What would the folks of ph deem an acceptable commute?

[GroundEffect]

As others have said I look at the time. That's effectively lost time from your life. Every day.

I currently have 15-20 mins each way and would accept no more. I am looking to decrease that to 10 mins in the coming years but the area is more expensive.

[Condi]

Also look at the fuel costs... I went from doing 5 miles each way to 30 miles each way. My fuel bill went from £70/month to £300/month. Thats £2700 a year extra.

[Stuart70]

I do a commute of 80 - 90 minutes each way (car/train/walk) if it all goes well.

It is longer than I would recommend, but then I am a wimp!

Some of the commutes described here sound idyllic

[tuscaneer]

Cheers for the replies so far chaps....yeah, time rather than mileage is more pertinent I agree. Work is my own business and I have dedicated the last decade to growing and improving something I started from nothing so you could say work is very important !!

At the moment I am living outside Liverpool in a very traffic heavy direction and a 15 miler can take best part of an hour if I time leaving work a bit wrong. !!but getting in of a morning only takes 20 mins.

I'm basically looking at coming out of the city via the tunnel and getting away down the relatively low traffic m53. What this means is that I can theoretically be in the Cheshire villages round south Manchester in .... I think.....45_50 minutes. As I have been looking on right move it has occurred to me I can basically also get to Chester and surrounding villages in a similar time.
The options-if I can put up with 40 miles and best part of 50 minutes-are wide open and living in the Cheshire golden triangle COULD be an option.

I just don't want to get 6 months in and dread leaving the house every day

[LordJammy]

If the money is right then I'd be prepared to do some big miles/hours.
A friend of mine is on 50k a year as a consultant and commutes 2.5/3 hours each way four days a week. Same age as me, 25.
I wouldn't say that's all too bad.
I commute 30 minutes in the morning and then depending on where I finish, anything up to 2 hours home. Used to be for 16k a year, now under the new contract it's 20k a year. The company pays for the fuel and van so I can't really complain all that much as it costs me nothing. Apart from my time, which at the end of 8 days of 12 hours a day is something a value quite a lot.

[Jasandjules]

As others have said, time is the issue as much as anything.

For example, I only used to drive 6 miles each way. But that was to the train station, and took 14 mins. Then a one hour train ride. Then a fifteen minute walk after an 18 minute tube ride. Sooo, all in it ended up being a little under 2 hours each way...

If your total time from door to door is sub 1 hour, then that to me is a good commute..

[anonymous-user]

V8 Fettler said:

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!

Well, yes, but he then ends up in Birmingham. Between a rock and a hard place.

[R6VED]

I do 8.5 miles each way 5 days a week and feel incredibly fortunate. I see my children at both ends of the day which to me is worth more than money.

[tedmus]

tuscaneer said:

Cheers for the replies so far chaps....yeah, time rather than mileage is more pertinent I agree. Work is my own business and I have dedicated the last decade to growing and improving something I started from nothing so you could say work is very important !!

At the moment I am living outside Liverpool in a very traffic heavy direction and a 15 miler can take best part of an hour if I time leaving work a bit wrong. !!but getting in of a morning only takes 20 mins.

I'm basically looking at coming out of the city via the tunnel and getting away down the relatively low traffic m53. What this means is that I can theoretically be in the Cheshire villages round south Manchester in .... I think.....45_50 minutes. As I have been looking on right move it has occurred to me I can basically also get to Chester and surrounding villages in a similar time.
The options-if I can put up with 40 miles and best part of 50 minutes-are wide open and living in the Cheshire golden triangle COULD be an option.

I just don't want to get 6 months in and dread leaving the house every day

Mine is Wallasey to Northwich, average day takes about 45 minutes, I live about 2 minutes from J1 M53 and get off at J11 M56 onto A559 for about 15 minutes.
M53 is usually fine but if anything happens on the M56 then the roads around Runcorn/Helsby/Chester are a nightmare.
Oh, and only Wallasey tunnel goes direct to the M53.

Edited by tedmus on Thursday 1st January 20:39

[three five five]

I do 41 miles each way and thankfully it takes 55 mins to an hour. I have the option of usinv our Manchester office at 16 miles but it easily takes much longer in either the car or using the (shudder) train. I do Poynyon/Prescot/Poynton.

[three five five]

Ive just read your travel route. I look at the traffic going from Liverpool to MCR and shake my head most mornings.

[tedmus]

I leave home about 06:40 and get into work about 07:25 normally. Even at that time you're lucky to get above 60mph for most of the time. Chester services and Runcorn junctions are the bottlenecks.
Thursdays seem busiest in the morning going into work, Friday, obviously, on the way back.

[C.A.R.]

I only have to travel 20 odd miles each way but the traffic dictates around a 40-50 minute travelling time. It's unfortunate that there is no direct route and the journey takes me down some really busy roads.

I drive a diesel but would love to get back in a petrol car eventually - ultimately work from home or find a job closer to home;

[Nick Grant]

I commute 40miles each way. I could do it in less than an hour driving but I choose to walk to the station get the train and walk the other end. Six miles a day walking adds another hour a day to my commute but covers off my exercise at the same time I WFH one day a week.

[Hoofy]

zygalski said:

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.

First reply is a winner. I saw the thread title and thought "50 minutes".

[lord trumpton]

My business is based 4.5 miles from home.

Mwuahahahaha

[MajorProblem]

We've gone from a peak.of me 55 miles a day - 1.5 hrs and wife 160 miles a day 4hrs.

Down to me - 0 miles 0 minutes and wife 18miles 20 minutes.

As others have said it's the time what you'll never get back, it's made a massive difference.

[NDA]

tuscaneer said:

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

I do two hours a day door to door.... It's fine.

The trade off is that I live in the countryside and don't have neighbours.... I love the contrast of central London business life and complete rural seclusion in the evenings and weekends. So I guess it depends what you're trading - if you're going to live in a similar property to your current one, it won't be worth doing.

I find commuting time is good peaceful down-time as it happens.

[Nickyboy]

3 mins or so each way, can take up to 5 if busy

[joema]

Don't think I want to do much more than the 30 mins I do now. A st day can be 40 though...

Commuting in a car is just dead time to me much rather get some work done on a train or bus, even read a book. Can't do anything stuck in a car in traffic