Taunton to Bristol commute

[CaroBris]

Hi all, I currently live in Bristol with my DH and our 3dc but our landlord is selling and we've decided to take the plunge and buy so we can finally settle. We're finding that Bristol is too dear and so are looking at Taunton.

We have family in Wellington and DH went to Huish. I'm a bit less familiar. I'm part way through a degree at UWE and will need to commute to Bristol by car four days a week. Most days I'll be starting at 11am and finishing at 2pm. Is that a manageable commute at those times? I'm hearing lots of bad things about it, especially at rush hour (which might be a once a week occurrence).

Someone please tell me it's not going to be horrendous!!

Anyone...?

I live in Weston, so a little closer than Taunton and from here it's a doable commute, one we do regularly. Tbh, I really wouldn't want to go from Taunton. Is there anyway you can practice? See how far it really is and how bad the traffic is at that time?

What Addicted said. Also live in Weston. I work in Backwell so don't have to go all the way to Bristol any more (although did for a few years) but even that sometimes is an embuggerance (normal work - home evening commute is 35 minutes, Fridays in school holidays...all bets are off, and that's using the A370 and IF the motorway is running well. The longest it's taken me this summer is 95 minutes - for 12.5 miles). It's far easier since the changes at J21 happened...when I used to live in Worle back in 2004/5 it used to take 45 minutes sometimes to get from Sainsbury's to the motorway junction.

I used to do this commute daily ( Bradley Stoke to Itton). Used to take 50 minutes, door to door. Hit more traffic in the evening than in the day and occasionally got stuck in accident traffic but not too bad.
Petrol was ridiculous though! £100 a week easy!

Yep, I've done Bristol to Taunton and bristol to Tiverton. It's not actually that bad. And I was working 8-4 so travelling at busier times. Both home and work were right next to motorway junctions tho. Took about an hour to Tiverton and 50 mins to Taunton. Petrol was expensive tho.

Thanks guys, some great insights there. I'm a new driver so it's stressing me out a little bit. You're right, I need to get some practice in and do a few trips at peak times. We've started to look at Wellington too as you can get more for your money and we like it there. Also you can get straight on the motorway so that's a bonus.
emwithme hoping school hols won't be an issue as I'm a UWE student and will have those off. Sounds awful!
It's nice to see that while it's got it's issues it might not be as bad as I keep hearing. Trouble is, when I mention the move to my Bristol friends they look horrified at the travelling!
Petrol will be a bugger, but I've only got a 1.1 so it'll be about as low as it can be for a car commute iyswim.
bongbing I lived in Tivvy for 9yrs, I keep looking wistfully at Tiverton house listings as once again you can get more for your money!

When I moved from Fishponds to Winscombe my commute (at non-peak times, admittedly, I worked 11.30 to 3.30) reduced by 10 minutes. Rather than crawling down Two Mile Hill or Fishponds Road going at a snail's pace, I bombed down the A38 at the speed limit.

I do not miss Bristol traffic one tiny little bit (says she, theoretically working but wondering what's going on further down the A370 as the traffic has been crawling past my office window into Bristol for the past hour)

When I was doing my degree I commuted to UWE by train from Highbridge station (2 stops from Taunton I think, so not much further for you). Is this an option? I had a young persons railcard (the uni can help with this, I was a mature student) and travelled mostly off peak. It also meant I could spend my commute reading/working, so it wasn't wasted time. In my final year I took 2 dissertation/independent study modules so only travelled up twice a week.