Is it doable to live in a place that does not have public transport as you reach 60? If I cant drive medically I guess Im buggered! has this happened to anyone?

[Anotheremptynester]

I have found a beautiful house with a massive garden sitting in the country, in Sussex. I would be living 2 miles from a bus stop which is then a 35 min journey to a non main line station. Not all my children drive, and I keep worrying I might regret this. Have always lived near a main station to London. Plenty of non city people must be in the same situation, but has anyone found themselves stuck as they coudnt drive for medical reasons? or felt isolated?

Did the house in Surrey you posted about on the 5th August not work out for you then OP?

I wouldn’t OP, youll have a miserable time and may continue driving longer than is safe.

I have always lived rurally so it is just my normality. Nearest shop/garage is about 1.5 miles. No bus service to speak of ... once a week. Surgery is at least 30 mins drive down country lanes.
I have had several bits of surgery recently which stopped me driving, and I am widowed. During those periods I took taxis ... there is a good man locally... and friends and neighbours helped.
My future plans recognise that one day I might not be able to drive and I have budgeted to take taxis. I will have money from selling the car, savings on car tax, insurance, petrol etc and recognise that I will have to use my savings on this.
I have all my food delivered and shop online a lot. And there is a voluntary rural transport system that you can book.
There is no way I feel forced to consider moving into somewhere more built up. I take great joy in the fabulous vista from my windows, the lambs in the field behind my garden, the hills, the big skies, the lively social life in the village, the sense of community, the kind neighbours, the peace and quiet (the loudest noise us the cows farting) ... I would not part with any of it.
You could have several decades of this joy ahead of you, and even if driving went out the window you could make the same plans as I have, as above.
Just go for it!!!

I live rurally, one bus an hour, nearly an hour to get into town. I do drive but lots of older ppl here don’t. We have good delivery services, prescription delivery, taxis not a problem, small shop/post office. Lots going on if you are sociable, places suitable for retired life without a car are available but I agree you need to do much research.

I have never lived in a place without neighbours or a bus route with daily buses. Do not drive, and live in a well connected small quiet but active town. Do not plan to drive and having no neighbouring properties is a bit odd to me....however if it is Devon, I would think twice

This is a really bad idea for daily life and people will find it hard to visit you, but a lot of people have said that already.
So just to add: what if you wanted or needed to see other people or travel? If you’re nowhere near a coach or train station then that’s closed off to you as well.

TBF OP is 60, not 80. But depends on whether you have another move in you OP.

No chance would i do this at all

I took the advice of mumsnet! the whole 5 acre thing was nuts. So have found another place, with a smaller garden, but that it the lack of public transport issue is still a thing, which looking at this thread still seems to also be nuts! but I cant correct the original post, which should read 'if/when' I cant drive! I can drive now, am not that crazy!

what a lovely story. thank you.

OP, I agree with all the PP who say think again! I've recently downsized and moved to Devon, and would have loved to live in Sidmouth (I rented there for a year) but there was no station, no hospital, the bus service to Exeter was pretty poor, the distance to the M5 (I am still driving) was tedious, Sidmouth is SERIOUSLY hilly, etc. So I was sensible and future proofing and didn't.

Also, @Arlanymor said "unfortunately their little village shop closed two years ago". That's the other thing. Where I lived before, our little village shop closed when energy prices shot up. All the properly old people in the village were hugely affected by the loss. Plus our bus services slowly got cut, combined, etc. Relying on a bare minimum support system is a big risk IMO.

Good luck.

It happens to lots of people and it is very difficult. It sounds idyllic for retirement but practically, it’s difficult in old age.

I have been advised to rent first too. Were you glad you did? did you find a house easily enough in the end?

Absolutely rent first. As a grey-haired older single lady with no pets, IME experience landlords will be v. keen. .

Plus yes, I rented for 6 months where I live now, liked it so much I tried to buy the house but they refused. Which is when I tried Sidmouth for a year. I then started trying to buy, but it took a while (Devon's popular) plus I had an inherited house to sell in Oxfordshire. But I'm here now, about 3 mins walk from where I first rented.

My garden, however, is 9' x 12' so might not suit you. 😋

We have just relocated to a town after living rurally (2.5 miles from the nearest amenities and no public transport) for 20 years to be on a bus route should we require it. We loved living in the country but children leaving home, a change of working life and a view to older age meant it was no longer viable.

This is me and DH. (Almost 60!) Tiny rural village. No public transport, closest (small market) town is 4 miles away, closest train station is 18 miles, closest A road is 2.5 miles. On the few occasions our car has let us down - about 6 separate times in 12-13 years, we have been stuffed. 😬Had to wait for the mechanic to fix it. Before we could go anywhere... Even work. (I WFH thankfully. But DH works 13-14 miles away. NO way to get there.) Only happened about 6 times in 12-13 years though!

However, people I know who have - and use public transport - especially trains - are let down by them a minimum of 6 times a year! Most years it will be much more - like 20 times ... or more ... And many places, especially hospitals are not accessible from certain places - like suburbs in towns, and market towns, and villages with public transport.

We used to live in the suburbs of a big town, in the far south of it, and the hospital was 12 miles north, at the north end of the town. We still needed a car to get to and from the hospital, as it was untenable to go by bus. Was 3 changes, and took 2 hours, and you couldn't get back after about 6.30pm. So we have pretty much always needed a car. In town, village, and suburb.

I would not like to be in a position where DH - and I cannot drive/have no car ...No matter where we are. I think we would have to move to the market town 4 miles away. So at least we would be near shops, dentist, GP, etc... Even so though, there would still be times when we need a car - eg to go to hospital, or the airport, or to see family. (And for most places outside the town really.)

TBF, I'd be careful about that.

I was kickstarted into moving and downsizing when I was 60, and I'm now settled and 66. When I started I was energetic, thought nothing about hurtling up and down the M4/M5 between inherited house/Devon rental and then, around 64, my energy levels fell off a cliff. I believe we age in bursts, or at least I certainly did.

Certainly they're taking me out of this house in a box. 🙏

We are somewhat in this position, have lived for twenty years in a nice rural village with lovely views and we've been very happy here. We have a good shop opposite our house and get most groceries/goods delivered.

However, now DH has had a stroke and I have cancer. We have a LOT of medical appoinments - routine, and emergencies - two nights ago I had to get my daughter (lives close and willingly helps but has a new baby) to take me down to the nearest big-town cancer ward, and that happens not infrequently. I had to take an Uber back in the early hours. It's the medical stuff which is problematic, almost everything else can be done online nowadays.

We are relying more and more on Uber, the app makes things very easy. To be honest, even if we had hourly public transport, mostly we're not well enough to take it at the times we really need it. Our local taxi firms are pretty useless and never seem to be available or even to answer the phone but Uber are reliable, the drivers are friendly and kind, and they are cheap.