What would the folks of ph deem an acceptable commute?

[Issi]

I met a chap a while back who used to commute from Swansea to Minehead every day for an 0800 start.
Bonkers!

[tuscaneer]

toon10 said:

That's great news. I'm 3 miles from work but I'm moving next month and I'll also have a 4 mile commute. I think I can just about manage the work life balance with the extra mile

oh i know, it's phenominal!!... i can't believe i was looking at properties 40 miles away with a 12-13 hour working day to boot!!!

[tuscaneer]

Issi said:

I met a chap a while back who used to commute from Swansea to Minehead every day for an 0800 start.
Bonkers!

now that is utter madness...i know someone who commutes from north yorkshire to warrington....not fun in traffic i suspect!

[Trophy Husband]

I spent 18 months doing a round trip of 190 per day driving from Conwy Valley to Oldham whilst building a stretch of the Metrolink for MPT. That was arrive to site for 0700hrs and leave at 1800hrs!.

I enjoy driving and working freelance means that the expense of travel is offset against tax liabilities. My view is that it is the only time I get to myself!

First twelve months in an R reg C180. Bought for £395 at 110k and 'sold' to the scrap man at 168k for £220. 4 tyres and an exhaust back box in that time plus 1 good service and self service in between. Last 6 months in an S reg C240 Sport bought for £600 and recently scrapped with me having covered 80k before auto box gave up. Scrapped for £200.

[Crusoe]

10-20min of traffic free back roads, depending on which route I take, works for me. Only slight down side is half a mile of 30 limit, one set of traffic lights, and the best oversteer corner on the industrial estate has developed some pot holes.

[austinsmirk]

Smug post, but 4.5 miles over moor roads, ie 10 mins if I drive. I often cycle but do silly longer routes just to get the miles in. I'm in Yorkshire so the routes are fabulous.

My job also means I decide if I'm starting or leaving from work whenever I want depending on my days work so it's beautifully flexible.

I still drive a diesel car to make sure I spend as little as possible

[Axionknight]

Having been a sparky on the building sites I have done my fair share of commuting in the past - up to two hundred miles a day as a round trip, but I properly could not be arsed with that any more.

My current commute is twelve miles each way, made up of a bit of city driving in Aberdeen and a wee country run out to Milltimber - I finish early on a Friday so I take a longer route home to give the Clio a blast, it's pretty much perfect as my hours allow me to miss the worst of the traffic in both directions (6am - 4pm Mon/Thurs and 6am - 12 noon on a Friday).

I really could not be arsed going back to a long motorway schlep, F that.

So, 25 miles a day,

[jains15]

For the past 2.5 years I have done a Nottingham to Burton on Trent - 33 mile each way around an hour, so doable. And yes that was enduring the A453 widening!

And then they moved my job. To Worcester. So A46 south to and around Leicester. M1. M69. M6 North. M42. M5. 88 miles each way, at my expense - own car and petrol.

So have just jacked that in and the new job is 22 miles away in Leicester (quarter of a mile off my previous route), for the same money and a company car + fuel card. A win all round!

[Charlie1986]

I do 32 miles each way M25-M23 and actually enjoy it sometimes..

[Ste1987]

My commute is currently 10 mile either way, which can take 15-20 minutes. I work in Wakefield, at the moment, but my boss is looking to relocate me to Sheffield, God knows why, which will make my commute 30 miles and 45 minutes. Hopefully they'll compensate me in fuel costs.

When I get my own place, I'll be looking for properties that are near a train station, as my field of work is normally based in Leeds City Centre, when I start looking for a better paying job.

In answer to the OP, I personally would rather not commute for more than 30 mins either way. I'm willing to make an exception, if I do get relocated, on the grounds that I know I won't be with this company forever

[Hoofy]

Up to an hour and a half each way (usually under an hour, though) for a volunteer role at a cancer charity.

[djt100]

caiss4 said:

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.

This, I used to do a 38 mile commute hour and 15min each way on a good day, after a while it gets to you. I changed jobs and now working 7 min cycle away.

However, I'm looking to move soon and will go back to a longer commute but the trade off for me is the extra 30 or so miles a day will get me from a 2 bed maisonette to a 4/5 bed detached house so I'll take that as worthwhile. plus will have the option to work from home that i don't have now as I'm to close.

[IanUAE]

2011-2013 my commute was a 3 minute walk (apartment building next to the office building).

2014 commute was 1 minute (office moved to the commercial part of the apartment complex).

OK I am excluding the flight to Oman and back each week from Dubai.

Currently 30minutes (35km) each way.

Starting a new project (on a small island off the east coast of Africa) in October so no idea on the commute yet.

[va1o]

For me I've always done an hour each way so I consider that acceptable, but wouldn't want to do much over. Based on mileage I would set a maximum limit on 50 each way, anything over is silly. Really though as mentioned it depends on other factors such as salary and flexi-time etc. Also number of hours worked, e.g. If only doing a 35 hour week a longer commute is more tolerable

[tuscaneer]

it seems this thread is full of sensible , easy commuters and total nutcases in equal measure!

Edited by tuscaneer on Friday 4th September 08:35

[SystemParanoia]

spent the last 3 years doing a 35mile commute. 50mins - 1hr
The pay i got for this length commute just did not make any sense at all

It was costing me most of my disposable income just fuelling the car and in reality i was working to cover the cost of working. brilliant!
At first i chose to cycle to give myself financial freedom from the pumps.. but it was costing me 1.5hrs each way commute time.

so ive walked out of that job and now work 6.8 mile away.
I still cycle and it takes 30mins.. if i drove it would take 20

I will never work far away again unless someone offers me a hell of alot more money

[tuscaneer]

SystemParanoia said:

spent the last 3 years doing a 35mile commute. 50mins - 1hr
The pay i got for this length commute just did not make any sense at all

It was costing me most of my disposable income just fuelling the car and in reality i was working to cover the cost of working. brilliant!
At first i chose to cycle to give myself financial freedom from the pumps.. but it was costing me 1.5hrs each way commute time.

so ive walked out of that job and now work 6.8 mile away.
I still cycle and it takes 30mins.. if i drove it would take 20

I will never work far away again unless someone offers me a hell of alot more money

35 miles sounds harsh!!.... i'll tell you what's barmy....for the first year i had my donkey i commuted in it....never mind piling on empty, stty miles sat in traffic .....the fuel bills were horrendous returning about 10 mpg was costing me about a hundred quid a week just to get to work and back

[Chicken Chaser]

I currently work 4.5 miles from work, takes me under 7 minutes door to door most days, about 15 minutes if cycling in (takes me longer to kit up)

Unfortunately our office is closing in the not too distant future and the prospect is then a 42 mile commute through traffic. Can still just about complete it within the hour but some days it's longer. Shifts too which compounds things. It's also an industry where its go with the move or leave the industry altogether.

Time and money both impacting factors. Got some decisions to make

[Captain Muppet]

I had a lovely two year period in the nineties of a 40 mile commute on deserted b-roads (working shifts). I did that in my AX GT, then moved on to my CRX on slicks and my mk1 MR2 when it was wet. Such glorious driving. I wish I'd had a bike back then.

More than 2 hours a day commuting and I'd move house. Currently I am well within that even when I walk.

[PorkRind]

Wiltshire to Bristol every day - only made hard by the amount of non national speed limits, bypasses that are 50 that should be 70 and then the heards of people who cant drive and sheer quantity of trafficy. Absolute bind of a commute that lead me to cycling in (26 miles).