what's it actually like commuting from Guildford / other bits of Surrey

[Justalondongirl]

I currently live in London (hence the user name) but looking to relocate somewhere in Surrey, possibly Guildford. I need to commute to London (Bank / Cannon Street area) around 3 days a week. I've looked at train routes and times etc but want to get a sense of what the commute is actually like. In particular in Guildford, if you're not walking distance to the station, is the commute feasible - do people park at the station or is that just too congested to get to / expensive? Would also consider places like Dorking but it looks like trains are very slow. I find commuting exhausting now even 3x a week so don't want to move anywhere it's worse! Or any other towns or areas to consider?

Budget around 900k max for a 4 bed ideally detached so that rules some areas out eg I think SW London too pricey.

Epsom and Ewell, 30 minutes by train to Waterloo.

I commute in to Bank from Guildford twice a week, and used to do the commute from Leatherhead.

Pros to Guildford - the faster trains, not having to cope with the stops, more modern trains (they have toilets!) more options if you miss one or a line goes down.

Cons to Guildford - trains are very busy (although I’m not due into work until 9.30 so usually manage a seat unless there’s been a delay). We are walking distance to the station but you’re ok if you’re on the west side of the station to park in Farnham Rd car park. I would not want to come in from the east of town, wouldn’t want to deal with the one way system every morning as the traffic can be dreadful. If I lived on the east side and not walking distance I’d try and be walking distance to London Rd Station and walk there before going in to come out again.

Leatherhead the trains were quieter, but obviously if you missed one or there were issues on the line you were waiting ages. We were right next to the station there which helped though.

I personally don’t mind the commute (I go in twice a week), would rather be able to walk or get the tube to work, but we can get plenty of house for our money. I consider it my ‘me time’ and work through books/box sets (or work, as I leave the office on the dot so I can get home to see the DC in the evening).

Look at Redhill or Oxted - lots of trains to London Bridge

What’s your current commute? I suspect it’s a lot quicker than than the commute from Surrey, esp if you don’t pick somewhere near a station.

I don't commute any more but when I did from a similar bit of Surrey with similar journey times I honestly found it so bloody draining. When the trains are working it's one thing, but when they're not it's a PIG because you can't get home. The South West network is so overloaded that it just takes one screw-up and you're standing on the Waterloo concourse for bloody hours at the end of a long day. This happens more than you might think.

If I ever had to commute again I'd want to be within reach of a home Tube station (even if it was a bus ride or whatever from my actual home) for when the trains are crocked -- which would mean looking at places within a bus ride of Kew, Richmond, Putney, South Wimbledon, Acton, Ealing, etc. Some of these might be within your budget?

The upside of your plan is that it's super-easy and quick to get to the City once at Waterloo, obvs. And Guildford is very nice, and you'd probably get more for your money.

Surbiton. 17 minutes on the fast train to Waterloo. 4 minutes on Waterloo and city line into Bank station.

Hm thanks all for responses so far. It’s going to be a compromise one way or another. Really want to be somewhere the countryside is more accessible and also nearer parents which means somewhere in that region. I’ll look at the other towns suggested, thanks.

Current commute is 45-60 min depending on buses / trains.

i think Kew etc will just be way out of reach financially.

I commute from Epsom to the city a few times per week. It's easy - straight 35 min train to Waterloo and either the W&C or I prefer to walk the 30 min over the millennium bridge.

food for thought thanks - are places like Epsom and Leatherhead kind of just suburbs or do they have much character / life on their own? They look more affordable than I’d maybe assumed. I’ll be moving for the long term so it’s a big decision but I do have time to research and visit options!

They are basically suburbs.
Epsom is better than Leatherhead, but neither have that bougie villagey London neighbourhood feel unfortunately. Reigate or Guildford would be closer to that but still lack a trendiness factor that most people relocating from London would miss.
that said none of them are unsafe or unpleasant environment, just a little dull and in the case of Leatherhead a little rundown.

Three times a week from Guildford/Dorking/Leatherhead is not too bad - especially if you do say Monday/Tuesday amd the Thursday. But you have to completely change your mindset about your journey. No more rocking up to your local Zone 2 tube/train and jumping on the next available train. But if you learn a different routine it is not so bad. I get lots of reading done, emails done on the way in, iPlayer catch up on the way home. Expect to factor in a much longer journey than you are used to just to get to the station . Last mile is the worse - either get a bike or expect to pay £10 per day to park. Dorking is great because you are at the start of the line (both Victoria and Waterloo) so always get a seat in the morning - makes a massive difference. But very slow trains that creep through South London suburbs. Guildford faster but reliant on SW trains. Leatherhead just not a nice town sadly. Epsom seems ok but a bit suburban London….Reigate you can pick up 30 min trains from Redhill into London Bridge but have to factor getting to Redhill in your journey time.

Guildford trains can really go up the creek, though. Well, all trains do these days.
on a good day, it’s easy, but very often it isn’t, cancellations and delays are regular.

Epsom is brilliant for commuting as you can get trains to /from Waterloo, London Bridge and Victoria and they are rarely ALL down at the same time! Town centre improving too.

Good call if you don’t mind standing up for that 17 mins…

Bit suburban, near Kingston though which can feel a bit more of a town in its own right.

thanks. I think I want to be somewhere that's a town in its own right, if I can, and ideally to the SW of London rather than too far E or N, due to parents, all of which were what brought me to Guildford.

@Cheepcheepcheep that's v useful re parking - I think a short drive to the station would make a huge difference rather than bus or walk. and v useful intel on traffic. Is parking always available? That might help with energy levels. Unreliable trains definitely a worry though.

Surbiton is out of op’s budget, anyhow.

@Justalondongirl I don’t drive often (as usually on my London days DH is WFH - only do it when we’re both in town) but I’ve never had any issues getting a space. For Guildford you’re looking Guildford Park, Cathedral, Onslow Village direction. If you’re looking for the centre of town that’s definitely walking territory as most parking is on-street and you’re not going to want to lose your spot to sit in traffic that would take as long as the walk!

Curveball if you’re up for driving; a family member lives in North Guildford and drives to Woking for the trains each day they commute. Not sure what the parking is like but the trains are quicker and more reliable as you have the Basingstoke line coming through as well.

Are there any other considerations for the move eg schools?

We live on one of the line sinto Guildford and trains are cancelled so often it feels like about 50% of all journeys are a nightmare. Just in the last two weeks we've had: no trains due to engineering works x 4, no trains due to a fire on the embankment x1, no trains due to passenger action x 1, no trains due to signal failure x 2. That's 8/14 days of massive delays or no trains at all.

@Cheepcheepcheep thats v v useful, and the Woking idea is definitely worth thinking about especially as it would avoid some of the unreliable train issues. N Guildford seems a little cheaper too.

Kids all grown up so no issues with schools. Want decent access to an airport (Gatwick or Heathrow) due to DP family.

Depends which train you get. I only have to stand on the 07.47. The ones either side I almost always get a seat.

No it’s not. There’s a 4 bed on Rickards Close for £900k. She could get a 7 bed on Tolworth Rise for that. Not the fashionable areas but serviceable for the station.

@Justalondongirl ah, fab. One of the big issues with Guildford is schools so if you’re not having to contend with that it opens up a lot of options.

If I wanted ‘access to Guildford for shops and meals out’ plus ‘living in a nice bit of town’, ‘countryside’, ‘airport’ and ‘commuting options’ without it being too much of a culture shock from London I’d consider something like this

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/89830893

Right by the downs, an easy 10m drive into Guildford for ‘life’, decent A3 access and if you want to commute via Woking it’s 20m drive (if the traffic plays ball) followed by a 25m train to Waterloo. Would allow 1h from the house to Waterloo and then 20m to Bank so probably 90m all in door to door. Or you could see how the Guildford commute went with parking - it’s probably six and half a dozen.

Loads of trains from Woking all the time, but you may have to stand. Large carpark but its a few minutes walk. Maybe live in Horsell just over the canal. Or try West Byfleet, the trains are usually slower and less frequent but probably easier to park. Lots of nice countryside around there especially heath and woodlands.

£900 will get you a 3 bedroom in north Kingston. I used to commute from Woking. Hated the journey and all the delays. If you stay in sw London if the trains go down, you can at least get tube line to say Richmond and then a bus or Forest bike home.

I agree that epsom has advantage of three different lines. Ewell (east or west) probably a bit nicer but then you are a little stuck of theres a problem on the line. The SW trains are particularly bad so the ewell east side is better if you do go that route, i feel. Other advantage is that at a push you can train to somewhere like raynes park and cab or tube to Morden and cab.

I agree woking is also a good call. Lots of fast trains which can be better than the slow trains that go from Guildford.

If you want Leatherhead, I would look at Ashtead first. Village not town, but a nice one and close to epsom, plus v easy to access m25.