Soldato
- Joined
- 29 Jul 2013
- Posts
- 8,570
You must pretty much commute from the midlands to London every day, where about do you live?I do about 75 miles each way and it takes 1hr 40 to 2hr. That's car >> local train >> high speed train >> bus >> walk.
I've commuted for 20 years (car and public transport) and have the following advice:
Despite my current commute being my longest ever it is my most enjoyable. The bulk of the journey is on HS1 where I get a seat, table and power and the 40 minute is precisely the right amount of time to watch an episode of an 'hour' long American TV show so I boxset binge. the train only shares the track with the Eurostar so nothing breaks down and the line is underground a lot meaning leaves on the line isn't an issue. The local station I get on is surrounded by fields and watching the sheep and birds waiting for a train in the morning isn't so bad. When I get to St Pancras if London public transport is fubared then I can walk to the office in an emergency. All these little things matter.
- The quality of the journey is important, more so than the length of the commute up to a point. In a car is it relaxing and congestion free? On a train will you be standing elbows in each other's faces or always get a seat
- Be clear on the door-to-door time. Parking at a train station for example in Woking, Surrey adds 15 minutes to your journey. At Wye in Kent it's next to the platform and so adds 60 seconds.
- On your way to work you generally have more certainty than on the way back. You tend to set off at a specific time or catch a certain train. Look at the journey from the way back perspective as worst case and make sure you are comfortable.