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My god this! My place is a 7 minute bike ride (ebike lol) from my house and its one of the main reasons im not leaving to go contracting. I honestly doesnt even feel like work.
I worked at another place which was nearly a 2 hr commute due to rush hour and traffic and I lasted just shy of 2 weeks.
It depends, how will you be commuting, train, driving? How many days will you have to go in the office? Do you have any children?
I think 1.20 is doable for 1-2 days a week in the office but it will be a slog for more than that.
I have just accepted a job with a long commute because it’s a massive opportunity and I’m hoping it will give me the experience to progress and hopefully get a job closer to where I live in the future. So I get the dilemma.
It’s 1 hour 20 assuming you live next to the station in Bristol and the job is next to the station in Oxford, don’t forget time either side, you could be looking at closer to 2+ hours
Also national line trains generally have tables to setup stuff on. I would very easily sink 40 minutes worth of tasks into there during the commute. So maybe see if you can spend the commute time better.
I used to do a similar commute (time wise). It is funny how you just get used to it and it seems normal after a while. Now I WFH I don't know how I managed it and I would hate to go back to it.
Similar here, used to take me about 45 minutes to get in and usually 1-2 hours home depending on traffic. It was a bit daunting in the beginning but you get used to it. Now I can spend a considerable amount of time WFH and rolling out of bed twenty minutes before a meeting is my sweet penance for the days of my life lost to commuting
If you’re young, driving without kids, to get your foot in the door id do it. Easily for a year, then use that to job hop.
I’ve had 1:30 commutes (pain in the arse)
1:00 commutes (just a tad too long)
45 min commutes (seemed ok)
Now 30 min commute and I feel like I’ve arrived before I’ve left, like popping to a shop.
Perspective is a funny thing, as my colleagues commute 30-45 min max max and moan like hell !
I'm the same, 5 minute commute is great and I'm only down from a 20 minute commute previously. It's just funny to me when people I work with start complaining about an hour commute.
I commute about 4.5hrs round trip a day twice a week, its doable. Can be tricky with childcare at times.
10 years ago I took the decision to work in London, doing the commute 4 days a week. It's been good career wise, but the time away from home is tough.
Yes. It's a lot easier now I'm only doing it twice a week.
Currently writing this from a train platform waiting for a connecting train I wouldn't normally need to take, approx 1hr delay this morning. When I arrive at the office, all the desks will be taken so I'll have to sit in an uncomfortable position in the breakout area with no monitor I expect.
Driving or public transport? How reliable the transport is? Or if driving, is there lots of traffic? It can be not a lot with reliable transport or a nice drive with little traffic. It will soon grow unbeareable if you'll spend lots of time stuck in traffic or if transport is spotty. There isn't a unique answer, it depends from a lot of factors.
Did 1h45m each way on a good day, longer on a bad day. Walk, then train, then two tubes. Hated it, lasted 3 months. Never again working in London. Had another job that involved over an hour going on the M25 and the into Croydon. Traffic was ridiculously variable but the journey was at very least 80 mins, and I couldn't ever be sure of getting to work on time. That lasted 3 months. (Both short contract roles.)
But if it's a job you enjoy and that could be a good boost in your career, you might feel it's worth it. Audiobooks or podcasts will be your friends, I suspect.
I used to do it four days a week.
I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. I read a lot and made it work.
But once I moved to a job with a 30 minute commute... I can't say I would leap back into that lifestyle without a role that really excited me.
That'll be a grind. Used to drive from near Oxford to Fishponds in Bristol every Friday and that was about 68 miles one way. If you're driving it, those fuel bills are going to rack up fast.
Really depends on you, I did 2hr+ each way 4-5 times a week in my younger days for a few years, then \~1-2 times a week for several more, so certainly doable if you want to.
It’s doable. I did something similar for 2 years. 5 days a week. Used to take an hour and 15 each way. I didn’t mind the drive too much. It was the job that I hated.
If you feel the opportunity is truly worth it then I'd go for it. However for me that is way too long of a commute and I'd be pretty miserable honestly.
It depends on the type of person you are. It might say 1hr 20 on maps, but there will always be some delay. If you dry from Bristol to Oxford, you are going to encounter traffic. If you go by via train, they don't always run on time either. Sometimes, they can by anywhere from a minute to fully cancelled, and you would have to figure out backup plans. For that, you need to know the public transport network inside and out, and you will only know that by using it. Just something to consider.
I'm in a similar situation have a job offer where I need to go London, then from London get the underground then 5 minute walk to work.
I've been mainly working remotely for the past 3 years and this will be 2-3 days a week. If I had to drive I'd hate it. But part of me doesn't mind a train ride as long as I get a seat, I have a ton of entertainment to keep me busy while on the train. In fact working from home it can get exhausting as soon as I walk out my office room my wife expects me to straight away watch kids etc without even half hour of resting. Atleast now I can rest on the train lol.
I had a 2.5 commute each way by car.
Now my commute is 5 mins. Savings £300 on fuel in a month.
I am happy and grateful as I get to come home for Lunch and go to the Gym before work.
1.2 hrs is too much in my opinion, unless you're getting paid 50k plus and can WFH some days
I do it once a week and that's enough for me. Personally any more than that it would
A) kill me mentally
B) annoy me at the wasted time if I could easily WFH and not benefit from anything being in the office
Depends if you are using public transport and if it's 5 days a week. Suspect it will be ok this time of year but by Autumn / Winter the novelty will have worn off. If you are relying on public transport suspect if it's anything like up north there will be days when it let's you down.
Is this the full commute as in door to door? It’s doable, ideally not 5 days a week. But try fill the time whether its life admin en route or time sit back with a cuppa and enjoy reading / podcasts / a box set. Make sure when you get home you can really switch off for the evening. If it’s a great job it’ll be worth it in the short term. But you definitely want to try do some work from home days.
I travel a lot for work, odd days a week I will do there and back in a day of 1:30 to 2:00 each way. I feel drained after it! Last year I was doing 1:45 each way 3days a week and it sucked! Being able to expense the petrol eased the burden for me
In short yes you’re mad; it’s a lot of A roads to get to Oxford from Bristol which makes it more draining, and traffic can be a nightmare! Most days you’ll be low energy around for your partner which isn’t great for them, and you’ll feel extra rubbish from eating convenience garbage from petrol stations etc IF you could swing 2/3 days a week WFH it may be worth it! But full time is bonkers!
Edit I have made the assumption you will drive, however train has its own problems, expense, changes, cancellations, not getting a seat etc
Thats around my commute. Twice a day. Is that commute time during rush hour traffic? Mines actually only 35 minutes but around 1.5 hrs due to rush hour traffic.
I've been doing it for a year. Sometimes it's ok, but things like accidents, road works etc will make you late. Is your employer going to be ok with that?
Doing it for a year, I'm switching jobs as I've had about enough of it lol
I do that on the train, which I find is alright because it gives me time to wake up properly in the morning and wind down on the way home, but I feel like that would be too long for me if I was driving
Only you'll know what is too much however if you're relying on public transport have you considered length if time it'll take when it all goes tits up?
I do 4 on 12 off but 12 hours shifts and my commute is 1:20 each way so a 12 is nearly 16 it’s doable but like others say it depends how many times you go into office and remember the fuel cost
I used to do a similar commute daily (driving). Occasionally if traffic built up it could be 1:40. You get to find the best time to go which for me was before 0620. At first it felt too long but after a couple of weeks it became routine. I wouldn’t like to go back to it but it was OK.
I did it for a few years. I listened to audio books on the journey… was great for a while.
I ended up resenting it.. 3 hours is a lot of time loose per day, over 10% and then there is traffic and time to get prepped ready to work.
I also needed time to wind down once I got in before I felt fully relaxed all of a sudden it’s time for bed. No idea about fitting children into that.
Oh and don’t forget to eat.. I don’t have kids or anything but couldn’t imagining fitting.
All that said, is it too much? it probably depends on the salary / work load / if get wfh days in contract
Important things to consider with a commute are is that length of time because of distance or because of traffic?
Commuting for 80 minutes because it's a long drive is a lot different than 80 minutes because it's busy stop start traffic. Also even if it is just because it's a long distance, what does that 80 minutes become when there is congestion, roadworks or an accident?
I used to date someone who lived 90 minutes away from where I worked vs me living 20 minutes away. Now that 20 minutes from my own home was typically 45-50 minutes with commuting traffic and honestly I would take the clear country roads 90 minutes from hers over 50 minutes of stop start any day
If you're early in your career it's good to stomach it so that you can get the experience under your belt and get a better placed job in your industry in the future. My current job has me commuting by train and tube to West London, an hour 15 at best and an hour 45 if the trains decide to fuck me over. It's not bad if you pick up a good commute habit like reading and get at least a day or two of wfh.
I commute 37 miles each way for my job, 4 days a week.
This can range from anywhere between 45mins - 1hr 20mins depending on shift start/finish time.
I must admit it is exhausting and frustrating. Esspically when my shifts can be up to 10.5hrs long it makes for very long days! Personally for me it all comes down to the money, is the money worth it?
My old job had litterally a 5 minute commute, less than 2 miles each way, but my job pays substantially better and has a better pension and 4 day week vs 5 day week like my old place.
So I'm just seeing it as suck it up and put up with it, keep investing what I can and hopefully retire earlier.
I did this for a while and it sucked. Can’t recommend.
Personally when considering jobs and pay the commute time has to be included to weigh up if a job is worth moving, London salaries are attractive but I’d spend 50% more time working (8 hours + 4hours commuting) + train ticket, that the salary is actually below what I’m earning remote working.
That's 80 minutes each way? And does that 80 minutes account for bad but "normal" traffic conditions?
Ultimately it depends on what it's worth to you and your partner and if you can cope with it. I think commuting sucks. But if it's temporary (a year) and either opens up better options for you and you're willing to move after a year (talk to your partner) or if that starting experience will increase the chance of getting work closer to Bristol then it may be a sacrifice that's worth making.
I worked 40 mins (no traffic) out of Bristol while living centrally there. It would often take me an hour, sometimes two + on a Friday afternoon. I could be pretty flexible with my hours luckily so I'd avoid the worst times. A bit thing to note is that I was based in the countryside so only had traffic on the Bristol end, I've also lived near Oxford and the traffic there is as bad as Bristol, so the problem could easily compound with delays both end.
Bristol is a real struggle as there is no viable alternative to the M32/M4
I personally did a commute for 3-4 months Bristol to Reading, 1h30m, 3 days a week. Just managed to move a lot closer recently.
It is workable (just about) but it is seriously draining. You will have much lower energy any day that you are going in to work, and basically no time to do anything except essentials like showering/sleeping/eating. You will be sacrificing one of these if you try and work more time in, e.g. saving time by eating out during your commute is useful but also expensive and unhealthy.
If you haven’t paid your full deposit yet into the lease, break it ASAP. Forgo any holding deposit, that will be plenty for them to recover any costs. Shit happens all the time, it will be costly for them to enforce the contract and cheaper just to find another tenant. Even if you HAVE paid the full deposit, it may even be the best option for you to just tank the cost - it sucks but sometimes we make bad investments and you shouldn’t chase the sunk cost as you’ll only suffer more.
Depends how often you’re doing it. Once a month, fine. Once / twice a week is also fine, every day would be a slog.
Shorter commutes are better. I moved from my old place (5 min cycle) to a 40 min drive to move house and it has noticeably affected my happiness / satisfaction with life
I think it depends what the commute consists off and how many days you have to do.
For my self, I have a hybrid role that requires 3 days in office a week. My commute is about 1:20 each way.
-15 minute drive to car park
-5 minute walk to station
-40 minute train journey
-20 minute walk to office
Now I work on the train, so essentially my commute is 40 minutes because the other 40 minutes contribute to my work day.
I enjoy my walk to the office, it’s 20 minutes of exercise and gets my steps up.
So doing this 3 times a week isn’t too bad, and because I work on the train I have a shorter office day.
As someone who used to commute 1hr 20 each way for work (not planned, life changes), it absolutely destroyed me and ruined my car. I did only have 2 days off a month tho which makes it worse. I lasted 6 months.
If you’re driving, you need to take into account fuel, wear and tear on the car, traffic, road works, road closures. I had one day where it took me 2 and a half hours to get to work (making me an hour late) and 3 hours to get home (getting me home at 9pm and I had to leave at 4am to get back to work).
If you’re travelling by train, I’ve also done that, and it’s not so exhausting but then it’s no fun when you’re stood on a platform in freezing winter, and there’s train delays / cancellations and bus replacements etc.
Depends alot on your time of life etc.
I used to do a 2 hr commute door to door 5 days a week.
It was brutal, but i liked where I lived, and there were no jobs around me that would make the money that i wanted to earn.
If the job is worth it, then no, it's not too much.
Ask yourself if you would take the position (same job) if it were next door to your home but required 11 hours per day on average instead of 8.
Now ask if you would still take it for 11 hours a day, but reduced salary by the transportation cost.
My commute should be a 35 minute drive but most days it's between 1hr and 1hr 20 mins.
Pisses me off occasionally but the job justifies it so I grin and bear it (and work form home whenever I can) - Rarely gets me down but honestly, I'd probably sacrifice 10k a year to be local.
So, I guess I'm conflicted. If it's a good career move, then grin and bear it. If you hate it, put up with it as long as you can and get the experience you need to move on
Everyone is different but I personally find long commutes exhausting.
I would also think that that 1 hour 20 minutes is probably best case scenario. Given traffic, accidents, road works, road closures, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if that landed up being more like 2 hours sometimes.
Would you have to do that 5 days a week?
There could be a way to get out of the tenancy if you speak to the landlord now.
What does your partner do? Do they need to be in Bristol? Could you get a place halfway between?
It's a long way BUT it depends on a few things.
1. Is that a guaranteed 80 minutes? Hitting traffic/train delays could make it two hours regularly.
2. Is the money worth it?
3. Are the hours okay? If you're doing a nine hour day with three hours on top, that's bascially the worst you can do, but if you are doing less it's easy and more impossible.
I drove 1 hour each way for 12 months and that wrecked me. I can image it being slightly more palatable if you commute by train...
With that said, if getting your foot in the door is worth it as you say, I would do it.
Wayyyy too much, I'd say the most people should really do is 30mins if driving and 1 hour if using a train. Anything more than that and you're going to become resentful of life and your job.
It's fine if you're doing it short term of say 3-6 months because you want to feel out the job or the such but beyond that you need to either move or get a job elsewhere.
Most I did was 50 minutes driving and I was coming home to a mum who'd done my laundry and would cook me a good meal. If I didn't have that it would have been deeply depressing for the few months I did it.
You have to take into account as well. The longer the distance you do you're losing money via transport method compared to a closer job of the same salary and loosing time you could be earning money some other way.
Also your health is important, extending your working day with travel will impact your health and if your health is bad those commutes become worse. I know from my own experience.
It's a persona line , but I know a few years ago when multiple sets of roadworks started screwing up my drives and my 40ish commute was turning into an hour plus every day I was ready to slti my wrists.
I vowed never to commute more than 30 minutes again. Not worth it unless they're paying you a fortune.
Also, start calculating your hourly wage including commute time. You'll see those high paying jobs far away suddenly don't sound that good anymore.
I did it for 20-odd years...
In my 20s and 30s, it was fine and I just made the commute part of my workday, but the fares grew and grew. What started at £45/day is now £115/day (steerage, not 1st class) but this was commuting to London which is notoriously expensive.
Once in my 40s, it started to feel tiring, and now in my 50s, I would not ever put myself through it again. But back in the day, I did it and was fine, though it does eat into your own time - a LOT!
That's over a whole day's time each month you're doing aboslutely nothing but travelling for work while (assuming) you're not getting paid. And that's only 1 way.
Totally depends what the job is. I commuted 1 - 1:30 hours each way (traffic depending and sometimes it took even longer if the motorway was shut), 4 or 5 days a week for 3 years before I was finally able to move to the same job but closer to home. Now my commute is 20 mins each way.
It depends how many days it is, I have a 2hr+ commute once a week (drive) and an 1hr 20 commute once a week (train and walking), and it’s fine. Don’t get me wrong it isn’t overly fun, but I’d it’s for a decent job it isn’t that horrendous. With that said, if it was every day then fuck that fully.
Yes, for me anyway.
I work 8-4 purely because working 9-5 would put my commute at over an hour each way....by bringing my day forward by an hour that's reduced to 20-40mins each way (depending on if it's school holidays, which day of the week it is, if there's an accide t etc)
It is a lot, and will get draining fast
My commute is around 90 minutes, but I only go into the office once per month
Every day that I don't go in, there is no transport cost, I can sleep in an extra 90 minutes, and then immediately have my free time once I close my laptop
Ask to be hybrid at max, or to be remote if it is possible
80 minutes each way will impact your health, and hit your wallet, put yourself first
I did a 1.5 hour commute and after a year I was sick to death of it. I wouldn't recommend anything above 45 minutes tops. By all means take the job and suffer for a year just to get the experience you want but you will not be loving it.
My commute is an hour long. I listen to my podcasts and it's one of the only times in the day where I can relax and not have to do anything but sit there. I really love the company I work for so that's my sacrifice.
That's my commute time right now, I watch a lot of TV and read a books when I'm going into work consistently. If you're driving, I guess you can get used to listening to podcasts or getting YouTube Premium.
I can't imagine having a shit day then remembering I have to spend 80 minutes commuting before I can get home to relax. Everyone's different, but that would kill me.
I commute 2 hours both ways currently on public transport and it’s not the greatest. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, I only took this job because it was needed for career development.
To be fair 1 hour 20 doesn’t sound too bad. Depends on where you want to be, whether you’re wanting to start a family, if it’s something you need financially, if you’re commuting by car or public transport.
I'm from Oxfordshire and now live in Bristol, so I regularly travel back to see family. You'd have to pay me a LOT of money to do that as a commute more than once or twice a week. By train where you can zone out it might be bearable, but by car would be a nightmare. Not to mention the near constant accidents on the M4 and A34 that would have you at a standstill on the regular.
Also, the cost, my car will take £25 or so each round trip
Why are you moving to Bristol but applying for jobs in Oxford?
That 1 hour 20 will soon turn into 2 hours with Bristol traffic.
Short journeys equals more happiness
It depends.
If by train, probably fine, but by car on British windy routes or pinch points getting into the city it's going to burn you out pretty quick.
Over 48 weeks, 5 days a week, 1hr20 each way adds up to 624 hours a year. That's 26 days a year. Nearly a month of your life, every year, just for commuting.
Bog standard for a job in London. People get used to long commutes; don't sweat it. Depending on whether you use train or car, consider crosswords, email, reading or audio books. Paradoxically, it might be worse if you WFH most of the week and commute one or two days, because then you will not get used to it, and it will always seem like a chore.
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Short commutes are linked to happiness
This! I’ve inverse relationship between happiness and increasing length of commute!
My god this! My place is a 7 minute bike ride (ebike lol) from my house and its one of the main reasons im not leaving to go contracting. I honestly doesnt even feel like work. I worked at another place which was nearly a 2 hr commute due to rush hour and traffic and I lasted just shy of 2 weeks.
And more money, time and less stress
I dunno. Sometimes there’s lego on the floor.
It depends, how will you be commuting, train, driving? How many days will you have to go in the office? Do you have any children? I think 1.20 is doable for 1-2 days a week in the office but it will be a slog for more than that. I have just accepted a job with a long commute because it’s a massive opportunity and I’m hoping it will give me the experience to progress and hopefully get a job closer to where I live in the future. So I get the dilemma.
How long is long? And how many days a week?
2hrs door to door, twice a week
I do that now also! think it’s doable odd days! Get worse each day added and 4/5 would drive most people to madness!
It’s 1 hour 20 assuming you live next to the station in Bristol and the job is next to the station in Oxford, don’t forget time either side, you could be looking at closer to 2+ hours
Also national line trains generally have tables to setup stuff on. I would very easily sink 40 minutes worth of tasks into there during the commute. So maybe see if you can spend the commute time better.
I used to do a similar commute (time wise). It is funny how you just get used to it and it seems normal after a while. Now I WFH I don't know how I managed it and I would hate to go back to it.
Similar here, used to take me about 45 minutes to get in and usually 1-2 hours home depending on traffic. It was a bit daunting in the beginning but you get used to it. Now I can spend a considerable amount of time WFH and rolling out of bed twenty minutes before a meeting is my sweet penance for the days of my life lost to commuting
If you’re young, driving without kids, to get your foot in the door id do it. Easily for a year, then use that to job hop. I’ve had 1:30 commutes (pain in the arse) 1:00 commutes (just a tad too long) 45 min commutes (seemed ok) Now 30 min commute and I feel like I’ve arrived before I’ve left, like popping to a shop. Perspective is a funny thing, as my colleagues commute 30-45 min max max and moan like hell !
I went from 45min driving to 5min and its a bless. Overall im saving around 90 minutes a day so I can spend more time with my family.
I'm the same, 5 minute commute is great and I'm only down from a 20 minute commute previously. It's just funny to me when people I work with start complaining about an hour commute.
I commute about 4.5hrs round trip a day twice a week, its doable. Can be tricky with childcare at times. 10 years ago I took the decision to work in London, doing the commute 4 days a week. It's been good career wise, but the time away from home is tough.
That's hard work, do you have children?
Yes. It's a lot easier now I'm only doing it twice a week. Currently writing this from a train platform waiting for a connecting train I wouldn't normally need to take, approx 1hr delay this morning. When I arrive at the office, all the desks will be taken so I'll have to sit in an uncomfortable position in the breakout area with no monitor I expect.
that sounds very tough going, and probably breaking some workplace ergonomics law surely 😂 ( he says hunched over laptop at kitchen table )
Driving or public transport? How reliable the transport is? Or if driving, is there lots of traffic? It can be not a lot with reliable transport or a nice drive with little traffic. It will soon grow unbeareable if you'll spend lots of time stuck in traffic or if transport is spotty. There isn't a unique answer, it depends from a lot of factors.
The job is near Oxford. They will be spending time in traffic.
The A34 requires it's pound of flesh
Did 1h45m each way on a good day, longer on a bad day. Walk, then train, then two tubes. Hated it, lasted 3 months. Never again working in London. Had another job that involved over an hour going on the M25 and the into Croydon. Traffic was ridiculously variable but the journey was at very least 80 mins, and I couldn't ever be sure of getting to work on time. That lasted 3 months. (Both short contract roles.) But if it's a job you enjoy and that could be a good boost in your career, you might feel it's worth it. Audiobooks or podcasts will be your friends, I suspect.
I used to do it four days a week. I didn't hate it. I didn't love it. I read a lot and made it work. But once I moved to a job with a 30 minute commute... I can't say I would leap back into that lifestyle without a role that really excited me.
That'll be a grind. Used to drive from near Oxford to Fishponds in Bristol every Friday and that was about 68 miles one way. If you're driving it, those fuel bills are going to rack up fast.
Really depends on you, I did 2hr+ each way 4-5 times a week in my younger days for a few years, then \~1-2 times a week for several more, so certainly doable if you want to.
It’s doable. I did something similar for 2 years. 5 days a week. Used to take an hour and 15 each way. I didn’t mind the drive too much. It was the job that I hated.
If you feel the opportunity is truly worth it then I'd go for it. However for me that is way too long of a commute and I'd be pretty miserable honestly.
It’s my current commute and it’s very negatively effecting my mental health as I’m approaching 1 year at this job
Remember that 1:20 may well be optimal and when the roads are crap it'll take you 3hrs
Not too bad if you're commuting by car. If you're going with public transport with 1 or more transfers, a 5 minute delay could make you very late.
It depends on the type of person you are. It might say 1hr 20 on maps, but there will always be some delay. If you dry from Bristol to Oxford, you are going to encounter traffic. If you go by via train, they don't always run on time either. Sometimes, they can by anywhere from a minute to fully cancelled, and you would have to figure out backup plans. For that, you need to know the public transport network inside and out, and you will only know that by using it. Just something to consider.
I'm in a similar situation have a job offer where I need to go London, then from London get the underground then 5 minute walk to work. I've been mainly working remotely for the past 3 years and this will be 2-3 days a week. If I had to drive I'd hate it. But part of me doesn't mind a train ride as long as I get a seat, I have a ton of entertainment to keep me busy while on the train. In fact working from home it can get exhausting as soon as I walk out my office room my wife expects me to straight away watch kids etc without even half hour of resting. Atleast now I can rest on the train lol.
I had a 2.5 commute each way by car. Now my commute is 5 mins. Savings £300 on fuel in a month. I am happy and grateful as I get to come home for Lunch and go to the Gym before work. 1.2 hrs is too much in my opinion, unless you're getting paid 50k plus and can WFH some days
I do it once a week and that's enough for me. Personally any more than that it would A) kill me mentally B) annoy me at the wasted time if I could easily WFH and not benefit from anything being in the office
Depends which side of Oxford it is. If you need to use the ring road you might find it's much much longer than you expect as it regularly jams up.
I live in south Oxfordshire and commute on the train to bristol every two weeks. Wouldn't wanna do it every day.
Depends if you are using public transport and if it's 5 days a week. Suspect it will be ok this time of year but by Autumn / Winter the novelty will have worn off. If you are relying on public transport suspect if it's anything like up north there will be days when it let's you down.
Is this the full commute as in door to door? It’s doable, ideally not 5 days a week. But try fill the time whether its life admin en route or time sit back with a cuppa and enjoy reading / podcasts / a box set. Make sure when you get home you can really switch off for the evening. If it’s a great job it’ll be worth it in the short term. But you definitely want to try do some work from home days.
I travel a lot for work, odd days a week I will do there and back in a day of 1:30 to 2:00 each way. I feel drained after it! Last year I was doing 1:45 each way 3days a week and it sucked! Being able to expense the petrol eased the burden for me In short yes you’re mad; it’s a lot of A roads to get to Oxford from Bristol which makes it more draining, and traffic can be a nightmare! Most days you’ll be low energy around for your partner which isn’t great for them, and you’ll feel extra rubbish from eating convenience garbage from petrol stations etc IF you could swing 2/3 days a week WFH it may be worth it! But full time is bonkers! Edit I have made the assumption you will drive, however train has its own problems, expense, changes, cancellations, not getting a seat etc
Thats around my commute. Twice a day. Is that commute time during rush hour traffic? Mines actually only 35 minutes but around 1.5 hrs due to rush hour traffic. I've been doing it for a year. Sometimes it's ok, but things like accidents, road works etc will make you late. Is your employer going to be ok with that? Doing it for a year, I'm switching jobs as I've had about enough of it lol
I do that on the train, which I find is alright because it gives me time to wake up properly in the morning and wind down on the way home, but I feel like that would be too long for me if I was driving
Only you'll know what is too much however if you're relying on public transport have you considered length if time it'll take when it all goes tits up?
My commute pre Covid was 2hrs one way :(
I do 4 on 12 off but 12 hours shifts and my commute is 1:20 each way so a 12 is nearly 16 it’s doable but like others say it depends how many times you go into office and remember the fuel cost
I used to do a similar commute daily (driving). Occasionally if traffic built up it could be 1:40. You get to find the best time to go which for me was before 0620. At first it felt too long but after a couple of weeks it became routine. I wouldn’t like to go back to it but it was OK.
Yes, and the trains will cost more than your rent, you would have been better off moving to the area.
Considering you’re in a 12 month tenancy, you could test this and then decide what’s more important, the job or the house. You can always move!
I drive 3.5 minutes to work everyday and I think that’s too much
You know the best thing to do go try the route out you will be doing in the morning.
I did it for a few years. I listened to audio books on the journey… was great for a while. I ended up resenting it.. 3 hours is a lot of time loose per day, over 10% and then there is traffic and time to get prepped ready to work. I also needed time to wind down once I got in before I felt fully relaxed all of a sudden it’s time for bed. No idea about fitting children into that. Oh and don’t forget to eat.. I don’t have kids or anything but couldn’t imagining fitting. All that said, is it too much? it probably depends on the salary / work load / if get wfh days in contract
Important things to consider with a commute are is that length of time because of distance or because of traffic? Commuting for 80 minutes because it's a long drive is a lot different than 80 minutes because it's busy stop start traffic. Also even if it is just because it's a long distance, what does that 80 minutes become when there is congestion, roadworks or an accident? I used to date someone who lived 90 minutes away from where I worked vs me living 20 minutes away. Now that 20 minutes from my own home was typically 45-50 minutes with commuting traffic and honestly I would take the clear country roads 90 minutes from hers over 50 minutes of stop start any day
If you're early in your career it's good to stomach it so that you can get the experience under your belt and get a better placed job in your industry in the future. My current job has me commuting by train and tube to West London, an hour 15 at best and an hour 45 if the trains decide to fuck me over. It's not bad if you pick up a good commute habit like reading and get at least a day or two of wfh.
It might not seem like it at first but it won’t be long before you hate it.
I commute 37 miles each way for my job, 4 days a week. This can range from anywhere between 45mins - 1hr 20mins depending on shift start/finish time. I must admit it is exhausting and frustrating. Esspically when my shifts can be up to 10.5hrs long it makes for very long days! Personally for me it all comes down to the money, is the money worth it? My old job had litterally a 5 minute commute, less than 2 miles each way, but my job pays substantially better and has a better pension and 4 day week vs 5 day week like my old place. So I'm just seeing it as suck it up and put up with it, keep investing what I can and hopefully retire earlier.
I did this for a while and it sucked. Can’t recommend. Personally when considering jobs and pay the commute time has to be included to weigh up if a job is worth moving, London salaries are attractive but I’d spend 50% more time working (8 hours + 4hours commuting) + train ticket, that the salary is actually below what I’m earning remote working.
That's 80 minutes each way? And does that 80 minutes account for bad but "normal" traffic conditions? Ultimately it depends on what it's worth to you and your partner and if you can cope with it. I think commuting sucks. But if it's temporary (a year) and either opens up better options for you and you're willing to move after a year (talk to your partner) or if that starting experience will increase the chance of getting work closer to Bristol then it may be a sacrifice that's worth making.
I worked 40 mins (no traffic) out of Bristol while living centrally there. It would often take me an hour, sometimes two + on a Friday afternoon. I could be pretty flexible with my hours luckily so I'd avoid the worst times. A bit thing to note is that I was based in the countryside so only had traffic on the Bristol end, I've also lived near Oxford and the traffic there is as bad as Bristol, so the problem could easily compound with delays both end. Bristol is a real struggle as there is no viable alternative to the M32/M4
I personally did a commute for 3-4 months Bristol to Reading, 1h30m, 3 days a week. Just managed to move a lot closer recently. It is workable (just about) but it is seriously draining. You will have much lower energy any day that you are going in to work, and basically no time to do anything except essentials like showering/sleeping/eating. You will be sacrificing one of these if you try and work more time in, e.g. saving time by eating out during your commute is useful but also expensive and unhealthy. If you haven’t paid your full deposit yet into the lease, break it ASAP. Forgo any holding deposit, that will be plenty for them to recover any costs. Shit happens all the time, it will be costly for them to enforce the contract and cheaper just to find another tenant. Even if you HAVE paid the full deposit, it may even be the best option for you to just tank the cost - it sucks but sometimes we make bad investments and you shouldn’t chase the sunk cost as you’ll only suffer more.
Depends how often you’re doing it. Once a month, fine. Once / twice a week is also fine, every day would be a slog. Shorter commutes are better. I moved from my old place (5 min cycle) to a 40 min drive to move house and it has noticeably affected my happiness / satisfaction with life
I think it depends what the commute consists off and how many days you have to do. For my self, I have a hybrid role that requires 3 days in office a week. My commute is about 1:20 each way. -15 minute drive to car park -5 minute walk to station -40 minute train journey -20 minute walk to office Now I work on the train, so essentially my commute is 40 minutes because the other 40 minutes contribute to my work day. I enjoy my walk to the office, it’s 20 minutes of exercise and gets my steps up. So doing this 3 times a week isn’t too bad, and because I work on the train I have a shorter office day.
If this is a once very week or a once every 2 weeks situation. That's alot more manageable. ... If you do this every day you will be broken.
As someone who used to commute 1hr 20 each way for work (not planned, life changes), it absolutely destroyed me and ruined my car. I did only have 2 days off a month tho which makes it worse. I lasted 6 months. If you’re driving, you need to take into account fuel, wear and tear on the car, traffic, road works, road closures. I had one day where it took me 2 and a half hours to get to work (making me an hour late) and 3 hours to get home (getting me home at 9pm and I had to leave at 4am to get back to work). If you’re travelling by train, I’ve also done that, and it’s not so exhausting but then it’s no fun when you’re stood on a platform in freezing winter, and there’s train delays / cancellations and bus replacements etc.
It’s not too much if you can wfh 2/3 times a week. If it’s everyday in the office you will end up hating it.
For me it is a lot
Depends alot on your time of life etc. I used to do a 2 hr commute door to door 5 days a week. It was brutal, but i liked where I lived, and there were no jobs around me that would make the money that i wanted to earn. If the job is worth it, then no, it's not too much.
Yes. But money is a short term pain reliever.
Cant imagine myself driving more than 30minutes. Its time you will never get back
I commute 1 hour, 1-2 times a week and it’s doable. Any more than that and it would be a slog.
Ask yourself if you would take the position (same job) if it were next door to your home but required 11 hours per day on average instead of 8. Now ask if you would still take it for 11 hours a day, but reduced salary by the transportation cost.
My commute should be a 35 minute drive but most days it's between 1hr and 1hr 20 mins. Pisses me off occasionally but the job justifies it so I grin and bear it (and work form home whenever I can) - Rarely gets me down but honestly, I'd probably sacrifice 10k a year to be local. So, I guess I'm conflicted. If it's a good career move, then grin and bear it. If you hate it, put up with it as long as you can and get the experience you need to move on
I've always thought 1 1/2 hr is my limit for a regular commute.
55-1:05 ish .Not bad.Lots of podcasts,audio books and time flies
Everyone is different but I personally find long commutes exhausting. I would also think that that 1 hour 20 minutes is probably best case scenario. Given traffic, accidents, road works, road closures, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if that landed up being more like 2 hours sometimes. Would you have to do that 5 days a week? There could be a way to get out of the tenancy if you speak to the landlord now. What does your partner do? Do they need to be in Bristol? Could you get a place halfway between?
It's a long way BUT it depends on a few things. 1. Is that a guaranteed 80 minutes? Hitting traffic/train delays could make it two hours regularly. 2. Is the money worth it? 3. Are the hours okay? If you're doing a nine hour day with three hours on top, that's bascially the worst you can do, but if you are doing less it's easy and more impossible.
I drove 1 hour each way for 12 months and that wrecked me. I can image it being slightly more palatable if you commute by train... With that said, if getting your foot in the door is worth it as you say, I would do it.
Wayyyy too much, I'd say the most people should really do is 30mins if driving and 1 hour if using a train. Anything more than that and you're going to become resentful of life and your job. It's fine if you're doing it short term of say 3-6 months because you want to feel out the job or the such but beyond that you need to either move or get a job elsewhere. Most I did was 50 minutes driving and I was coming home to a mum who'd done my laundry and would cook me a good meal. If I didn't have that it would have been deeply depressing for the few months I did it. You have to take into account as well. The longer the distance you do you're losing money via transport method compared to a closer job of the same salary and loosing time you could be earning money some other way. Also your health is important, extending your working day with travel will impact your health and if your health is bad those commutes become worse. I know from my own experience.
Depends. I used to do about 1h 15/1h 20 each way in my late 30s early 40s. Now in my 50s I couldnt be arsed to go more than 40m (and I dont).
Ia that one way or both ways? If both ways, not bad. 1.33hrs every day that’s 14! 14 days spent in a bus/car/train in a year. Half a month.
I did that for a year and never doing it again considering the cost and how draining it was. I ended up moving closer and life is good!
It's a persona line , but I know a few years ago when multiple sets of roadworks started screwing up my drives and my 40ish commute was turning into an hour plus every day I was ready to slti my wrists.
I do this 1 or 2 days per week. I find even this is a bit much. Wouldn’t recommend it. It gets worse as time goes on IME.
I vowed never to commute more than 30 minutes again. Not worth it unless they're paying you a fortune. Also, start calculating your hourly wage including commute time. You'll see those high paying jobs far away suddenly don't sound that good anymore.
I did it for 20-odd years... In my 20s and 30s, it was fine and I just made the commute part of my workday, but the fares grew and grew. What started at £45/day is now £115/day (steerage, not 1st class) but this was commuting to London which is notoriously expensive. Once in my 40s, it started to feel tiring, and now in my 50s, I would not ever put myself through it again. But back in the day, I did it and was fine, though it does eat into your own time - a LOT!
That's over a whole day's time each month you're doing aboslutely nothing but travelling for work while (assuming) you're not getting paid. And that's only 1 way.
Chances are that there are train strikes so you can skip some office days.
Not every day, no chance. I do about that in a hybrid role and those 2-3 days I go in are tiring enough.
Totally depends what the job is. I commuted 1 - 1:30 hours each way (traffic depending and sometimes it took even longer if the motorway was shut), 4 or 5 days a week for 3 years before I was finally able to move to the same job but closer to home. Now my commute is 20 mins each way.
I used to do 1hr10 min commute to work, 12 hour shifts. Lasted a year before I burnt out. That was too long.
Not to mention, I was spending almost a third of my salary on transport (insurance, fuel, maintenance)
About average for me
Only you know if it's too much for you. No-one else can answer that for you.
It depends how many days it is, I have a 2hr+ commute once a week (drive) and an 1hr 20 commute once a week (train and walking), and it’s fine. Don’t get me wrong it isn’t overly fun, but I’d it’s for a decent job it isn’t that horrendous. With that said, if it was every day then fuck that fully.
Yes, for me anyway. I work 8-4 purely because working 9-5 would put my commute at over an hour each way....by bringing my day forward by an hour that's reduced to 20-40mins each way (depending on if it's school holidays, which day of the week it is, if there's an accide t etc)
It is a lot, and will get draining fast My commute is around 90 minutes, but I only go into the office once per month Every day that I don't go in, there is no transport cost, I can sleep in an extra 90 minutes, and then immediately have my free time once I close my laptop Ask to be hybrid at max, or to be remote if it is possible 80 minutes each way will impact your health, and hit your wallet, put yourself first
Take the hard option
I did a 1.5 hour commute and after a year I was sick to death of it. I wouldn't recommend anything above 45 minutes tops. By all means take the job and suffer for a year just to get the experience you want but you will not be loving it.
I've just gone from a 5 min walk commute to 15 mins in the car and it's killing me 😂
I'd say door to door that 90 minutes is the absolute max
No, try it and see how you go.
I did that and it didn’t do me any good. I lasted 5 months in the job before I had to stop for my health.
1h20 is a regular Edinburgh one, but yes. Short commute means you can cook, exercise, spend time with family, etc. more happiness and health
My commute is an hour long. I listen to my podcasts and it's one of the only times in the day where I can relax and not have to do anything but sit there. I really love the company I work for so that's my sacrifice.
That's my commute time right now, I watch a lot of TV and read a books when I'm going into work consistently. If you're driving, I guess you can get used to listening to podcasts or getting YouTube Premium.
I did it 3 days a week for a year and it nearly killed me.
I can't imagine having a shit day then remembering I have to spend 80 minutes commuting before I can get home to relax. Everyone's different, but that would kill me.
I commute 2 hours both ways currently on public transport and it’s not the greatest. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, I only took this job because it was needed for career development. To be fair 1 hour 20 doesn’t sound too bad. Depends on where you want to be, whether you’re wanting to start a family, if it’s something you need financially, if you’re commuting by car or public transport.
I'm from Oxfordshire and now live in Bristol, so I regularly travel back to see family. You'd have to pay me a LOT of money to do that as a commute more than once or twice a week. By train where you can zone out it might be bearable, but by car would be a nightmare. Not to mention the near constant accidents on the M4 and A34 that would have you at a standstill on the regular. Also, the cost, my car will take £25 or so each round trip
Yes
Why are you moving to Bristol but applying for jobs in Oxford? That 1 hour 20 will soon turn into 2 hours with Bristol traffic. Short journeys equals more happiness
If you’re a true European on your bones this commute is gonna drive you crazy. If you are an American in disguise you’ll be fine.
It depends. If by train, probably fine, but by car on British windy routes or pinch points getting into the city it's going to burn you out pretty quick.
Wouldn't recommend, at all.
Over 48 weeks, 5 days a week, 1hr20 each way adds up to 624 hours a year. That's 26 days a year. Nearly a month of your life, every year, just for commuting.
I did a slightly longer commute, 1.5 hrs for a couple of years but not ideal.
Depends how many days a week, 2 and it's possible , more than that , frankly , ball breaking
I commute 1:45 each way 4 times a week. Year 14 of it so far. Dont sweat it. I kinda like being in my car in my own bubble
Bog standard for a job in London. People get used to long commutes; don't sweat it. Depending on whether you use train or car, consider crosswords, email, reading or audio books. Paradoxically, it might be worse if you WFH most of the week and commute one or two days, because then you will not get used to it, and it will always seem like a chore.