Tips for commuting into Central London please

[Pendulum]

I'm about to start doing this for a new job. Commute involves 15 minute walk to station, mainline train and underground.

Up to now I have done the trip every now and again (although not to this specific location), but I have never had to endure it day in day out.

So seasoned commuters, what would you say are your top tips for making this type of journey bearable?

A Kindle. And (although I don't commute any more), I would say it's surprising how quickly you get used to it - and also a regular commute is easier than a one off journey as you know which tube carriage to get on, where the seats are likely to be on the train etc, and are confident about timings etc, don't waste time turning up at the station 10 mins early etc.

oh thanks dotty2 for the positivity, I hadn't thought of it like that before (only 'how will I survive this')

I am looking forward to the reading though, for the last 10 years I have been in charge of nursery/ school drop offs so commuting in the car. Am planning my reading list with glee!

Small rucksack with 'emergency kit' - bottle of water, something to nibble (chocolate) and a good book. Big cases or handbags are a pain, you end up crashing into peoples knees and bags can get lifted easily.

also shin pads and pointy elbows.

Music - definitely. Blocks everything else out and when you're stuck on a tube with your face rammed into someone else's armpit, you can close your eyes and focus on the music, dreaming that you are elsewhere.

I wfh now and I miss my old commute into London for reading. My kindle is getting dusty! :(

Flat shoes or wear trainers and leave heels in your desk drawer to change into.
Be aware of potential pickpockets eg no wallet in an outside pocket
Think ahead to the Olympics and if your journey will be disrupted this summer.
Enjoy it! I loved having time to read without children crying mummeeee all the time!

Music, kindle and don't look at your watch too often if the train is running late. Yes, it is a great way to do loads of reading.

These are great, please keep them coming!

Is there any way to check my specific route for Olympic disruption?

Always have a bottle of water for the odd occasion when you're stuck in a tunnel and definitely trainers and leave the heels at work, but other than that it really isn't too bad. I considered it useful me time and a good barrier between home and work - the walk home from the station especially meant that the stresses for the day were gone by the time I had to deal with family stresses

I miss the reading time and the after work nap (amazing how quickly your body get used the where your stop is and you wake up automatically)

Dark coloured coat - public transport is filthy and expensive. You'll have no spare cash for dry cleaning bills.

On especially crowded days invest in audio books (currently working my way through Game of Thrones)

Get to know the people who routinely get on the same train as you. There's a woman who gets on my morning train with her 2 year old son, I've passed many a happy commute reading The Hungary Caterpillar to an appreciative audience.

This site should help with planning your journey.

Depending on how far the tube section is, consider investing in a Boris Bike key. Especially useful for sunny days and strike days.

Is there any way you can avoid the underground bit - possibly walking from the train terminus? I found journeys with a change were a lot more tiring and stressful than longer journeys with only one train (so walking to Covent Garden / Holborn from Waterloo was much better than getting the tube)

You can sign up for Twitter alerts for the various tube lines and your train company. Also tfl.gov.uk should have engineering work and Olympics info.

Also try slightly different times to see if one is better - from my station the 8.28 is hell on earth as it's hugely overcrowded and invariably late (ditto 7.58), but the 8.17 and 8.10 are remarkably civilised in comparison and I can always get a seat.

Carrying water, snacks and earplugs helps. Flat shoes. Rucksack or similar rather than smart handbag, so you can put it between your feet if you have to stand.

YY to knowing how to walk the tube route if need be (and feasible). My tube journey was from Kings X to Liverpool St. I wouldn't choose to walk, especially as my office was 10 mins the other side of Liverpool St. But it only took 45- 50 mins altogether if I needed to and was infinitely less stressful than jamming onto buses when the tube was up the spout.

A friend told me that they worked with someone who got the tube from Kings X to Russell Sq every day for months until there was a strike when they were amazed to discover it was a 10 minute walk.

Work out a back up option for your commute - ie, if your tube station is shut during the Olympic mayhem etc then work out if you can walk, buses

As it's a regular commute you will get into a routine of knowing the best carriage for the quickest exit.

I've got my London commute down to a fine art now, and I've got a bit OCD-ish about getting the right carriage. I don't have a kindle, but iPhone is good for mumsnet on the train journey!!

Iv also factored in, time to pick up lunch before work - have a shorter lunch as I'm on compressed hours and I'm not spending my 30min lunch break queuing for a salad! And also picking up milk or whatever on the way home.

Fingers crossed you have a swift commute!

@Pendulum

These are great, please keep them coming!

Is there any way to check my specific route for Olympic disruption?

Ooh I know I know. GAOTG get ahead of the games!
Good luck with it all and yes, relish the journey time rather than dread it.
(realise this is easy to say when I work from home mostly )

I second audiobooks, or try podcasts for days when it's really packed.

Be prepared for wet days, leave early as they are way busier. Look into buses as well, they can sometimes be worth a slightly longer trip for getting a seat all the way and fewer changes.

I just close my eyes and practice deep yoga breathing to myself when delayed/especially busy. I routinely do about 10 mins on the train on the way home to shake off work stress.

Also, as I have a 5 month old and still need some help in this area, pelvic floor exercises whilst on the tube. You do need to be confident you can do them without pulling a funny face though or you'll give the game away My pelvic floor will have been refound between kings cross and paddington.

what about learning a language? i know people who rosetta-stone their commute away.

See if you can avoid the tube as said above. Interchanges onto tube can be appalling. See if there are overground routes that take you close enough for a walk.

Subscribe to lots of podcasts. I've become fascinated by economics and business by subscribing to 'The Bottom Line', 'The Economist', 'More or Less' and social sciences - 'Thinking Allowed', none of which have anything to do with my day job.

See if you can work from home or come in off-peak (picking up emails from home so you're showing your presence) at least once a week. The difference that can make to stress levels can be massive.

Yep, see if you can avoid the tube(unless its a very straightforward journey. Often buses are easier.

Even if you do decide on the tube, learn the bus route for really hot days or when there are delays

Thanks all,
The site you linked to is great slug but apparently I will be in the thick of the tube disruption during the Games.

Is there a site I can use to help me plan a bus route?

Ah Ok got it, TFL.

I'm on mat leave with DS2 and the one thing I am missing from my working life is the commute. Admittedly, I only work in the office two days a week but its still quite a major commute as its 1hr45 each way (drive/mainline/tube). I get to read, daydream, stare blankly out of the window... utter bliss! On a Friday, for the mainline journey home (45 mins) I occasionally treat myself to one of those mini bottles of wine :-)
On a more practical level:

• the walk - you'll need flat shoes, a good coat & a brolly. Walk as quickly as you can & treat it as part of your exercise programme;
• mainline - as another poster said, some trains will be much busier than others depending on where the originate from, exact arrival time etc. Play around with these. For me, the 7.55 is hideous and I'd never get a seat whereas the 8.03 (which only gets in 10 mins later) is fine and I can easily get a seat. I also discovered that if I get the 7.28, I get to work an hour earlier than if I get the 8.03 despite the train only being 35 mins earlier. Set your phone up so you get updates if there are delays or other problems. If your line is down for any reason, is there is another way you can get to work?
• tube - this will be the miserable bit but you'll soon be doing it on auto-pilot & not notice. Again, try different carriages - does it really matter if you are in the carriage closest to the exit if it means you're always going to be under someone's armpit whereas you could be three carriages further down and have some space? Also, try different routes if there are options. My commute was Marylebone to Bank which was pretty miserable (Bakerloo & Central) but I realised that Marylebone to Cannon St (Bakerloo & Circle/District) was much more pleasant and only involves an extra 5 min walk when I get to work. Bear in mind that everyone sitting down will be listening to music and/or reading & won't look up. When I was pregnant, I found that when I asked for a seat, the person immediately jumped up. They weren't intentionally being bad mannered, they just hadn't noticed. So, if you need a seat ask!

Flat shoes/trainers; coat that's easy to get on/off in a confined space as you get hot easily; decide if you want to be quickest off the train/tube or don't cate - a lot of people go for the carriage which will get them to the exit quickest so there tend to be busier carriages especially on the trains; double check you actually need the tube, for example Victoria to St James park tube stations is a nice quick walk; check buses/boris bike options instead of tube.

Focus on your commuting zen - if you look there will be twitchy business men making life more stressful for themselves by stopping just inside the door of the train/sitting on the outside seat so people have to ask to get in to the window seat/ tutting. Try to be the opposite, go to the centre of the carriage - the train won't leave before you get off. Try to be overly calm it really helps. Try sitting without iPod/book now and again it can help you feel less stressed.

Don't worry if you sweat loads for the first week (s) your body soon adapts to commuting so you won't always arrive at work hot and bothered.

Get a copy of stylist - handed out outside stations on a Tuesday. I think it's a decent read (grazia-esqus)

This is all brilliant. Thanks so much. Am now picturing myself in a zen bubble with a Kindle - which I now just have to buy - and a mini bottle of wine. Sounds like a holiday

A couple of things I forgot. Wear layers - you may be freezing waiting for the mainline train at an outside station on a winters morning but you will still be boiling on the tube so will need to be able to take off your coat, hat, gloves easily. And have something to put them in. If the thing you're putting them is a rucksack (which, with a 15 min walk, is the most practical option) don't wear your rucksack on your back on the train but put it by your feet. Otherwise, I, for one, will sigh & tut! And if you have an umbrella (which you will) don't hold it in a manner on the train or tube which means it drips on me as there will be more sighing & tutting from me! Have one of those fold flat canvassy forever carrier bag things which you can get at the till in supermarkets as they're sturdy enough & comfy enough to carry on your walk on the day you need to bring extra stuff home from the office or have picked up some groceries or something.