Commuting to canary wharf

[Aja2015]

Hi, due to go back to work in April, we're leaving London to most likely move to amersham/great missenden area- the issue is I work in Canary Wharf and slightly terrified at the idea of big commute,returning to work, first baby in nursery....any advice/experience from similar mums out there? Thanks!

Have you got your childcare sorted? Or have an idea of what you will do? I start there and work backwards re journey time.

Can you share the childcare.drop & collect with your DP? I think this has been fundermental to me be being able to work. I think it also sets up good habits about equal care of DC inc days off to cover DC sick days.

We lived in a village on that train line before, and DH was commuting to Canary Wharf. Personally we would never do it again as the commute was a killer, it was just that little bit too long. We had previously lived on the Hemel Hempstead line which was a little bit better. But if we ever go back to working in CW again, we are thinking we will live in coastal Essex or Kent next time - it's the long tube bit from Euston/Marylebone which was the absolute killer so next time we plan on a more simple train ride into Stratford and then a very quick DLR or tube to CW.

I live in Twickenham and commute to canary wharf 3 days a week. My commute is the worst part of my week, every week.

It depends what hours you are going to do. When I first went back to work, I went in early and left early and it was mostly bearable except for shitty south West trains breaking down once a month or so.

Now I work 8.30-5 and am travelling at rush hour and it's just hideous. All the pushing and shoving and late/cancelled trains. The jubilee line is overcrowded at best and I regularly have to wait for 3 or 4 trains to go by before getting on.

It makes it very stressful if you have to be back for nursery pick up times. We have a nanny now and she's much more flexible so I don't get so stressed about train delays.

I'd think very carefully before moving to far away, my commute is an hour door to door which is more or less the max I could do and still make childcare work. My dh waits in for the nanny, I leave before she arrives so he does the mornings and I do the evenings.

Oh and check nursery costs and opening hours before you move. We didn't and had a nasty surprise. All our local nurseries open 8-6pm which means with a hour commute one of you can only get to work just after 9 and one of you needs to leave no later than 5. It really put the pressure on with working hours, some areas have nurseries that open 7.30-6.30 or even longer.

Our fees for one baby in full time were £1600 a month which dropped when she was two and again when she was three.

Thanks everyone. Really appreciate your top tips and info

Seems no realpositive experiences about travel....at present we have a place at a nursery with 7.30-7 opening times and the only way I can see it working is my husband does morning routine with baby and I go in extra early - then leaving at 5 to do the collection/evenings.

It breaks my heart to think baby will be at nursery for potentially that long. does anyone have rough estimates on nanny costs in the area? I'm moving from Parsons Green which was already an hour commute thanks to district line fun and games...

I'm about also to start discussions with work re working from home one day per week, one day from other offices a week so ideally just the drag to CW 3x a week as core agreement but who knows....

I think you could expect to pay £25/£30k gross for a nanny in the SE. They can be cheaper if they have their own child which could work as you only have 1.

Will you always be Canary Wharf based or could you move jobs? What is your DP's commute like?

There is a chain of nurseries in CW but travelling in with a child is no easier.

Good luck with asking for flex.

I regularly commute from that area to CW and its OK.

From Amersham, you can take the Met line to Finchley Road, walk across the platform to the Jubilee line, which takes you to Canary Wharf. Takes maybe an hour and 10 to an hour and and 15 min. The key thing will be your distance from the station.

I was in Missenden for a while and a huge advantage was that I was walking distance to the station. The commute from Missenden to CW is Chiltern line to Marylebone, walk across to Baker St (or get the Bakerloo line) and Jubilee line to CW. It is more fiddly, because of coming into Marylebone, but no slower than travelling from Amersham , because the Chiltern line is fast

Thank you! That's great to hear

Now just the right nursery!!!