If you commute to London, where do you live?

[MonstranceClock]

There’s a course I want to do in London when I I finish my degree, but I don’t think I will be affording to live there. If you live in a cheaper are outside of London, where is it and what is your commute like?
The other option is to move to the north of England where they also run the course, but I really can’t hear the accent (i’m Not English native and my brain just can’t process the accent! I feel this may be too much of a challenge.)
Aibu to consider commuting to London from an hour or so away or to try and basically (what feel like) learn a new language!

I commute in from Kent, it’s about a 40 min train

We live in Cambridgeshire. I used to commute, DH still does. Train takes between 45 minutes and just over an hour, then there’s tube at the other end. Takes DH around an hour and 20 minutes door to door I think. Unless there are problems with the trains...

Croydon / South Croydon / Sanderstead / Purley - zone 5/6 so travel is still cheap, and a 20-25min commute to London Bridge or Victoria or Thameslink stations. Make sure you choose the right side of London though as getting across on the tube can add loads of time to the commute.

Look at where the course would be, what the most easily-accessible main line station would be from where the course is, then look at what locations come into that station.

It’s central, I think. My brother lives in Bournemouth and commutes on the train. He says it’s about an hour and a half. I think I’d like to be a bit closer though to London.

Don’t forget to consider the cost of the train ticket. Commuting in to London can be very expensive. That several hundred pounds spent a month on train fare could be better spent being put towards a higher rent if you like living in a city. Also, SWR is a nightmare a lot of the time. You might not get there and back in the time you think it will take.

I commute to Cannon Street by train from Bromley (SE London/Kent depending who you ask).

It all depends on the location of the course as it is an absolute nightmare to change during rushhour, you need to choose wisely.

I just can’t comprehend the prices in London. I pay £500 a month for 2 bed house, yet in London I will need to pay £1000 for a one bed flat!

You would get used to a northern accent. Much cheaper
London is great. Look outside north circular road on the east.

Is it a full time course? To be honest once you have factored in commuting in, you will not save much. I have lived in Bedfordshire, 150 quid a week for a ticket into London. Same from east sussex.

Bournemouth to London is more like 2 hours. And that's just to Waterloo so you'd need to factor the extra time from Waterloo. I wouldn't do a commute like that for anything. It's absolutely exhausting.

Aaaah I don’t know what to do. They don’t do a course closer to where I live.

Depends where in London the course is? It can take an hour or more to cross London in rush hour. You need to be more specific on your location to get sensible answers!

I live in the Thames Valley. Fast train to London is 21 mins; however, rents are high and a ticket and travel card is £30 per day.

Russel square and Cambridge are the courses

Tell us where the course is and we can give you ideas.

Tell us where the course is and we can suggest areas :)

Cambridge? So not the ‘North of England’ then?!

I use the high speed train to come in from Kent. It is a great service but it costs me a huge amount - 6.5k a year.

The other courses are in the north, you asked for the London ones!

What u save in rent you will be giving to the train companies if too far out.

I commute from bromley-

That is so expensive. Hmm. Maybe I will have to have a re think.

Um. Cambridge is not London?!!!

London area then. I don’t know England that well. It was on the website under the London areas.

Op, ring the course provider. I’m sure they will have info on accommodation. London also has student halls - not all of which are tied to a specific college so that would be worth investigating. Train fares into London can be very expensive and end up being thousands of pounds. You may be better staying within TFL’s zones.