Where in the UK meets this criteria?

[indigox]

Currently in Edinburgh. Need to be closer to London for bfs job. I've only ever lived in the north west of England and Edinburgh so really have no idea about the south, and there's only so much Google can tell you

Looking for something that meets this criteria:

• 2 hours max from London via train - but this train journey cant be extortionately expensive (difficult I know), ideally no more than £250 a month for 2 days in the office weekly (ruled out way too many i shortlisted myself)
• Close to a main airport (30-45mins car journey)
• Large 3 bedroom house with garden for £1600 pcm or less
• A town/city that actually has something to do during evenings/weekends and cafes/bars/restaurants, I don't want travelling into London to be the only way we can do stuff especially if its reaching our max 2hr desired commute.
• Good secondary schools (DS needs extra support)
• Near countryside but not "rural", I don't want to have to drive everywhere for a basic shop trip and so on

Then all the generic safe, low crime rate etc.
We have family in the north west so ideally an easy rail connection there but this isn't a big deal as we can always just connect via London.

Some places I'd looked at and thought may be suitable were Swindon, Newmarket and Royal Lemington Spa but other than them meeting the commute, and rental prices I don't know much about these places and train prices are SO high 😖.

Leeds and York would be right at the limit of your criteria. Sheffield squeaks in. Other options Doncaster, Newark, Grantham all on the East Coast mainline.

Market Harborough

@KirstenBlest - ah I saw the S/w London (which barnes is and Barnet isn't) - makes note to check glasses!!

You'd need to get the train to Peterborough, then train to London, then cram yourself on to the northern line to London Bridge, then walk. I think that might be too long and/or unreliable a journey

Peterborough might work though (one fewer bit of the journey, cheaper property prices than Stamford). You could also go one stop further north to Grantham, which has a bit of a mixed reputation (hence cheap house prices) but has excellent schools.

Central beds-Leighton buzzard,Dunstable, Toddimgton and in Bucks Milton Keynes.

Lincoln is a great city - 2 hours by train but no idea of prices I’m afraid.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/133590173#/?channel=RES_LET

Agree Tamworth /Nuneaton area, it's not bright lights big city but get to know the area and there are plenty of good country pubs/farm shops/local businesses and activities. Leicester, Birmingham, Nottingham all feasible for days or evenings out. Stopping trains on the west coast main line (Cross country?) are inexpensive. Not sure on schools these days.

Market Harborough, it's 1 hour to London, not sure about the cost though as I only ever go off peak.

Leamington Spa is lovely, very desirable place to live. Has a surprisingly vibrant high street with plenty of nice cafes, restaurants and bars. About 45 mins on the train to Birmingham for wider entertainment options - music, theatre, sport etc, and the city of Coventry and town Stratford upon Avon are close too. Joins into Warwick, which also had lively independent shops, cafes, pubs and a historic old town with castle, and is an equally nice place to live. They pretty much feel as one place, despite technically being separate towns. Area generally 'leafy' with a number of parks and surrounded by countryside. Both Leamington and Warwick have a number of excellent schools, including grammar.

Milton Keynes but to be honest the whole of Buckinghamshire would fit

I would start where your London office is. Which Tube and train stations are there and where do they go.

What kind of airport do you need? Long haul means Heathrow but short haul business trips can easily done from London City or Gatwick.

Suffolk/north Essex

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/126081401#/?channel=RES_LET
All Woodley schools are good but Bulmershe especially for extra needs.
Short walk to Earley Station to Waterloo, or cycle/drive to Twyford for Jubille line/GWR to Paddington. Some lovely local walks eg Maiden Erleigh Lake, Dinton Pastures but not too far (15m drive) to proper countryside of South Oxfordshire or Upper Wargrave/Assendon. 45m drive or less at a quiet time to Heathrow. Quite a bit on in Reading of an evening, but you've also got Kentons at Henley Mill at Sonning, and Theatre Royal at Windsor.

For Tower Bridge area you may be better looking at Kent

A two day per week train ticket (flexi season ticket for commuter time) from Milton Keynes to London is £331 per month. Anywhere further out in the north/northwest direction will be even more expensive.

Chelmsford
Colchester
Crawley
Reading

I live in between Nottingham and Derby, train from Derby is 90 minutes to St Pancras although I'm not sure on price. You can get a 3 bedroom house with garden for a grand easy, I pay £500 for a 2 bed although mine is housing association. Nottingham has more to do than Derby although the commute from Nottingham is slightly longer, around 2 hours.

Bedford, think it ticks all your boxes!

Cardiff or Newport

They donthe super fast train to london now

People are mentioning Kent for travel to Tower Bridge area. A flex-season ticket is £233.80 for 8 journeys a month from Tonbridge to give OP an idea of the boundary (i.e. it's £300 from Maidstone).
However it would be difficult to find a 3 bed with garden for only £1600 pcm

Stamford ?

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/133546847

Would Stockport or Macclesfield way work? Train into London takes 2 hours, plenty of rural ish Arras and not far from Manchester. Can't tell you about prices. I'm pretty sure peak train cost is expensive.

Kent. Paddock wood, tonbridge, Rochester, surrounding villages

For all of your criteria apart from possibly the rent price, Bishops Stortford in East Herts would work well - right next to Stansted Airport. Someone else suggested looking further up the train line at Saffron Walden (station Audley End) and that would also be a good option (and probably cheaper).

Stevenage doesn’t have a great reputation. Hitchin is nice. Barnet, parts of Enfield are ok. Not sure about Waltham Cross or Cheshunt as to what they are like.

I was going to suggest Suffolk/Essex but that train line is becoming so unreliable - maybe I’ve been unlucky - but is there ever a journey when you don’t get transferred to a bus?