Long school bus journey

[NorthLondonmum83]

We live overseas and have pretty much settled on the part of the city we feel has the best quality of life, and on the best school for our 2 kids. And sadly they aren't particularly close to one another! The private school provides almost door to door bus service, would be an hour each way.
Seems loads to me and off putting. DP fine with it, grew up doing similar reckoned bus was fun.
Grew up in village in UK walking to school for 5 mins (that won't happen here) so my view slightly skewed. Is an hour too long? Son is 5.
Takes nursery school bus now but only 25 mins or so (but enjoys it)

Thanks all. Yes we are set on the school for various reasons but. Can live elsewhere though. In our new home city schools are quite scattered and due to a quirk of geography and changing habits many international families live in a coastal area now while most international schools are in North. Long journeys (an hour or a bit more even) very very common here. Many families from South go North for schools. It's a cultural thing but being a Brit I'm not used to it and worry about there quite simply being better things for a child to do for 5 hours. My OH after a bit of a chat today is starting to see my point (could show him this thread but probably better I present ideas as my own!)

And sorry just to add in response - in an emergency middle of day no traffic 30 mins. It's the rush hour traffic that ramps it up!

Also that should obviously read 2 hours a day. Even over here I've never heard of a 5 hr round trip :)
Typing from under a baby as per usual

I thought you meant at age 12 from title. was wondering about that.
from age 5, no definitely not. not fair on the child. do something else.

At 5 I would say an hour was way too long each way on the bus. I would just live closer than do the hour commute out to fun activities on the weekend.

At 5! That is far too much.

People always mention the importance of playdates but most DC around where I live are either in after school club or with a childminder until parents come home from work ( this applies to our state village school and to the independents). Working parents (incl. myself) tend to be too knackered or busy to arrange playdates during the week and most of the weekend. So for socialising I would choose the school with the best clubs/facilities/playground etc available to me (and most importantly where DC is most happy). Just be prepared to spend 3+ hours on round trips to birthday parties. My only worry with the bus would be that your DS at 5 might be a bit intimidated by the older DC on the bus (will there be teenagers?).
Many dc around here start the bus journey to indeoendent or selective schools once they are 7, most once they are 11. Is there a way he could stay locally until at least 7 (age my dd happily started taking the bus, albeit only 10min walk + 15 min drive). Rules on my dd school bus are also pretty strict (no iPads, no phone) - so it's pretty boring. Not even the option of an ipod with an audio book. I don't think my 5 year old would sit still for 2 hours each day without any distraction - they are too young to do homework on the bus or read. I would say 30min max at this age. Could you not move halfway between city and coast?

Maybe rent for now closer to school and then buy in your dream location once ds is a bit older?

Or could you drive him - at least one way? That way he could at least relax, watch, eat, talk to you about his day?

Your overseas school might possibly be different if there is a culture of sending your kids on a bus for an hour, but I know both my kids’ primary schools think nothing of phoning me during the day to run in a forgotten pe kit or something.