What would the folks of ph deem an acceptable commute?

[tuscaneer]

I'm currently living with a 14 mile each way commute to work but am looking to move house.
My current journey is nothing early in the morning but getting out of the city in the afternoon is a bit of a pain.
I'm looking to move house this year and with the route out if Liverpool going in a less congested way I'm finding myself looking g at a potential commute of 40 miles each way.

What do you guys have to put up with as a commute? ? Would 40 miles end up driving me round the bend?

Opinions gratefully received! ! Over to you

[zygalski]

It's not the mileage - it's the amount of time.
Much over an hour each way & I'd not bother, unless you really love the job or the pay & benefits are better than you'd get elsewhere.

[Defcon5]

Used to do 30 each way, apart from the fuel cost it didnt bother me tbh. I worked shifts though so was never in traffic

[RobinBanks]

How much do you like the job? How good is the pay?

[Jonboy_t]

Spent 7 or 8 years doing 40 med each way. As above, the mileage itself isn't usually an issue, it's the time it takes (and the cost!). We had a kiddie 18 months ago and I resented getting home when he'd gone to bed and leaving before he woke up, which made me really not want to bother going to work!

[vescaegg]

Mileage irrelevant. Will that 40miles take you 40mins, 20mins, 120mins?

[vikingaero]

Depends if the money offered is worth the commute.

[Dan_1981]

I do 75 each way. Every day.

[anonymous-user]

I'm probably the wrong person to reply to this, but I finish at 4pm most days and can be sat on my sofa or tinkering with a car at home by 4:09, and that isn't an exaggeration.

I do live in the Lake District through where both traffic and commuting long distances is relatively rare.

I have done 45+ minute commutes for a few months several years ago and disliked it immensely. I found it mind crushingly boring and couldn't get past the fact that I was wasting nearly 8 hours (a full working day) of my life every week just sitting in a car to get to and from work.

I could happily be using that 8 hours to spend time with my girlfriend, family, friends, hobbies etc.

I wouldn't do it, but that's just me, you may be different. My time outside of work is far too valuable to me to be spending it getting get to and from work.

If I get asked to lend my expertise at our other offices around the country now I do my traveling during work hours and if I spill over here and here then I take days off in lieu. What a ruthless bd

It's a big no from me I'm afraid, but I don't know your situation, maybe it's a well paying job and the money would be welcome?

[tedmus]

Mine is 40 odd miles each way, takes about 45 minutes, mainly motorway. Work is fine and a good firm to work for, if it was the other way I couldn't live with it. Can be a drag getting up on a Monday knowing you have the drive in.
I start and finish early so miss most of the heavy traffic although I reckon the commute has increased by 5 minutes or so the last few years by volume of traffic. I have been stuck for a few hours on the odd occasion when something bad happens on the motorways.
If I'm without a car for any reason then I just don't go in unless I really have to, train journey is 2.5 - 3 hours and three trains plus a taxi or lift if I can get one.

[Issi]

Dan_1981 said:

I do 75 each way. Every day.

Wow! That's Swansea to Bristol (equivalent) every day. I commuted Bristol to Didcot for a few months and that was horrible.

[Dan_1981]

Issi said:

Dan_1981 said:

I do 75 each way. Every day.

Wow! That's Swansea to Bristol (equivalent) every day. I commuted Bristol to Didcot for a few months and that was horrible.

Sheffield to Birmingham.

[tvrforever]

If I'm working in the UK and at my office (average 3 days pw) then it's 55 miles each way - mornings if I leave before 06:30 it takes about 75-90 mins, if I leave at 07:00/07:30 then it's 2hrs. Evenings are more consistent as I normally leave between 19:00/20:00, and it takes 60mins.

Company provides a nice car and pays all the fuel etc - but yes I dislike it considerably.

[sherbertdip]

I do 56 miles each way, I soon found out that I can't do it 5 days a week so work from home 2 days unless I'm working away. No help with fuel and use my own car.

I have to leave at 05:30 to get into the office for 07:00, if not the travelling time becomes far too long, i leave the office at 16:00 ish and am usually home for about 17:30, so 12hr day.

My advice - think very hard about what you are prepared to undertake, and also bear in mind traffic density will only get worse, my commute is now 1 hr per day longer than it was 6 years ago.

[pmanson]

The two days I'm in my office it's 10 miles or so and about 15 mins.

Three days I'm on a client site. 1hr 45mins each way. Tend to leave home at 6:30 get there just after 8 then leave at 4.

Not bad and I don't mind the drive (apart from the A404)

[V8 Fettler]

Dan_1981 said:

Issi said:

Dan_1981 said:

I do 75 each way. Every day.

Wow! That's Swansea to Bristol (equivalent) every day. I commuted Bristol to Didcot for a few months and that was horrible.

Sheffield to Birmingham.

Gets you out of Sheffield, so there is an upside!

[Japveesix]

NinjaPower said:

I'm probably the wrong person to reply to this, but I finish at 4pm most days and can be sat on my sofa or tinkering with a car at home by 4:09, and that isn't an exaggeration.

Same here pretty much except I get home by 3.09. Can't imagine wanting to do any commute more than about 45 minutes unless the job was really special or paid me a huge amount.

Does depend if that 45 minutes is sat in traffic or on nice roads though. My old commute was a fair way but involved driving across the Mendips, through Cheddar Gorge and along a load of stunning roads at deathly quiet times. It was great.

[Blakeatron]

My workshop is a 5 minute walk to work, would not want to do more than that!

I would hate having to commute to work, I suppose I am very lucky though.

[OldSkoolRS]

Blimey...I spend less time in my car than some on this thread and I'm in a 'Field based' job. Even then the travelling is part of my working day, not in addition to it. Typically it's no more than an hour to the customer and often nearer 35 minutes unless a colleague is on holiday and I have to cover a rush job in their area.

I do know that if I'm doing a large contract I might need to do the same trip for a week to the same site and I start getting bored of that. However, it just depends on how much you like the job/pay/prospects and whether you could get a similar job closer to home (I know some people do get stuck in the same job more due to reluctance to change). For me 3/4 hour commute is 'acceptable' but those doing 2 hours plus have my admiration for the amount of their own time they have to use up...I'd rather be still in bed or home before tea time.

[caiss4]

Time is the issue. If you can do the 40 miles in under an hour I think you'll put up with it.

I commute 60 miles each way. It takes about 90 mins whether I drive or use the train. 3 hrs a day dedicated to commuting is more than enough in my opinion. Fortunately I have a home-working contract so I do WFH 2 days per week (WFH 5 days a week would see me being sectioned!)

The other factor is whether you enjoy your work. You'll put up with commute almost regardless of duration if you do.