Am I mad to consider a 90 minute each way commute by car?

Am I mad to consider a 90 minute each way commute by car?

Author
Discussion

shirt

22,653 posts

202 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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you're just by the station, it will be a nightmare by car unless you can start and finish earlier than the rush.

i strongly suggest taking the train.

GeraldSmith

6,887 posts

218 months

Friday 12th November 2010
quotequote all
shirt said:
you're just by the station, it will be a nightmare by car unless you can start and finish earlier than the rush.

i strongly suggest taking the train.
That's not so easy from Nottingham, it's somewhere in the region of 2 hours by train

snotrag

14,491 posts

212 months

Friday 12th November 2010
quotequote all
I know exactly where you mean, i'm not far from there right now.

Do you have parking?

If not, there are a number of car parks in the area. In Leeds there tendsto be random bits of wasteground used for parking, they last a few months between developments, and are not too bad pricewise either for the day.

As for a route in - I commute along some of that daily.
You'd come up the the M1 it peels off into the M621. This is where it slows up although to be fair it doesnt often grind to a halt. From M621 junction 3 to your office your at the mercy of a multitude of traffic lights more than the traffic really. Its a stones throw, and some of it is quite a speedy one way section.

The other option, is to stay on the M1 as it turns east - this is much quieter. Then come off at M1 J44 and follow the road direct in through Hunslet. Doesnt look it on the map but you'd be completely avoiding the M621 and it might actually work out quite well, I dont think Hunslet road gets too jammed often.

I'd say you'd have a bigger job getting home - as you head south on the 621 it pretty much slows right down all the way along the M1 till your passed the M62 and Wakefield.

snotrag

14,491 posts

212 months

Friday 12th November 2010
quotequote all
GeraldSmith said:
shirt said:
you're just by the station, it will be a nightmare by car unless you can start and finish earlier than the rush.

i strongly suggest taking the train.
That's not so easy from Nottingham, it's somewhere in the region of 2 hours by train
I would suggest that if its IRO 2 hours train from Nottingham, its likely to be quicker than the car - based on how long I know it could take you to do that last little section I've described.

I know it can be hard to tell from a map but that office is literally a dash across the road from the Station, so it would certainly work well at the Leeds end.

Depends where home is Iin relation to railways I guess.

A205GTI

750 posts

167 months

Friday 12th November 2010
quotequote all
I do Bristol to Birmingham quiet regularly driving. I allow 1hour 45 mins for each journey, I dont mind and I just accept the time it takes did this for 6 weeks, but as I cover whole of the south for my company it means regular trips along the m4 and up the m5.

You do get used to it.

4mo

1,063 posts

176 months

Friday 12th November 2010
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hornetrider said:
Is the M1 quiet at commuting times?
It is from J25 to J28 as it's usually shut due to yet another accident.

Way to far for every day, wouldn't even consider it.

donna180

627 posts

162 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
quotequote all
Take the job if there aren't any alternatives - it would be ok for 6 months; you're in a better position looking for other jobs if you have a current job and the market is pretty bad.

Don't underestimate the cost of a long commute by car wrt depreciation/wear and tear etc.

JakesterUK

869 posts

200 months

Sunday 14th November 2010
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I do a commute of Norfolk to Canary Wharf 5 days a week by car it can vary from an hour 45 to three hours 45 when you get accidents, bad weather.

In reality the commute does kick the hell of me at times, especially around the winter, I do have the option to work satellite from home once a fortnight and often oversee projects outside of the Wharf so its about taking the rough with the smooth.

I'd advise, take the job and a wage in your pocket, don't underestimate the impact the travel will have on you, don't rely on sat navs, get to know your route and options for when things go wrong.

Also remember your running costs servicing are going to increase a heck of a lot to what you've been used to.



Puggit

48,520 posts

249 months

Monday 15th November 2010
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I did a 39 mile commute in to West London for 18 months. I couldn't wait to finish doing it. Of the 39 miles, 35 were on the M4 - and it took 90 mins on a typical journey.

4 hours was my record, and in holiday time it took 40 mins.

I wouldn't do it again...

GT03ROB

13,292 posts

222 months

Monday 15th November 2010
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Depends, how reliable is the 90 mins? I used to do a 30 mile trip into West London, to be certain I would need to allow 90mins, but it could take anything from 45mins - 2hrs. It's the unreliability of the journey & being so much stop start that is draining.

From December I'll be on a 65mile commute, however it's a reliable 75 min commute, very little if any stop start. It's far less draining that the old "short" commute into London.

PaulHogan

6,175 posts

279 months

Monday 15th November 2010
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I have a friend in Barnsley who leaves at 0700 to get into Leeds for 0900. Parking in Leeds is around £7/day too.

bogie

16,406 posts

273 months

Monday 15th November 2010
quotequote all
I sometimes get on the train to go into London for meetings ...im 1.40 away from London ...the train usually has quite a few people on it

so im guessing that a lot of people do like to earn a good salary, but live where houses are cheaper, and the pace of life slower...in return for 2 hours each way end to end journey

as with anything, only YOU can decide if its worth it to you, financially, career wise...will it be forever or is it something for a few years to see where it leads etc..

harryowl

1,114 posts

182 months

Monday 15th November 2010
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Move to sheffield ?

Dave_ITR

834 posts

198 months

Monday 15th November 2010
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With traffic my commute is about 90 mins in the car, tbh it boils my piss.

Wouldn't recommend it!

Edited by Dave_ITR on Monday 15th November 10:19

snotrag

14,491 posts

212 months

Monday 15th November 2010
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harryowl said:
Move to sheffield ?
Move to Leeds/Wakefield more like.

It can take an hour from some parts of Sheffield to even get to the M1 at rush hour, so it probably wouldnt even be that much quicker - I've done Sheffield to Leeds (Brightside to East Leeds) before and even that was a killer just for 8 weeks over Summer.

iAlex

17,000 posts

196 months

Monday 15th November 2010
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I did Wirral to Manc which took a similar amount of time for a year. Hated getting in and out of the city in stop start traffic. I ended up leaving for work earlier than I needed to in order to beat traffic and also leave later after work was finished.

I ended up doing many more hours. Hated it.

10 mins door to door now!

Ranger 6

7,064 posts

250 months

Monday 15th November 2010
quotequote all
Years ago I used to do rural Wiltshire into Surrey commute - 75 miles each way. M4 in, M3 out. I managed to get a working hours agreement so I could be in early and leave early, but 2 years was a bit wearing. The Company car and fuel card helped as it was free travel for me.

In the last few years I've had to do the train into Canary Wharf for a year. That took the same time and was worse as basically I hate crowds and public transport. Ice, snow leaves and heatwaves made me wish for my air conditioned bubble to endure it all with.

Ultimately, for me up to 1 1/2 hours a day is manageable, but I would only do it for the right rewards, not necessarily money - career etc.

MATTP77

697 posts

196 months

Monday 15th November 2010
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Kuroblack350 said:
I did something similar for 9 months, from Barrow in Furness to Preston daily. It does take it's toll, and the days are long with the weekends seeming a lot shorter. If you can wangle a few days per month from the Satellite office, or maybe working from home if it all possible, then it does make a bit of a difference.

I used to work from home on Fridays, and it made a huge difference.
I quote you, only as i went to school in Barrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BUT! In reply to the post, i work in London now and Home is in the Lake District.... Obviously i lodge down here during the week, but if i were you i would look into finding temp accommodation in Leeds on weekdays - even if you are to go home on wednesday or something? I suppose it depends on how much you love the M1 N/B in premium hours!!!!!!!


matthewg

1,396 posts

166 months

Monday 15th November 2010
quotequote all
MATTP77 said:
Kuroblack350 said:
I did something similar for 9 months, from Barrow in Furness to Preston daily. It does take it's toll, and the days are long with the weekends seeming a lot shorter. If you can wangle a few days per month from the Satellite office, or maybe working from home if it all possible, then it does make a bit of a difference.

I used to work from home on Fridays, and it made a huge difference.
I quote you, only as i went to school in Barrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BUT! In reply to the post, i work in London now and Home is in the Lake District.... Obviously i lodge down here during the week, but if i were you i would look into finding temp accommodation in Leeds on weekdays - even if you are to go home on wednesday or something? I suppose it depends on how much you love the M1 N/B in premium hours!!!!!!!
versus cost...

I thought 25miles on a fairly quiet stretch was a nightmare...commuting isn't for me...

Jimbo_vx

326 posts

237 months

Monday 15th November 2010
quotequote all
i do 60miles each way and it takes about 1.5 hours (again each way). mixture of m25, m4, in theory the worst.

it took me a couple of weeks to get used to it and i've now been doing it for nearly 18 months. I don't really find it a bother at all. Infact i quite like my 'me' time. I just relax if there is trafic, and have a clever sat nav that's very good at re-routing in particularly bad traffic.

I would far prefer to do this and job i like than work next door in one i don't.