To think a 55 minute commute is too long?

[Penguinotterfoxbadger]

So dp and I are buying a house in London.

The house he likes would mean my commute was a 20 minute walk to the tube, a 30 minute tube journey (with one change) and another 5 minute walk.

My preferred area would have only about a 5-10 minute walk to the tube (the rest of the journey would be v similar).

Aibu to care about the extra 20 - 30 mins travelling time per day? (He doesn't work because of health problems).

X

Running has anyone suggested a20 min walk would be an unreasonable commuter

It's not the 20 min walk that's a problem, it's the multi-leg journey, surely? Supported by your own recounting of commute from hell vs 40min walk.

Couldn't you jump on a bus to get to the tube station quicker? I have fiends or are 20min walk from station which they are happy to do when it's sunny but when it's raining they can jump on a bus. Could this be an option?

55 minute commute is not unusual for London. But I agree 20 minutes walk away from the tube would piss me off. What are the bus services to the tube like (both speed and frequency)? That might tip it from being a PITA to being something you could consider.

DH and I lived in a flat which was a 15 minute walk from the tube, but the buses were excellent, so it was fine.

I don't think that a 55 minute commute is unreasonable and I don't live/work in London.

At weekends it takes me max. 15 mins to get to the city centre very close to where I work.

On weekday mornings, the drive alone can take anything up to an hour, then I have a 20 minute walk to the campus where I'm based from the car park which is at one of our halls on the outskirts of town- it's the only place for which I could get a parking permit.

I have to leave the house at 6.45 to ensure that I get there as close to 8am as possible. I don't have to get in so early (flexi), but the traffic gets even worse after 7am. Plus, the earlier I get in the earlier I can leave so I miss the home time rush hour! (as we all know, getting home is FAR more important than getting to work )

God knows how I'm going to manage once I have a baby/toddler to sort before leaving the house!

I've always had a long commute because I live between two large cities which is where all the jobs are. You sort of get used to it. A brisk walk is a good way of waking up and getting some fresh air in your lungs early in the morning! Just get some headphones to relieve the tedium. At least if you're on the train/bus you can doze or read rather than having to pay attention in traffic...

I am not obese.

I still think 20 mins to and from the tube at each end of a working day would be pretty miserable and something I would try to avoid!

A 55 minute commute is not unusual for London

I used to have a 10 minute walk to station, 25 minutes on train then a 15 (20ish when pregnant) minute walk from the station to work. I found the walk good felt ready a awake for the day. I could have got a tube from the station to my work but that would have taken about 10 minutes but stressful

I don't think it's dreadful (have done it myself), but it will tire you out more.

Can you bargain with him so that he takes something off you to compensate for the additional time? You do the commute, if he cooks dinner every night - that kind of thing?

Oh, and I AM obese. And I walk 40 mins (minimum) as part of my commute every day.

Go figure.

YABU 55 mins commute is normal /less than many london based workers .

We set a 1hr travel time when choosing the kids schools ( not london but a big city and they use public transport).

DH has commuted 1-1.5hrs for years (by car)

20 mins each way walk isn't much either. Get appropriate clothing for bad weather and keep office shoes /dry trousers at the office .THat 40mins brisk stroll will meet basic excrecises requirements re your health too!

20 min walk wouldn't bother me but I am used to walking everywhere at least half the time as DH and I share car.

I am thinking of going for something with a similar commute (20 min walk and 2 trains) but it would only be two days a week. Don't think I could cope every day..

In addition to the stress of travel/delays/being like sardines,I would worry about getting back in an emergency for DC.

We are not in Alaska, we are in London. It is not that cold and there is no snow at all.
You just need a scarf and some good music on.

My commute is about 45 mins. It consists of:
10 mins walking to the station
5 mins on platform
20 mins on train
10 mins walking to the office

I used to drive to work which took half an hour. Even though my commute is longer now I prefer it. I like walking, it clears my head, and I get to read on the train.
So, I think a 55 minute commute is fine, especially if you're not driving. Driving is worse because you have to concentrate all the time. With public transport / walking you can daydream or read etc

It depends entirely on your circumstances, but I'd say 55 minutes is within the reasonable timeframe for a commute.

I think it's very reasonable. I walk 20 minutes to the station and then have a 45 minute train and then 10 minute tube journey. Very doable.

I'm surprised people are recoiling at the idea of a 20 minute walk. I would see it as a positive: an opportunity to get some exercise and fresh air.

Unless you have a disability effecting your ability to walk then surely 40 minutes per day is reasonable?

Have lots of people grown up with cars, and aren't used to walking more than a few minutes?

I'm an hour and a half door to door which I don't mind and I know people who have a longer journey and are ok with it. But 20 minutes walk is quite long. Is there any way you could cut that (bus or drive or get a lift?).

I'm also really surprised at people who think 40 minutes a day is too much. Yes, the weather is miserable in England but it's rarely freezing and as for rain, well you're waterproof! We have become a really lazy society.

I like walking sooo much. In my last job, I walked 3 miles there and 3 miles back every day. And on the way was 800 ft of ascent.

One of the worst things about being ill for me at the moment is that I've lost so much fitness and struggle to walk and run.

That's not dissimilar from my commute with nearly identical times apart from the change of train. I don't actually mind the walk to the station even if the weather's not great. Wakes me up in the morning and gives me a chance to stretch my legs after a day behind a desk in the evening.

Now i understand why people here keep saying that you need 150K salary to live in London and they dont believe that many of us live in londonon much less.
Yes if you have to live right next to the tube and you consider walking 20 min 'miserable' , (i call it 'fun') and if you call Walthamstow @6pm 'too dangerous' then it makes sense.
For me Walthamstow would be a dream, i d love it if i could afford it
(i live in zone 5!). When i read threads like this i realize how different our expectations are.

I guess it depends what your job is like. I am on my feet the whole time in a very high pressured job for long hours often without breaks.

So, wimpy or not , I would cry if I had to walk for 20 minutes at the end of my day.

I commute an hour each way, but by car, and I really enjoy the radio and wind down time in comfort.

I commute 45 mins in Edinburgh. Used to be more in London. Where my job is located is a horrid residential area of Edinburgh, and we already live in a lovely place and kids are in good schools and dh can walk to work. So looks like I will continue to commute, but I do get a seat on the bus.

I think a 55 minute commute is pretty miserable in London, especially if you are on a packed tube with no seats for a large part of it. The walk would probably be the nicest bit.

I did that for four years and I ended up leaving London completely.

I agree, unless your job is physical the walk would be the best bit. The worst bit about my commute is the potential for the trains to go wrong. I would happily walk for an hour or a bit more to get to work were that possible!