How long is too long a commute to Dublin?

ReggiePerrin

Hi everyone.

I'm considering buying a house down the country (possibly Navan/Kells/Virginia), and I'd like to know what the commute is like.

I work on the outside of the city (naas road), and working off peak shift (not 9-5, Mon-Fri) and travel by car.

How long do people take to commute to and from these areas, and for others, what would you consider as town "too far" for a comfortable commute?

Are rising fuel costs a cause of concern?

road_high

ReggiePerrin wrote:

Hi everyone.

I'm considering buying a house down the country (possibly Navan/Kells/Virginia), and I'd like to know what the commute is like.

I work on the outside of the city (naas road), and working off peak shift (not 9-5, Mon-Fri) and travel by car.

How long do people take to commute to and from these areas, and for others, what would you consider as town "too far" for a comfortable commute?

Are rising fuel costs a cause of concern?

If I were you I think long and hard about considering anywhere along the N3 for the minute- I've had the misfortune to be up that kneck of the woods for business a few mornings.The road just can't cope with the volumes until the m3 comes on stream.

How about Athy or Portlaoise- not the most glamorous or exciting towns but fairly accessible and relatively affordable housing- If I had to commute I think 50miles would ahve to be the cut-off point.

Definitely fuel costs an issue- you'll need an economical car, preferably a diesel like a TDI Golf or Octavia to keep cocsts to a minimum.

murphaph

Is this your first home OP or are you selling up in Dublin? If the latter then I'd advise against it. Even working shift, what happens if your employer makes you redundant etc. and you have to work mon-fri or whatever? Things can change. It'd be an unwise man who didn't think heavily about fuel costs going forward. Even if it's your first home, there's a lot to be said for living close to work in apartment over a 3 bed semi 30 miles away through gridlock. Consider also that more people are noving away from the conventional mon fri 9-5 and traffic outside the peak is increasing. I've heard too many horror story commute times to see the benefits in 'country living'. Stay in Dublin

ReggiePerrin

I'm orignally from the area, and I'm currently renting in Dublin, so I'd really like to go back to that area if possible. I've checked out Navan recently, but the prices are still a little high. ( I blame the Dubs!) My job is pretty secure, as secure as things can be in this day and age. Fuel costs are a cause for concern, very much so. What if they go to €3 a litre? Quite possible.

Uuuh Patsy

If Petrol prices go to €3/ltr then were all in the Poo! and even your seemingly secure job might be a distant memory

Archeron

I live in Trim and start work in Clondalkin at 8am. Instead of using the N3, which I have done for three years, I now sneak through Kilcock and onto the M4 instead. Brilliant new road. Admittedly, I always start work early to beat the traffic because of those fuel costs, but if I leave the house at 6.15, I'm in work eating my cornflakes by 7.00. Getting home, I leave the office at 4.45 and am home by 5.45. No complaints, love the drive and love living outside Dublin. When I did live in Dublin, it took me an hour and a half to get in or home due to myt 9-5.30 regime, so this seems great to me now. I do consider myself lucky though, because Clondalkin is so close to the M4. If I worked in Citywest or Tallaght, it would probably be a lot longer.

Personally, I would think if the one way drive goes over an hour and a half, its becoming a bit much, (but I did do it for a while on the N3, and I still thought it was worth it, I just wouldnt fancy it now that my commute is so much shorter)

HelterSkelter

Archeron wrote:

...but if I leave the house at 6.15, I'm in work eating my cornflakes by 7.00. Getting home, I leave the office at 4.45 and am home by 5.45. No complaints,

I would have big complaints with working a 11.5 hour day as you do.

utopian

mfitzy wrote:

If I were you I think long and hard about considering anywhere along the N3 for the minute- I've had the misfortune to be up that kneck of the woods for business a few mornings.The road just can't cope with the volumes until the m3 comes on stream.

I wouldn't drive in the N3, although I don't think the situation will change with the M3 either (as the bottleneck is the M50 junction).

If living in Navan, I would give serious thought to the Kentstown-Ashbourne (N2) or Trim-Summerhill-Kilcock (M4) routes.

The bus service from Navan is very good - it rarely takes more than 1.25 hours, even in winter.

WhatsGoingOn

ReggiePerrin wrote:

Hi everyone.

I'm considering buying a house down the country (possibly Navan/Kells/Virginia), and I'd like to know what the commute is like.

I work on the outside of the city (naas road), and working off peak shift (not 9-5, Mon-Fri) and travel by car.

How long do people take to commute to and from these areas, and for others, what would you consider as town "too far" for a comfortable commute?

Are rising fuel costs a cause of concern?

Why not buy in Celbridge or somewhere like that, which would be a lot closer to the Naas Road?

Archeron

HelterSkelter wrote:

I would have big complaints with working a 11.5 hour day as you do.

Yeah, I can understand that. A friend of mine works in the IFSC and lives in Fairview. Gets up at 8.40 and strolls to work. Nice.
Still though, even when I lived in Dublin, for a 9 to 5.30 I still had to leave the house at 7.30 and didnt get home til near 7, so much of a muchness really. It seems everyone on the southside of Dublin works on the Northside and vice versa. Ive always had pretty long drives to work, so maybe I'm just immune now. Plus, I'd rather start that bit earlier and get home a bit early to have some evening time to myself.

Navan Junction

The N3/M3 corridor is screwed until a railway line is sorted out.

You'll have to pay 2 tolls from kells, and 1 from Navan when the M3 comes on line, and it will get you to the already massive bottle neck in Blanch just that little bit quicker.

When the road and rail situation is sorted out then Navan and kells will be grand, give or take a toll every fifteen miles. At the moment it's a nightmare.

Come September the Black Bull Junction (where Trim and Ratoath join the N3) will be bedlam, and Dunshaughlin will get bad again in the evenings.

But I'll be honest, house prices in Navan/kells are "reasonable" compared to other places like Ashbourne (which has no tolls coincidently).

But I love navan trim Kells area - grand place to live if you can ride out the traffic probs until they are sorted (if they ever are!)

Archeron

Navan Junction wrote:

Come September the Black Bull Junction (where Trim and Ratoath join the N3) will be bedlam, and Dunshaughlin will get bad again in the evenings.

Hi Navan Junction. Why is this? Is the upgrade of the N3 beginning then?

DMC

Probably means summer slack.

I live in kells, am a student but know someone working in town - they get the bus from kells to dublin each morning around 7.15 and are in town at about 9...

ReggiePerrin

WhatsGoingOn wrote:

Why not buy in Celbridge or somewhere like that, which would be a lot closer to the Naas Road?

The cost of housing there. Also, its where I'm originally from. As I said, I will be travelling off peak, so that won't too much of a consideration.

Navan Junction

Archeron wrote:

Hi Navan Junction. Why is this? Is the upgrade of the N3 beginning then?

No, it just gets really heavy along that stretch, backing up behind the speed camera.

From then until well after Christmas you can start leaving your house before half six in the morning to get to dublin CC for nine...

TempestSabre

I tend to notice anything over 40mins.