Long commute to contract - experiences?

[Boo]

Most I've ever done was an hour away and this was working on an hourly rate for client who wanted 8 hours a day (pre-IR35 this was). I found it did my head in a bit having almost 11 hour days door-to-door which was even worse if there was traffic/accident on the motorway etc. This was 15 years ago though - bit old and tired these days!

Got a potential contract opportunity which is in the wilds of Mid Wales. (Didnt know anyone took contractors there!). 60 miles from home, crappy roads so we're looking at 90 mins each way easily. No traffic but wont be too clever in the winter because of the route.

Of course, I could stay over occasionally but its the arse end of nowhere (even for Wales) so not much to do there.

Anyone else got experience of doing similar sort of commute? Do-able of course, but I'm concerned that 5 days a week of this for any extended period of time is going to knacker me big time.

Yep, just finished a gig 79 miles from home, 1 1/2 hours each way travelling. I only work 4 days but 2 of them were more than 14 hours : 05:50 AM to 19:30 Pm, home-to-home time

Boo

[ShandyDrinker]

Opening myself up to a flaming here but in just over 4 years contracting I've only done one 4 month contract within 10 miles of home. For the rest I've been outside of the mainland UK and had a weekly commute by plane, hotel during the week and if I'm lucky able to get a mid afternoon flight so I can be home early evening.

From what I have seen is that there are many UK contractors who go through this weekly rigmarole.

Compared to some of the responses so far this sounds far too excessive and after 4+ years is wearing a bit thin as it is difficult with a young family back home. On the plus side at least it has cured my fear of flying!

I think if I get a contract with an hour commute each way I'll find it a luxury although I'll qualify that by saying whenever I've had to work in London for short stints the combination of First Great Western to London and the underground was a nightmare.

[bless 'em all]

I guess. I just get the feeling it'd knacker me. The one/two nights a week away sounds like a plan. At least then you get the chance to maybe work later that day, get in early next day as well. No chain hotels this place though. arse end of nowhere.

No way deal breaker for me either. Needs must and all that. Just one of my options at the moment....

There'd be no traffic that's one thing. Just lots of sheep on the road maybe (and tractors!).
Lovely drive as well (if you had to do it once or twice not every day).

I've been away Monday-Friday for 6.5 years now. It takes a bit of getting used to but now it's the way things are.

It's not all bad though. Without my absence during the week my missus would not have had the quiet and space to do an OU degree and I'd never have had the access to junk food and unobserved binge drinking that's made me the fat alcoholic I am today.

Hope this helps.

[psychocandy]

I used two do two hours drive to work. I did it for a year. I got myself a lovely motor which helped. I prefer driving to trains. An hour train would kill me more than two hour drive. Hate trains

Also I would drive three hours rather than stay away from my kids and not sleep In my bed mon-thu

A lovely motor now with tons of miles on it though :-(

Nah. Prefer the train - you can kip on the train. Not a good idea if you're driving LOL

[bobspud]

In the last 10 years I have commuted from the West country all over the rest of the country. But i work from home quite a bit.
I spent two years in London with a daily four hour commute, by train. Before that I was doing at least two hours a day up and down the m4 & 5. Last year I worked from home most of they year with only 10 or 15 days out. That was harder in many ways.

I like the time to myself. I listen to music or work on the train either way unless I want to work for peanuts I need to drive for at least two hours.

[ChimpMaster]

Commuting is a normal part of working life, at least as far as I am concerned. In the past 16 years that I've worked, I have only been within a 20 minute commute for about a year at most. Otherwise it's been at least a 45 minute drive each way.

Worst was 2 years spent flying back/forth every week to Switzerland.

Also had several years in the City with it's 90 minute train/tube journey each way.

Now I'm on a 120 mile round trip in the car.

And to think, I actually live in a reasonable location in the SE!

I've lived away so much in the past that now I would go through a lot just to get home each night, back to my own bed and my family.

[DaveB]

I've done a couple of stints (12 months and 2 years) of 90 mins+ each way commmutes. The last one finished me off. Even in a decent car it knackers you doing it every day. 3 hours of driving takes concentration and it gets hard to maintain that when you are working 8 hours a day as well.

Staying away isn't ideal, especially if you have a young family, but your not going to be much fun for the kids if you get home exhausted and grumpy every night. Better, imo, to be away in the week and come back fresh and able to spend proper time time with them when you are home. The kids will soon get used to it. (This from the position of being a Navy kid who's dad was regularly overseas for months at a time.)

It knackers your car and your wallet as well. A 60 mile commute adds up to almost 30k miles a year before you add your domestic milage onto it. 2 years of that and you could easily put 80k miles on the clock. Servicing, fuel and tyres soon add up, especially f you want to keep to the recommended service intervals.

Stay away one or two days if the train isn't an option, or negotiate some flexible working if you can. It will make life a lot easier.

[cojak]

WDBS.

I can't face a 5 day a week commute (2 hours each way), so I stay over on Tuesday and Wednesday and work from home on Moday & Friday.

[escapeUK]

I guess. I just get the feeling it'd knacker me.

It would me. I despise commuting, because the state wastes money we have roads that really arent fit for purpose. I find my 30 min drive in often takes me 50-60 mins. Its seeming extra bad this year, lucky we are in a recession to keep people off the roads! HA!

[craig1]

It takes me 2hrs 15m each way on average to get to my current client site each day. I leave home 6:15am, in the office by 8:20-8:30. I leave the office at 5:10ish pm and get home at 7:30. Last year I was at the other side of London and my commute was closer to 2hrs 40 each way.

I don't mind it any more. I get a first class train ticket, get comfy, stick headphones on and read my book. I like reading and I rarely get a chance to do prolonged reading sessions at home so this actually suits me.

It does mean that evenings at home with the wife are shorter than I'd like but I don't really need more than 6 hours of sleep so I'm rarely in bed for before 11:30.

I try to work from home one day a week but that's often depending on the work I'm doing.