To think 2 hours travelling time is too much for work?

[GraEll]

Hi, I have just secured one of my dream positions and of course I am very happy, but I don't know if I understand the extent of the journey every day, there and back. I can get a direct bus for an hour and 50 mins or a bus and a train that's expected to take an hour and 20, but by the time I've swapped and wanted time in between to make sure I don't miss it, I've decided the direct bus is better (what do you think on this as well? Is it worth adding 30 mins there and back for a much easier way of getting there?)

How likely is it to be out the house 6:30am-7pm Monday-Friday and still have an active life filled with more things than work... especially children and stuff. Also, does anyone do a similar journey and think it's absolutely fine?

If I didn’t have children I’d just aim to move closer to the job. An hour each way on a daily basis would be my limit personally.

I would consider an hour and 20 if it was an amazing opportunity which would open doors for something else wonderful before too long. So, the commute for a year or two would be worth it for long term benefits but it wouldn't be a job I'd stick in forever, unless moving closer was possible.

I'd definitely go for the shorter journey though, not the direct bus

Every day, no chance. Not with DC. Presume there's no opportunity to wfh some of it?

It's a long commute. Not so bad in the spring and summer when days are longer,but could be a killer come wintertime.
What age are the DCs ? Can you wfh a couple of days a week ?

That’s an exhausting commute. If you can’t move closer would do the bus and train.

Not feasible with DC IMO

I do one way trips of 1hr30 1x week and 50mins 3 x week.
The longer commute is experience I couldn’t get anywhere else, and will open doors in the future.
I’m knackered at the end of the week and don’t do anything but work/travel on those days.

How far actually is it distance wise? Busses are usually the slowest option. I’m assuming you can’t drive so take that off the table but what about bike? Moped?

I have kids, my partner works less hours locally and does all school drop offs and pickups.

I used to love my long commute on the train, read so many books. Had to find a new job (which i dont love as much) closer to home once I had children

I’d get the bus and train option but actually that wouldn’t be the job for me.
I’m out of the house from 7 til 7 and have kids but I do also have DH WFH those days and the school bus acts as our wrap around care.

I did it for 3 years...but had a day's wfh in there. I would do it again for the right position...but it's not easy, and you need to factor in that the times you're quoting are when everything js running OK...which it won't at least once a month.
If you can I would enquire if you can do two days a week from home. That will make a massive difference.

I wouldn’t do it with kids. Can you wfh a couple of days a week to break it up?

Blimey lots of people do commutes that are long or work in jobs that mean you’re not back at 5 on the dot. It’s only sitting o the bus!! Perfectly feasible and important to do for a career step up. Presumably also a payrise?

I did 1hr 30 each way for years. That’s what expected of you if you are coming off JSA - 90 mins each way on public transport

It’s knackering

My journey is similar. I do it 2-3 times per week and wfh rest of week. I won’t lie it’s tough. It depends a lot on how old dc are and how much support you have at home not just in terms of cleaning, cooking, washing etc but also supporting dc

I used to do this years ago, 2 hours commute from east Midlands into London every day, had to take a tube journey and a walk at the London end when I got there. I would be up at 5am to get ready, had to drive and park to the nearest station (lived rurally), then slept on the train going down. Same back.

It worked because I was younger, active and it gave me a good salary too. I had no children to worry about so I could just concentrate on me when I came back home. Sometimes I would stay late for work and then be back very late indeed, But I had a season ticket so it was cheaper to travel backwards and forwards rather than stay over after a late meeting.

If it's your dream job, do it, you certainly can for a couple of years but after that you might want a change. These days I would be considering the cost, what with rising prices, and also whether the possibility of a couple of days' home working might be possible to break the load.

People in my team travel quite a distance too, 1hr 20, most people in my team take around that to get into work with trains, traffic etc.

I think that you'll find you are exhausted and your work life balance will be tipped the wrong way.

Pre children, I was happy to commute an hour plus. I took on a role a few years ago that was an hours drive on a clear runn, bit could go up to 1hr 30 if I was unlucky. I have two DC who were under 9 then.

I did it 4 days a week and was out of the house from 7.20 to 3.20 on those days. The DC went to breakfast club. I would drop them off on the way to work and pick them up on the way home. I had no time to decompress and it felt like I never had time to do anything else.

That was being out of the house less hours than you will be. You also need to factor delays out of your control (roadworks, traffic jams, late bus, cancelled trains, maintenance works, diversions). All could add significant time to an already long journey.

To answer your question about having an active filled life, you won't have. Life will revolve around work.

Would moving closer be an option if it really is a dream position?

That commute wouldn’t bother me if I didn’t have children, especially if the hours were very set and very limited chance I’d ever having to stay late. Still time to meet friends in the evening or go to the gym. And think of all the reading you could do on that journey!

But I don’t think it would work with kids. You would need a super supportive partner that took care of all the childcare, drops off/pick ups etc and was much closer to home in case of emergencies. I also personally wouldn’t want to go all week without seeing young children.

That said plenty if men do it.

No. I’d move closer.

I did similar for nearly 5 years when I was single and tbh it was awful. Public transport is notoriously unreliable and delayed/cancelled. Long commute has its benefits in a sense I used to deal with all life admin then, but it's also tiring in a sense of neverending early starts and late finishes not by choice. It's possible to have a good social life, gym etc. but it was really tiring.

If you have no children, move closer. If you have children and can't move, I can't quite see this working out childcare wise and time wise unless you request hybrid working part wfh.

Pre kids I did a couple of hours each way, ironically I lived in pretty central london and commuted out. That did mean quiet train though which made it bearable. Now I do about 1 1/2 hours and its ok, would be nice not to but I'm part time so it's ok. Full time I'm not sure.

And to reiterate: a lot depends on whether this job is an essential stepping stone or a job you'd want to remain in forever.

It's one mindset doing a tough commute for a year or two maximum to progress your career so you have better opportunities closer to home. Quite different if you're going to want to do it long term

No. I wouldn’t do that commute. I’d be wrung out like a dishrag.