Moving to Didcot - advice on the commute

[Rubaduckduck]

Hi all,

My first post on here after a couple of years using it almost daily for words of wisdom in how to survive with a newborn... I cannot thank you all enough!

The OH and I, plus our two-year-old, have decided to move out of London for all the reasons you can imagine - more space, clean air, better schools, etc - and have settled on the villages around Didcot in Oxfordshire as our focus. Main reasons being proximity to grandparents and because at least on of us will have to commute into London.

I have been trying to find out some intel on the rush hour trains from Didcot Parkway into Paddington and vice versa in the evening. Realistically with childcare it will be trains from 730-830am on the way in.

Does anyone on here do this commute or know what it's like, apart beyond the well-covered exorbitant cost? In particular, can you get a seat?

Any advice and thoughts hugely appreciated.

I think going from Didcot you can get a seat - going back, its likely you'll stand until Reading as all the trains on that line are crammed until Reading.

Depending on where your/his parents are, you might be better looking towards getting trains from Cholsey unless you will be close enough to cycle to Didcot station as the car park is huge and fills up early so it can take ages to walk through.

My parents live near Didcot, and its a great area

Thanks v much - that's helpful. I always guessed it would be a bit rammed on the way back but it was the way in I was particularly interested in.

I guess when Crossrail opens it'll take a bit of capacity off the Paddington-Reading line too.

Yes, crowded between Reading and Paddington, plenty of seats between Didcot and Reading.

My preference would be to look at Cholsey/Goring/Pangbourne so you can walk to the station rather than drive to Didcot. But it's probably a somewhat more expensive option.