Longest sensible road commute
Discussion
I was beginning to think I was a wimp for not feeling willing to do a 2 hour+ commute. Hotel it is then.
Though I am surprised by the number of people that don't want to travel for more than an hour each way. With my fairly niche skills travelling for less than an hour is pretty unusual, even commuting into central London is 1 1/2 hours at least.
Though I am surprised by the number of people that don't want to travel for more than an hour each way. With my fairly niche skills travelling for less than an hour is pretty unusual, even commuting into central London is 1 1/2 hours at least.
Me and my wife have just finished doing a 200 mile (3.5 hour), twice a week road commute on a Friday night and Sunday night plus a 40 mile (1 hour 20) walk/rail daily commute in the week.
Glad to see the back of it.
Have just replaced it with a 20 mile (35 minute) daily commute by road.
Glad to see the back of it.
Have just replaced it with a 20 mile (35 minute) daily commute by road.
It's the time, not the distance, right?
Bumped into my old neighbour on Saturday - since 1990 he's been driving from Crowborough (East Sussex) to Basildon every day. It's only 50'ish miles, but you have to cross the Thames. Could be done in 75 minutes, or 7.5 hours.
He's looking forward to retirement in another five years!
Bumped into my old neighbour on Saturday - since 1990 he's been driving from Crowborough (East Sussex) to Basildon every day. It's only 50'ish miles, but you have to cross the Thames. Could be done in 75 minutes, or 7.5 hours.
He's looking forward to retirement in another five years!
k that! 
GroundEffect said:
30 mins each way would be my max. I hate commuting.
+1I'm fortunate enough to now be in a 'national' position with a large company but able to do my work from either the local office which is 10 minutes from my house, and I can also work from home, and for that I will be forever grateful.
I once had a position for a few months where I had to commute about 1 hour to the site each day and obviously 1 hour back, and I hated it. I just felt like I was wasting my life sitting in a car.
I can now be back at home each day by 4:15pm having finished at 4. It would haven to be a SERIOUS increase in salary to convince me to do otherwise when I see friends standing in their kitchens in a shirt and tie looking knackered and flustered having just got home at 7:30pm.
Polome said:
) commutes are made a LOT easier and relaxing with ....economic diesel , auto box
Good point - for anything that involves potential queues in traffic an auto is an absolute must. I'm on my second Merc SLK diesel - this get's the PH diesel haterz absolutely frothing at the mouth, but it's got a silky smooth gearbox, is monster economical on the commute (I get 700 miles to a tank) and is still a fast, good handling car for weekends, holidays etc, or if it's a very nice day on the way home I'll drop the top and burble home over the moors.
I've recently started doing a 130 mile round trip, on a one week on one week off basis. The weeks off from that my commute is only 30 miles in total.
I'm finishing my first week of the big commute this week, and I'm beginning to really dislike my Fiesta ST. It's a fun car, and for the 30 mile trip it's ok. But, it is tiring doing a 1 1/2 to 2 hour journey each way in that thing, last week due to the M4 being closed at J12 and 11 it was 3 1/2 hours and I just wanted to get out and burn the damn thing. Horrible thing to say, because honestly I do love the car.
Thankfully, there is a potential company car on the horizon, but I still have to wait for build times etc. Estimate is 18 weeks
I'm finishing my first week of the big commute this week, and I'm beginning to really dislike my Fiesta ST. It's a fun car, and for the 30 mile trip it's ok. But, it is tiring doing a 1 1/2 to 2 hour journey each way in that thing, last week due to the M4 being closed at J12 and 11 it was 3 1/2 hours and I just wanted to get out and burn the damn thing. Horrible thing to say, because honestly I do love the car.
Thankfully, there is a potential company car on the horizon, but I still have to wait for build times etc. Estimate is 18 weeks
I think they both count
You could have a 40 minute commute here and be 10 miles away through the city and over towards the sea, it's just weight of traffic that slows you down. Jump on the motorway and you can be 45 miles away in that time. Well, to a motorway junction anyway.
Ones annoying but you're still local and you can probably get back during the day quickly if you need to. The other, you feel the distance as well as the time when you're in an area you dont live in
You could have a 40 minute commute here and be 10 miles away through the city and over towards the sea, it's just weight of traffic that slows you down. Jump on the motorway and you can be 45 miles away in that time. Well, to a motorway junction anyway.
Ones annoying but you're still local and you can probably get back during the day quickly if you need to. The other, you feel the distance as well as the time when you're in an area you dont live in
You couldn't pay me to do some of the miles mentioned on here daily.
I do about 20 miles door to door right now - 30 minutes give or take - and it works very nicely IMO as it's time enough to think/chill out a little on the way to/from work but not far enough that if there are traffic problems it turns into 3-4 hours or something horrific.
I do about 20 miles door to door right now - 30 minutes give or take - and it works very nicely IMO as it's time enough to think/chill out a little on the way to/from work but not far enough that if there are traffic problems it turns into 3-4 hours or something horrific.
I am the exception as I actually rather like long commutes. I pick travel times when the traffic isnt too bad and the Jag is the perfect weapon for long distance cruising. Gives me a chance to listen to some music or just cruise in silence and let my mind wander. I find it very relaxing.
My commute varies, if I am in the office then thats about 1hr 20 each way, most customers are 1.5 to 2 hours away with the furthest being 2.5 hours. I would consider anything up to 3 hours to be ok for a commute
I guess it helps that I have a home based contract so no matter where I go, even if its my normal office I get 30p per mile, and if its more than an hours drive I usually dont turn up until 10:30 and aim to be away by 3:30.
My commute varies, if I am in the office then thats about 1hr 20 each way, most customers are 1.5 to 2 hours away with the furthest being 2.5 hours. I would consider anything up to 3 hours to be ok for a commute
I guess it helps that I have a home based contract so no matter where I go, even if its my normal office I get 30p per mile, and if its more than an hours drive I usually dont turn up until 10:30 and aim to be away by 3:30.
I do 130 miles a day and that means anything between 3 and 4 hours a day driving on top of a 8 - 5 day. It takes a while to get used to it. The first two years are hard, then it becomes normal. You get used to sleeping for about 5 hours a night and i've found the changing of the seasons, particularly late october into november particularly hard ( shorted nights + 'remembering' summer).
drivin_me_nuts said:
I do 130 miles a day and that means anything between 3 and 4 hours a day driving on top of a 8 - 5 day. It takes a while to get used to it. The first two years are hard, then it becomes normal. You get used to sleeping for about 5 hours a night and i've found the changing of the seasons, particularly late october into november particularly hard ( shorted nights + 'remembering' summer).
Snap. Although mine was a "did" rather than a "do". 65 miles each way, every day for three years. Hour and half on a good day, two hours each way on a bad day. Sometimes I would go the long, slow way just to break the monotony of the shorter, faster route. Dodsy said:
I am the exception as I actually rather like long commutes. I pick travel times when the traffic isnt too bad and the Jag is the perfect weapon for long distance cruising. Gives me a chance to listen to some music or just cruise in silence and let my mind wander. I find it very relaxing.
My commute varies, if I am in the office then thats about 1hr 20 each way, most customers are 1.5 to 2 hours away with the furthest being 2.5 hours. I would consider anything up to 3 hours to be ok for a commute
I guess it helps that I have a home based contract so no matter where I go, even if its my normal office I get 30p per mile, and if its more than an hours drive I usually dont turn up until 10:30 and aim to be away by 3:30.
That's not a commute though. A commute is driving to the same location over and over usually daily.My commute varies, if I am in the office then thats about 1hr 20 each way, most customers are 1.5 to 2 hours away with the furthest being 2.5 hours. I would consider anything up to 3 hours to be ok for a commute
I guess it helps that I have a home based contract so no matter where I go, even if its my normal office I get 30p per mile, and if its more than an hours drive I usually dont turn up until 10:30 and aim to be away by 3:30.
I'm also home based, I've not worked in an office for 10 years now. I get paid for every journey, this week 300 miles to Telford and once to my Company office (52 miles return). My office can take between 45 minutes and 3 hours depending on traffic which is bonkers considering it's almost all motorway (the M3 and M25).
Before that an hour was my max, as I was living in Lincolnshire that could be quite a distance.
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