Viability of Bristol TM -> London City Commute

[Martin Scroatman]

Morning all,

I have a possibility of a rather lucrative (for me, anyway) contract at Tullets & Tokyo in the city.

Just wondering as to the viability of a 1hr40 minutes commute to Paddington plus whatever I need to add on either end.

I'll be coming in from Hotwells so will bike it when it's not too inclement, bus otherwise; say 25 minutes. Then there's whatever the schlepp is the other end.
Been a long time since I've been on the tube at that time of day - I have memories of getting on the Waterloo and City line at Waterloo and having to queue to just get on the platform let alone onto a train.

So, another 30 minutes at the other end & I'm looking at about 2hr40 minutes x 2 which leads me to think that the only way this is going to work is if I go first class.

Just some thoughts I'm mulling around in my head but is anyone else out there doing a similar daily commute/ Not necessarily from Bristol but a similar distance/time and how stressful do you find it?

[dty]

Or you could stay over one or two nights a week. Maybe negotiate some flexibility in hours - come in later on the day you arrive, head out to the hotel a bit later to make up for it, then come in early from the hotel and leave early to head home. That sort of thing.

[malvolio]

Did this for years - including through the post-Hatfield horror show...

On average, it works quite well. 07:00 from BTM will get you to the City somewhere between half 8 and nine; the trick is to walk down the Lancaster Gate from Padders and take the Central line across. Canary Wharf is too far to do it daily, the West End and the Square Mile generally are fine. It's a 13 hour day, of course, but use a First Class monthly season to make it tolerable. Also I use the Apcoa app for car parking at BTM these days but they used to do season tickets which saved a fair bit.

That's on average though. There will be times when it all goes horribly wrong (my best was getting home at 11:30 pm having started on a 16:00 from Paddington...). You will need to develop a Zen-like acceptance of such things...

[psychocandy]

Closer to 1-30 from BTM.

I train it every day and you need to add in time for each end. Train is 45-55 mins but 10 mins drive from train, then walk from on street parking so I look to leave 25-30 mins before train. Then 15 mins walk other end. So door to door 90 mins pretty much.

It does make for a long day. Especially if you get stuck in the office but its better than driving that long each day IMHO. But you do get used to it. Been doing it 8 months now (two different gigs) and considering another 3 extension. Wouldnt want to do it forever and its easier in the summer when its light etc and not snowing and freezing when you're walking from train at the crack of dawn). Whether I'll extend over the winter again remains to be seen.

Quality and comfort of train on my route (to Gloucester) is variable but, for you, its mainline so trains are probably better overall. i.e. inter-city type instead of crap 2 carriage buses on tracks,

With you I reckon depends on journey on tube other end I reckon. Might be worth considering a one night a week stay just to retain sanity too.

BTW - you will one day ticket to london is a rip off but season ticket is not so bad. Worht it even if you stay over a night or two.

[psychocandy]

Did this for years - including through the post-Hatfield horror show...

On average, it works quite well. 07:00 from BTM will get you to the City somewhere between half 8 and nine; the trick is to walk down the Lancaster Gate from Padders and take the Central line across. Canary Wharf is too far to do it daily, the West End and the Square Mile generally are fine. It's a 13 hour day, of course, but use a First Class monthly season to make it tolerable. Also I use the Apcoa app for car parking at BTM these days but they used to do season tickets which saved a fair bit.

That's on average though. There will be times when it all goes horribly wrong (my best was getting home at 11:30 pm having started on a 16:00 from Paddington...). You will need to develop a Zen-like acceptance of such things...

And realisation that its better being stuck on train having a kip than stuck in a 20 mile tailback on the M4.

[Gumbo Robot]

Also I use the Apcoa app for car parking at BTM these days but they used to do season tickets which saved a fair bit.

Since the completion of all the development in Bath, you can no longer park right by the station.

I used to park right by the station & walk straight onto the platform.

Now you have to park on the bottom floor of the multistory, get back up to street level, cross the road and join the throng queueing to get through the barrier. Have to allow an extra 10-15 minutes. 10-15 minutes that probably make the daily zlondon commute unviable for me.

[Martin Scroatman]

Or you could stay over one or two nights a week. Maybe negotiate some flexibility in hours - come in later on the day you arrive, head out to the hotel a bit later to make up for it, then come in early from the hotel and leave early to head home. That sort of thing.

Not an option; got my budgies to feed.

[malvolio]

Since the completion of all the development in Bath, you can no longer park right by the station.

I used to park right by the station & walk straight onto the platform.

Now you have to park on the bottom floor of the multistory, get back up to street level, cross the road and join the throng queueing to get through the barrier. Have to allow an extra 10-15 minutes. 10-15 minutes that probably make the daily zlondon commute unviable for me.

Which is why I use BTM these days. There and Bath are about the same journey time from home, but CBA with Bath's parking complexities.

[SlipTheJab]

Deffo go First Class, my life is so much less stressful since I started to do that, its 50% more expensive but well worth it.

[Gumbo Robot]

Deffo go First Class, my life is so much less stressful since I started to do that, its 50% more expensive but well worth it.

I used SWT last year and went first class. Then they reduced the amount of first class accommodation so I would invariably have someone sat next to me or it was full and I had to spend the journey in the inter carriage area.