If you do a commute, how do you make it enjoyable?

[woolduvet]

My dd will be doing nearly a 2 hr commute soon (1 1/2 train plus getting to train station)
Never having commuted, or had such a long working day, how have you managed to make it workable/enjoyable.

I do a 1 hr 10 mins each way on train and music and headphones are my way of relaxing. I also read or make lists or catch up on social media and send texts to keep up with friends.

Lots of people I know treat it as an extension of work, but if possible I'd avoid that and use it as personal down time to relax :)

The only thing that made it workable was knowing it has an end!

It's long, and tedious. Noise cancelling headphones. Breakfast en route. But, honestly, I'd be encouraging her either to use the time as work (if she can work in the train, consider first class) or to move closer.

It's a three month course, so it has an end unless she gets a job in that city...
I was thinking take leftovers for a hot lunch
Podcasts for the journey.
I'd really hate it so I'm trying to be positive!

download stuff from Netflix or BBC iPlayer, podcasts, audiobooks, normal books. I have a pretty standard 1hr each way London commute and I really value the time to do my own thing

Podcasts and Netflix are her new best friends here! Or a good old fashioned book depending on how crammed the train is

I'm on mat leave now and actually jealous of my husbands commute😭

Music, reading, sleep is how i coped.

I'm envious of her long train ride the. My current commute can take up to 90 minutes but it's 2 buses, some walking and waiting around for connecting services. Makes it a right pain in the arse.

A good coffee cup (Contigo is fab as you can just sling it in your bag), and a food flask so she can make porridge at home and eat it on the train, or take hot soup for lunch.
Download stuff from iplayer/netflix to watch
Books for course on Kindle (and fun books - Kindofbook is great to subscribe to in order to find out about free and very cheap books)
Use the time to do grocery shopping/write christmas cards

I used to have an hour and a half (so 3 hours each day)
I read a lot.
I quite miss it really it was nice to have the time to decompress a bit

I used to sleep or just try and rest, got woken up at Liverpool St by other commuters a few times

In that case, I'd suggest she used the morning commute to study (even if that's recording notes so she can listen to them in headphones) and the return to relax.

In some ways a longer train ride is easier as presumably she'll have a seat and can plan work or fun, eg reading. It can be great having a chunk of time to devote to reading or writing. A couple 10-min journeys and waits are harder. How will she get to/from the stations? I find Pokémon GO helps with the walk along the same street I've walked along for years.

Audio books on audible help a lot.

Audiobooks all the way!

She loves pokemon!
Great ideas. Thanks everyone.

Agree if she can work it's a good use of 'dead' time. Otherwise reading, podcasts, music.

My commute is 2.5hrs each way - drive to station, train, tube, other tube, walk.
Doing work is out as always standing on train and their wifi is charitably described as an active hinderance. 4g comes and goes along the line.

I play Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes on the train and music / NFL on iPlayer for tube (again, no connection)

Podcasts, nice coffee, good book

V warm coat and naice gloves for winter.

Charger pack for phone and good data package. Podcasts. Book or kindle.

Condecco westloop flask and reusable cup for hot drinks. Water flask.

Good tupperware/lunch bag!

Tupperware is a theme here

Leftovers are nice to have, I hate cooking after work.

Brilliant list. Excellent Christmas ideas....

boxsets

I've done the whole of Sopranos, Breaking Bad and now I've started the Wire

also do all my iplayer catch up etc. It's been brilliant as all my evenings are freed up to do other things now

Reading, The Archers, podcasts, games on phone. You could watch a whole film in 2 hours!

I've also done a fair bit of Christmas shopping on the train.

I read on the train to work. I always pack a good book. Also I talk to people. If the train is deserted I buy a newspaper and a bag of sweets for the journey. When I was a college student I took my revision notes and textbooks with me and studied the questions.