Travelling 4 hours there and 4 hours back to get to work

[gk5jzdk]

My new job wants me to travel into their London office to meet some of the London-based team. They will pay for travel and one night's stay in a hotel. However, it's 4 hours there and 4 hours back which means even when leaving as soon as I finish work I won't arrive until gone 9:30pm. I can't leave in the morning as to get there for 9am I'd have to leave before 5am.

Has anyone had to do similar and, if so, do you prefer to travel up the evening before or the morning of?

Do it night before but as it's a work trip can't you leave at 3ish? And same on day of meeting?

It would be ok for a one off or very occasionally day, maybe 3 times a year, provided you travel the after before and stay overnight.

I used to travel in work time the afternoon before, so you are free in the evening to relax, have something to eat and a good night's sleep before the day ahead. Even if work was not paying for that nights hotel, I would still do it as it's much more relaxing, no worry of train delays, etc

Do you have childcare issues that restrict your travelling times ?

I travel down the morning before 8:30 train, work on the train, arrive in London around 12 noon. Dump my work stuff at the hotel, then take the afternoon as Flexi leave and enjoy the city for the afternoon/evening. As a dispersed team we all travel quite a distance so our meeting is normally finished at 15:30 and get home around 20:30.

It really depends on the office/team/company expectations, eh?

I’ve done this loads, as I live a similar distance away from London, but my industry is fairly relaxed on start times - almost no one would book an in-person office meeting pre 10am - and I’m an established member of the team so I can work on the train and turn up whenever if there’s no external time constraints. If there’s a conference with a fixed start time though, or an important presentation etc, then it’s hotel the night before to ensure getting there on time. Sometimes I do it all in a day. Depends.

I do something like this 3 times a year. I go for a 2 day visit, so i get up at 5am to get a very early train to get to the office by about 9.45 the first day, then i finish at normal time, stay in a hotel, and on the next day i finish at 4pm to get the train back

I am quite senior though (deputy head of the department) and its just a part of the job.

DH has similar. We both know it means a couple of days where we cover for each other in terms of the childcare pick ups and drop offs.

My daughter does a similar journey twice a week at the moment and leaves home just after 5 and gets back at about 9. She says that she enjoys the train journey - she prebooks the same seat each time, which is one of two seats on its own, tucked away at the end of the carriage, and she is usually able to get a lot of work done. Because she has to be in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays it's not practical for her to stay overnight. My daughter accepted the job knowing that she would have a very long journey for two days per week and be in the office from 9-5, and travels in her own time quite happily.

It sounds totally normal, go the night before and travel back when you finish work.

How are you travelling? By car or train?

Are the meetings already scheduled? (You've said you need to be there for 9am so I'm assuming stuff is booked in?)

If so, what time do they finish?

I'd typically prefer to travel up the night before but leave before the end of the working day, stay overnight, meetings the next day and finish early afternoon to head home.

I'd use the journey mostly to get work done and then finish early on Friday.

I regularly do 3 hours each way into the office. Personally, I leave at 6am, get there for 9am, leave at 5-6pm and get home for 8-9pm.

But if they are paying for your travel and a hotel (!!) - that's amazing - my work would never actually pay for me to come into our head office 😂I'd go up the night before and come home late. You'll be home in time for a shower and to go to bed, which is fine.

Given the length of the journey home I would expect to be able to leave early so that you are not getting home quite so late. What time do the meetings go on until? If you left at 3.30 you would be home at a more reasonable hour.

Stay the night before. It's really very normal and could even be enjoyable. Arriving somewhere at 9.30pm is not a big deal.

I do this fairly often. I live in North Wales, office is in London. I drive down after work the niht before, sleep in a hotel, head into the office for the day and drive home after. It's a long couple of days. I try to leave work a bit early to compensate a little but bsically it's just what it is!

As long as they are paying for travel and hotel, perfectly reasonable.

I would arrive the night before but would make sure to leave the office fairly early not to arrive at the hotel ridiculously late.

Indeed or change their job!!

I would travel time counts as work time, at least part of it. Don't leave at a crazy hour, leave at say 7am and arrive there mid-morning / lunch time. Make sure all meetings are planned for that afternoon/evening/morning the following day. Leave after lunch/some time in the afternoon the next day? Is it at all possible? Would they not pay 2 nights at a hotel ?

Unless one of my team was say a single parent I'd have no problem asking them to do this a handful of times a year. They would usually travel a bit on work time, maybe get the last off peak train down, so leave at 3pm the day before and try to finish by then so that they get back at a reasonable hour.

What day of the week is it?

If it's a Monday I'd go up on the Sunday maybe a bit earlier and spend some time exploring London. Similarly if it was a Friday I would stay over the Friday night so could spend time in the Saturday exploring.

Mid week I think I'd go up the night before

I do this once a month - same commute time. Leave home at 5am and back for 9pm.
It's a pain tbh but given that I work from home for the rest of the month, I suck it up.

As a one off which is fully paid for, yes I would do it. Why would you not? Other than CBA. It's one/two days of your life. Treat it as a bit of an adventure out of your usual office environment.

I'd travel up in the afternoon the day before to give yourself time to eat/rest and get a full nights sleep. Then leave after the following day.

Really your travel time should be counted as working hours or time owed. If you go on train you could work.

DH does this weekly. He starts at 10-11 on the Monday, finishes at 4pm on the Thursday, and works until 6pm Monday to Wednesday. Friday WFH.

Or are they expecting 2 full days?

Clarify with work but surely the travel time is work time? (Or at least the excess over your normal commute time would be work time anyway).

Not unreasonable - my husband regularly has to fly all over the world ‘to meet the team’ and any new hires. I’ve had other friends who have to do this too, inc one who was a single mum of two boys who worked for a charity.

I’d be grateful they’re only asking you to go to London and not the US or Far East.