How far is too far to walk to a train station for daily commute into work?

[littlecrystal]

Sorry if this is slightly off topic for Property thread, but it relates to trying to buy a house.

I am looking to buy a house in a commuter town outside London and trying to establish what is acceptable walking distance to a train station for 5 days a week. I would say up to 1 mile, but 1 mile shown on Rightmove can easily extend to 1.5 miles walking distance. I still have 30 odd years to work until I get luxury to retire, so don?t want a burden of getting exhausted every morning and evening, but at the same time properties further out seem to be nicer and bigger? so that?s the dilemma!

Any advice from fellow commuters?

YY, concrete. I've never driven and moved out to a commuter town when I had first DC. Most of the other mums lived and worked in the town and would drive everywhere. We'd meet at places 30-45 mins from where I lived and they would be utterly shocked that I had walked there. On a nice day. With a baby young enough to sleep in a pram. I couldn't imagine why you'd do anything else but walk in that situation! People do get very used to their cars, I can see how it would be very easy to.

The freedom of not needing to use a car can not be underistimated.

I think 20 minutes is probably my limit. When you do it every day you find you learn tricks to shave time off - my walk is about 15 mins but I can do it in 8 if I really have to! I have various 'checkpoints' to meet the train - be at the footbridge by 7.51, the postbox by 7.54, the traffic lights by 7.58. If I miss a checkpoint I know I have to speed up!

But it gets boring because it's the same walk every day and it's hard to always muster the enthusiasm for the same hackneyed route. More than 20 minutes would drive me bananas, I think.

It depends how frequent the trains are, too and whether you can afford to get a later one if you're running slightly behind. It's exasperating when you've had to spend an extra five minutes looking for your keys or something then knowing you have to do a 20 min walk in 15 because you need to meet that specific train.

I would hate to be reliant on a car. That puts me off moving tbh.

I walk 10 mins to the station, 20 min train journey then 10 mins other end. It's the coming home that would make me think about a long walk at the "home" end. Especially in winter or crappy weather.

20 mins. I used to catch the bus for the 7 mins it would have taken to walk home from the station

A 20 minute brisk walk in the morning when you are full of energy will be a half-hour trudge when you are worn out after a hard day and an awful journey on public transport.

Some days it will be sweltering hot and some days it will be pouring with rain. Some days you will be feeling poorly.

I hate London commutes. Don't underestimate how long it takes and how awful it is.

Before you move again, you will get older.

On a morning I have a 50 minute walk to the station (which includes dropping DS at school on the way)
On an evening I have a 30 minute walk home (via the childminders to pick DS up) three days a week and the rest is the same as the morning walk.

I don't think anyone has mentioned walkit.com, i find a combination of this and walking/cycling directions on google maps (as opposed to the driving directions) gives good walking routes, including alleyways etc.

There is a journey i may have to cycle soon which is 1.8 miles in a car, but due to cut-throughs, alleyways etc is only 1 mile by bike/foot. You may be surprised.

20 mins is about right. As others have said consider cycling too. I walked 20 mins for years and being able to cycle in 10 mins instead was a relevation. If you are saving on a car can you budget for occasional taxi or bus if really bad weather.