What is your limit on daily commute?

[mrstrongmrsstrong]

Do you think a 1.5 hour commute each way is do-able everyday? Working min of 8 hours plus lunch so will be out of the house for 12 hours sometimes more. Driving about 80 miles.

No children so childcare not an issue or anything just wondering if this is something people get used to or whether it gets too much

[southeastdweller]

I think I'd be fine with that. The London average is one hour and mine is about that. It depends on the job and where you live though, of course.

In Stylist this week someone in their day in the life interview commutes three hours each way from Hastings to Acton and back again. That's something I personally could never do.

[axure]

I've read that rule of thumb is not to exceed 50 miles. DH has done 55 miles, it was OK for about 18 months, but starts to really wear you down, dreading Sunday and the start of another weeks commute. 80 miles is too far long-term IMO, can you move home or look for another job, or negotiate any home working?

[axure]

That's 50 miles each way, is 80 a round trip?

[mrstrongmrsstrong]

No - it's about 80 miles each way, fairly quiet roads so generally moving but it's the time i'm slightly worried about. Is not really an option to move I either drive or don't do the job

[MrTumblesBavarianFanbase]

My DH does about that - he likes his current job better than the previous one with a shorter commute, so is happy with it and has done it for over 2 years now. We initially considered moving after his probation period but he finds it manageable so we decided not to uproot the kids.

It depends a lot on the type of commute too -and 4ahe changes and standing on crowded public transport? No. Very busy traffic with frequent jams and long delays? No. But an "easy" drive or train ride where you always get a seat and don't have to change is fine for a lot of people.

[thekingfisher]

I think being on a train/short car journey is fine for that length of time I did it and DH still does it - however I think driving that distance everyday is tough...
At least on the train you can read/snooze/admin

[JacqueslePeacock]

I do two hours each way by bike, train, tube and foot - and I bloody hate it. Thoroughly not recommended.

[dizzy77]

My door-to-door walk/train/walk commute is about 90mins each way, not unusual for London. Not sure how I'd feel about driving it, but I've always thought the pay-off with driving is you're in your own space, so practically "home", even if events outside are out of your control. That's versus sitting (if I'm lucky) on the train reading/sleeping/listening to music. Days are long though with early starts, is it possible to condense hours or similar?

[Megsdaughter]

I did a 45 min car commute for 18 months, not to bad in the summer, but come winter it was a killer and I found another job.

I think a driving commute is harder than say by bus or train, as your concentrating from the minute you leave the house.

(Plus I was travelling the 303 so although it was lighter in the summer, the traffic could be horrific.)

[AmethystMoon]

It is doable, well to me it is but everyone is different. I know lots of people think I am mad but I can cope with my commute. It's not my idea of heaven but jobs that pay what I earn and in my field are not plentiful.
I commute one hour fifty five mins each way (60 miles) I drive to near the train station (15 min), then 10 min walk to station, then one train for 15 min then 10 min change to another train for 50 min then 15 min walk to office. If nothing else the variety helps!
I have a one year old too, doing it with no children would be no problem. I use the time on the train to work or read. But each to their own I realise many would hate this.

[onedogandababy]

I used to do 120 mile round trip, admittedly only did it 3 days a week after 3 yrs as was able to work at home.
Loved the commute (love driving) liked the chill down time in the car listening to music. Did mostly rural roads so not much in the way of traffic jams, though driving on ungritted non street lit roads in ice and fog could be interesting. Did see some great sunrises & lots of wildlife. Sold it to you yet?!

Getting caught up in rta's pain in the arse. Make sure you factor in insurance costs, car maintenance (increased servicing), fuel, tyres etc. One year I memorably bought 6 tyres and had 2 new windscreens.

You will get used to it, takes at least a month to get into a new pattern, but if you hate it, look for something else. At least it's a failsafe answer to the 'why are you looking to change job' question.

One other thing to consider is socialising with your colleagues. Invariably you will be sober and having a crazy long day, or you'll be staying over with a colleague/hotel/b&b. Depends on what the job/promotion situation would be like if you rarely socialise...

[axure]

I think 80 miles each way is too far, not as bad during the summer, but awful through the winter in the dark. Will you always be able to get away on time? It's no joke having to work on when faced with an 80 mile drive home. I'm sorry but I think your life will be miserable during the week, no time for any other interests, but if it's the only way to earn a living you'll have to get on with it. Good Luck.

[BikeRunSki]

I did an hour and 10 mins driving for a year, 60 miles, away from bulk of traffic. As someone has said upthread, a long drivi.g commute is hard because you are still concentrating. And I had no homelife at all for that year. Had no dc at the time either.

I drive a 35 min commute now. Just enough time to get work out if my head, and settle back into home mode.

[goforthejobular]

That would be far too far for me and upwards of £25 a day on petrol, too depending on your car.

[WorrySighWorrySigh]

IME 1 hour each way is the limit for a permanent commute for me. I have done much, much longer for short term roles. I found that it wasnt just the journey in but also the journey home again. When I had a regular commute of close to 2 hours each way I came to dread it. Leaving the office at 6pm meant that I was home not long before 8pm. Time for dinner then bed then start again the following day.

[EBearhug]

It depends partly how you do it, and how it feels to you.

I have found that a daily average of about 45 minutes driving is about as much as I really want (currently I usually do about 25 minutes.) I just find driving fairly boring and it feels like a waste of time to me. That time on the train is less of an issue, because I can watch out of the window (except in the depths of winter) and read a book or whatever else. You do also need to factor in the time spent getting to/from the station as well.

From time to time, I have to work at other sites, and that can be up to 2 hours each way - that's not such an issue when it's a one-off, but I certainly couldn't do that daily for any length of time without getting really fed up about it. (Actually, the worst one was a day trip to the German office, which involved driving to Heathrow, flight, train, change to local train, then walking, except I didn't have a good map and couldn't tell which road it was, and certainly not the footpath that cuts off a load of the road route, so ended up phoning for a lift - and then back again at the end of the day. I really didn't feel that was an efficient use of time.)

[OnIlkelyMoorBahtat]

I've doing a 1.5 hr each-way commute for nearly 2 years now, and to be honest, though I've negotiated to work at home 2 days a week and have been doing so for some time, it's killing me... About 1 hour each way tops would be sustainable long term (for me, at least).

[OnIlkelyMoorBahtat]

Also just to add, I never socialise with my colleagues - not because I don't like them, but because the thought of having a 1.5 hr commute in the morning, 8 hours in the office, a couple of hours in the pub and then still having a 1.5 hour commute is just too, too much!

However mrstrongmrsstrong, I will also add that I took this job because it was quite different from my previous roles, so was actually worth it to me to get new skills to add to my cv and give me more options for different career paths, so, if you are thinking of taking a new job which involves this opportunity, even though the commute might seem too long, don't dismiss it out of hand...

Plus, I don't really mind about the not socialising as I've already got friends, it's not like I was hoping to make some more there, it's not the reason I joined...

Hope these considerations don't make your decision even harder now!

[hotbot]

Ok no dcs, job for promotion or prospects.. I would do it and have done it.
Now I walk to work in 15mins, would not consider it again. I prefer to be nr dcs.

[hotbot]

Btw did not mean to sound smug, just re looked at my circumstances carefully with this job and bought a house nrby

[SirChenjin]

45-50 mins each way by car is my absolute limit. I've done a 1.25 hour commute along one of the worst motorways in Scotland - never, ever again.

I've also down 2 hours each way by train. The 2 are not comparable imo. Public transport is much, much easier (well, on the route I was on when I could reserve and get a seat every time)