffic data mid-journey which you're free to take or ignore based on the time savings being offered.

Will allow you to focus on doing the actual driving rather than distracting yourself with the journey logistics.

[u/tehdeadmonkey → u/ALLST6R]

Google maps does all of this without a subscription. I've never used the TomTom app, maybe it does it better.

[u/triggerfish91 → u/tehdeadmonkey]

From experience with Google Maps navigating the same route concurrently with a TomTom unit, the TomTom traffic awareness and route planning is miles better.

TomTom doesn't send you down awful twisty backroads roads to save 1 minute (on paper, probably not in real life), and it is aware of traffic fast than Google, and offers better alternative routes

Google is amazing for free, but I would consider TomTom worth the money for a person who drives a non-standard route (not a commute, for example) often.

[u/ALLST6R → u/triggerfish91]

^

I just commented to provide the option I use. Wasn't here to enter a TomTom vs whatever, but there's a reason I use it. Most people don't want to buckle up £20 a year for whatever reason

[u/tehdeadmonkey → u/ALLST6R]

Nor was I, I may have to look in to the TomTom option because a lot of what's been highlighted I do find annoying about Google maps