How far is too far to travel?

Naos

I've recently been offered a Graduate position(Operations & Sales) in a medium sized financial company.

However, it will take approximately 1h 45m - 2h to travel to the Job each way (Public Transport) , meaning 3h 30m - 4h a day.

I understand that for some, travel like this may be neccessary as they have a mortgage to pay, family to support etc.

However I am not in this position and therefore this job is not the be all and end all for me.

I've spoken to quite a number of people and many share the opinion of it is quite far to travel each day etc.

I am just wondering what the general concensus on this is and how far do yo have to travel each day to get to work?

Many thanks,

Mear

Tom Dunne

Mear wrote:

I am just wondering what the general concensus on this is and how far do yo have to travel each day to get to work?

I travel an hour and-a-half each way, every day. It used to take me 20 mins to get to work, before I changed jobs.

I'm only doing this a year, so it hasn't started to "get" to me yet. I see it as time to read/sleep or listen to the radio. I'm obviously not driving, I get the train.

I would imagine doing this length of a journey over a number of years would wear you down. I don't plan on doing it for too long.

eth0_

That is too much. IMO an hour each way is too much! You're lucky enough to live in Dublin, it's entirely possible you can get a job close enough to be able to cycle there or spend a short time on public transport.

wasim21k

i live in Dublin and work in Donnybrook and take bus 10 and in ideal situation it takes 1 hour. now in next few weeks moving to Portlaoise and it take me same time just may be extra 20 minute to travel to Donnybrook which would include drop of my wife in city.

eth0_ wrote:

That is too much. IMO an hour each way is too much! You're lucky enough to live in Dublin, it's entirely possible you can get a job close enough to be able to cycle there or spend a short time on public transport.

stephanie3

I was living in drumcondra and commuting to clondalking, it used to take ~ 1hr and 15mins to get home in the evenings. I moved to kinnegad and it takes ~ 4omins in in the morn and 50mins in the evening and the rent so much cheaper. Travelling more miles but it's less stressful than trying stopping and started the whole way to drumcondra

eve

Getting to and from work takes me an hour each way-40 mins on the train and 10 mins either end to walk. It works for me but if it were over the hour I guess I might have to reconsider. I know a few guys who were doing close to 2 hours each way and after a year at most they either changed jobs or moved closer bacause they felt it was too much.

fits

Anything more than an hour each way is too much...
I'm always fine up to an hour, but if I'm sitting in the car any longer than that, I get annoyed.

markpb

If you can avoid it, do try. If you can't, you'll survive but it aint great.

My old job was a 20 minute cycle, now it's 40 minutes cycle + 20 minutes on the Luas and it all adds up. The only advantage is that I get to read now but that hardly makes up for it.

subway

time doesnt bother me, traffic does.
i cant take travelling 15 miles in 2 hours.

motorcyle took 40-50 minutes any time of day
train plus walk takes 1h 50 anytime of day (if timed well and no delays)
car takes 40 - 50 minutes if i leave at 6.15
car takes 2 hours if i leave at 7.15
either way it takes 2.5 hours to get home in the evening

i cant stand traffic so im getting the train until after my recovery and hopefully i can get a new bike

Moonbeam

Move closer to the job?

the_syco

Live in Leixlip, work in Swords. 30 minute train trip, and 30 to 50 minutes on the train, each way. Its long, people don't know how I do it, but after a bit, you get used to it. Obviously, if the job gets at you, the daily journey will be another thing to add to the stress, but I like this job, so the trip is not biggie. Plan to get a car which will shave it down to a 40 minute jorney, but untill then, its not too bad.

Saying that, 2 hours may get to me. Check for a shorter route, or PM me your location, and where you're going to, and I'll check is there a shorter/quicker route.

Finally, is there many "Graduate position(Operations & Sales)" around? May not be the "end all", but turning down a good job may not always be the best idea. Also, if the pay is good (above €24), have you thought about relocation? Share a house with others, paying €350 a month, 10 minutes from your work? When doing work experience in Nass, the 2 hour (or more) journey did my head in, so I just moved to Naas for the 6 months. Paying €250 a month, living 5 minutes from work, it turned out to be pretty cool. An option to think about, maybe?

watsgone

eth0_ wrote:

That is too much. IMO an hour each way is too much! You're lucky enough to live in Dublin, it's entirely possible you can get a job close enough to be able to cycle there or spend a short time on public transport.

Spare a thought for us down the country, often public transport is not an option

JDxtra

Mear wrote:

However, it will take approximately 1h 45m - 2h to travel to the Job each way (Public Transport) , meaning 3h 30m - 4h a day.

That's too far. It'll kill you after a few months and you'll be knackered tired every day (assuming it's a standard 9-5.30pm job as well).

EdgarAllenPoo

My mother used to travel from Cavan to Stillorgan and back everyday. She worked 8-4 and was out of the house from 5am to 7 or 8 pm every night.

Dord

I live in Dublin and it takes me 1 hour door-to-door each way. I get the DART to work, but the majority of my journey is spent walking to or from the station and waiting on the DART. I'd say that I spend no more than 20-25 mins (each way) on the DART.

Kinetic^

The most I've ever travelled to work was about 30 minutes. There's no way I'd manage more.........so I keep getting jobs close to home

Zaph

Takes me about 40 minutes to drive to the station, get the train into town and walk from the station. Before I moved to where I live now it used to take about 50-55 minutes. An hour is the maximim I'd tolerate, any longer than that and the money would have to be spectacular to make me even consider it.

pow wow

Personally I wouldn't take it, especially if you are fresh out of college (you said it's a graduate role). Unless you can move closer to it. Think about the days when the bus/train is delayed, you oversleep and miss it, there's roadworks, the weather is pap, there are no seats left....you get the idea. I did it for about 6 months in England and then quit my job.

You could try doing the journey on say a Monday morning to see how bearable/unbearable it is before saying one way or the other to the employer. If jobs are thin on the ground then think long and hard about it, if you feel you could a similar job in a better location say no.

BostonB

You can do a long commute for a while but not long term. You just get worn down. Personally I think anything over 40mins is too long. Mine takes 30~60mins. I'm working up to cycling mine though. Then I won't mind. Depends how flexible your are. If time was critical, like they were very strict on times, then I'd want to be very close to it.

markf909

My commute is 90 mins one way.

25 mins of that is taken up by the walk from the train to the green luas and from sandyford to my job.

Its not unbearable but any failure on Irish Rails part and it can be 2hrs+ to do the journey.

joePC

Used to be 1.30 Hrs each way, now its a ten minute walk each way.

Leave the house at 8.40am in work for 8.50 --- Life is Goooooood... :-)

chump

anything over 1hr each way is too much for me.
I could understand 1hr15 in bad weather, partic. bad traffic etc. but anyway more, no way...

godtabh

I used to live in Lucan and work in Clonskeagh. That was a 90 -120 minute commute each way depending on traffic. It once took me 3 hours to do it.

If your young it easy to do.

I no have a 40 min commute on the train to pearse st. Very handy!

OMcGovern

Mear wrote:

I've recently been offered a Graduate position(Operations & Sales) in a medium sized financial company.

However, it will take approximately 1h 45m - 2h to travel to the Job each way (Public Transport) , meaning 3h 30m - 4h a day.

I had a similar commuting time in my first job ( 13 years ago ).
I lived in Ballybrack, and commuted to Tallaght.
Ended up getting Dart into Dublin, and bus to Tallaght.

It will grind you down after a while.
Plus, it makes it harder to go for drinks with the work crowd if you have to leave to catch public transport home.

As mentioned, you could move closer to work if you're renting.
Or get a moped/motorbike.

But if you need to get your foot on the employment ladder, then everyone goes through a bit of pain on the first few rungs of the ladder.

It all boils down to how much you need this job, and what other choices you have really.

regards,
Owen

Bulmers

hey guys, anyone on here doing a blanchardstown/sandyford commute? just got offered job but commute is worrying me and to be honest may be the reason i will turn the job down although would really like to work in the area.

At the moment, i have a 15min commute to work, i know people say u need to like ur job but dont know if a long commute would be for me.

Does anyone think once m50 done and barriers gone, the commute to sandyford from blanch will get better?

Saruman

I commute from rochforbridge in westmeath to Blanch to drop off wife and then either finglas if i go to the office or anywhere in the city depnding on what job im doing.

If i leave my house at 7 i can be in blanch anywhere between 7:40 to 8am (depending on the traffic around clonsilla train station). Then if im going to finglas it takes between 10 to 30 mins depending on traffic around ballycoolin/cappagh road.
All in all its between an hour to an hour and a half each way.

However Bulmers i would much rather my commute than from blanch to sandyford each day. My god you could be on the M50 for 2 hours. In fact if you are working in sandyford industrial estate it can take almost an hour just to get out of it sometimes.

mikemac

I think your commute is much too far OP.
You might be able to commute for a few months but it will wear you down.

And for those of you who spend hours in traffic every day, I'd recommend you look at a scooter. Cost feck all to tax and run and there is no faster way around a city.
They are not suitable for everyone but are fantastic for commutes around the city.

dudara

I live in Dartry, so when I'm working near the Green, it's no more than 15 mins.

However, I do work in a lot of different places, depending on my current assignment and about an hour is the maximum that I'm comfortable doing. I did an hour commute each way for about 6 weeks and that was plenty.

the_syco

joePC wrote:

Leave the house at 8.40am in work for 8.50 --- Life is Goooooood... :-)

/me beats joePC with an iron baseball bat:p bas*ard:D

=-=

Bulmers
Get a weekly train & luas ticket. Get the train from Castleknock (a 5 or 10 minute casual walk south of Blanch village) to Pearse Street Station, head South-East 10 minutes, and get the Luas at St Stephens Green, to Sandyford.

copacetic

seems way too long to me OP. I've been working in 4 or 5 different locations in Dublin in last 10 years or so and have always moved to either be near the locations or against the flow of traffic each time (when renting). Following 4 years of 2 hours each way to college and back on the bus I couldn't have done it anymore

When I bought my own place it was within 30 min walk of work and a 5 min drive. When we moved offices to make the trip 1 hour of a drive it was one of the reasons I started looking for a new job.

As I am now basically tied down to where I am living I wasn't willing to look at anything northside and the city centre was dubious. As it turned out I got something in the dublin 4 area which although it is with the flow of traffic I miss the worst of it by far. I'm back at 30 mins each way if I avoid the worst of the rush hour, so am very happy. It also allows me to work relatively long hours and still have some kind of life. It's also very helpful to be nearby so you can get back home for deliverys etc etc if needed.

So basically if you have the choice you need to get as short a commute as possible and imo anything over an hour and you are eating into both your work life and your real life. Of course that seems pretty obvious!

However you can't always be lucky and get the right job in the right location. Obviously if the job is worth it most of us would travel a bit. In my previous position we allowed major flexibility in working hours, basically no-one came in at 9, some people with longer commutes came in very early. and worked say 6.30-3, others would work 10-18.30 and at certain times in projects working from home was allowed.

copacetic

Bulmers wrote:

hey guys, anyone on here doing a blanchardstown/sandyford commute? just got offered job but commute is worrying me and to be honest may be the reason i will turn the job down although would really like to work in the area.

At the moment, i have a 15min commute to work, i know people say u need to like ur job but dont know if a long commute would be for me.

Does anyone think once m50 done and barriers gone, the commute to sandyford from blanch will get better?

bulmers the office I moved to be near was in sandyford and we had a couple of guys coming from blanch and clonsilla. You'd be nuts tbh. One of the guys switched to a motorbike which helped.

It can take 30-45 mins to get from exit into sandyford after 30-45 on it + whatever it takes you to get on the m50. On the way back you could be 30 mins to get back on m50 and then at least an hour home imo.
It does depend on whereabouts in the estate the office is though, and the traffic has gotten a little better with the roads finishe, the luas line is about to mess all that up though! They are constantly building more and more apts and offices which can only make the traffic in and out worse and worse.

Who can say what it will be like when everything finished on the m50 but it has got to be better.

I definitely say you need to try it out both ways door to door at the correct times, and then add 30-50% as traffic is so much lighter in the summer.

Bulmers

Thanks for all the replies..just a hard call when the job is something i'd like to do but this is prob going to make the decision. I suppose in this day and age, something like this has to be taken seriously when considering a job, kinda spoiled because at the moment, only 15mins to work and out through back roads in countryside..

I cant really use the option of train/luas as I will need my car for the job and the thoughts of trekking that far everyday on the train doesn't appeal..i've heard the castleknock train does be really packed....

cheers

the_syco

Bulmers wrote:

i've heard the castleknock train does be really packed....

Sardeens in a can have more breathing space:D On it every day, though.

Bulmers

would really like the job though to be honest thinking of it and just wondering if not taking something i really like to do because of commute be deciding factor?

The type of jobs are few and far betwenn due to nature of of it and i've even been offered it not having ideal background so they're willing to give alot of training etc..

also current job dont want me to go and am in a name my price position with them but been in that game now for 4 yrs and something new would be nice..but they are only 15 mins from my house in Blanch.

have to decide by tomorrow aswell..

copacetic

it's a hard call to make, I was careful not to go for any jobs which I would have had a hellish commute. that way I didn't have your type of decision to make!

all things being equal you make the decision based on the position alone, but you have to factor in that you are basically adding on about 2 hours a day to your current hours once you factor in the commute.

However if you are saying there is a lot of training and the jobs are hard to get then perhaps it it worthwhile. You can certainly handle that commute for a year or two. Is there flexible hours or teleworking?

Bulmers

yeah, they seem to be fairly flexible alright..there is tele / remote working alright..but i'd really need to be leaving sandyford at 3:30pm, 4pm latest really to be home at decent time

Personally i would never really go for jobs in Sandyford but what happened is at the moment they are based in near Citywest so that's fine from Blanch but in the interview, they mentioned they would be moving to Sandyford, they did ask at the time would this be an issue and it enter my head but obviously being in interview mode, i said this was no problem!:rolleyes:

I suppose my answer was above, if this was initially advertised as being out in Sandyford, i would never have applied....still though good offer...

I'm just thinking that after 6-7months in there, commute will be killing me..and also in current job, have good chance aswell to get something better out of it...been thinking about this now for 4 days and just going nowhere...be aswell to do scissors/rock/paper!

copacetic

I can see how that would happen, hardly going to say no to sandyford option at the interview, as least now you have the job offer and can decide. we had a lot of super pissed off people when we moved from sandyford to parkwestish. as well as some very happy ones.

do you know what the adddress/street would be in sandyford? it makes a big difference.

Flexible normally means you need to be there 10-12 and 2-4 and otherwise can make up your own hours. so leave blanch at 6.30, in by 7.30 prob, seen to be working hard and still leaving at 4. However earlys worked for people working for me but not for me, when you have a reasonable level of responsibilty you will always get stuck late.

In general though the move is the best career wise. Big salary bumps etc. You start out with a fresh slate and are already at the higher level, meaning much better chance of quick moves. I've moved jobs twice in 10 years one in March and so far both moves made a massive diff to my career. If I hadn't of made the move 5 years back and moved up in the new company quite quickly I wouldn't have gotten the current position with a lot more upward potential (had hit limit in last place)

Your current place will always remember what you started as. Once you move you have massive potential for success. There are risks of course and you have a difficult call to make. best of luck with it.

Bulmers

yeah i know, crystal ball now would be useful!!...anyway thanks for the help and the replies, appreciate it...

run_Forrest_run

Mear wrote:

I've recently been offered a Graduate position(Operations & Sales) in a medium sized financial company.

However, it will take approximately 1h 45m - 2h to travel to the Job each way (Public Transport) , meaning 3h 30m - 4h a day.

Too long IMO!
However if you are using public transport and as long as U are guaranteed a seat yes you could use that time for other things like reading, catching up on some sleep etc...

But all in all I think it is too long to spend commuting if it can be avoided.
If you are driving for 3.5 - 4hours per day then shame on you...did U not watch live earth over the weekend ? (only joking about that, of course for those not in cities public transport may not be viable I know).

seamus

I've always maintained that anything more than an hour is too much.

However, like most people my bugbear is queueing. If my commute was 40 miles of free-flowing traffic that took me an hour, I could easily handle that. If my commute was an 8 mile snorefest that took me an hour, there's no way I'd do it.

My current commute is in fact 8 miles, but I cycle that most days. Other days I take the bus - In the mornings, it's OK, but in the evenings it puts me in foul humour.

4 hours a day can really take its toll. It annoys me at the moment that I finish work at 5.30 and it's 7.00 in reality before I can handle doing normal stuff. With a 2-hour commute, you're look at it being nearly 9.00 before you've chilled out and had your dinner. That only gives you a little time before you're in bed to do it all over again. 5 days a week would be pretty much lost to work.

On the other hand, short commutes don't work for me either. They make me lazy. I had a job where I could drive to it in 4 mins (as I did one day). It got to the point where I was getting out of bed at 9.50 and going home at 5.00.

Mitch Connor

when i started my job, i was traveling for up to two hours in the morning, and 2.5 hours in the evening, using public transport. it got to a situation where i had no real life outside of traveling and working, which ruined both my working and social lives. Thankfully, i can now drive to work (same job) and it takes me about 35 minutes in the morning and 45 minutes in the evening. My life doesn't revolve around work anymore, which makes everything (including the job) more enjoyable.

If you can avoid long commutes, do so - it can make life a real bore otherwise.

kim_eire

My commute takes 5 and a half hours per day, it is the most horrible thing i have ever had to do. Im am at it now 2 and a half years. quality of life is nil, i wouldn't recommend it unless its for something that will be a major benefit in the future!

Lafortezza

seamus wrote:

I've always maintained that anything more than an hour is too much.

I agree with this. My drive to work these days is 15-25 mins, Finglas to the Airport. Last year for a few months I was driving from Bray to the Airport on the M50. At best it took about 50 mins, at worst it was an hour and a half.
I don't know how people struggle through 2nd gear traffic on the M50 for an hour or more every day, twice a day. If I had to do it long term I would go mental.

jester77

Either move closer to the job, virtualise or don't take it. The furthest I've ever been from any job is 20 mins and I will hopefully be down to 0 mins within the next 12 months. Quality of life is priceless, as in no job is worth that no matter how good it may appear or how much it pays. I had to drive up from Limerick to Dublin yesterday to catch a flight home and I couldn't believe the traffic. Felt so sorry for the people that do that every day. I was going nuts and cars ahead of me were lane hopping and getting nowhere. Madness wouldn't describe it. Why would you even think of contemplating that every day?

MrSquishSquash

Commuting is not for me, just can't handle it to be honest!

I know some people have no choice due to family/mortgage or advancement in their career but I hope to avoid that situation if at all possible!

I'd be happier with less pay and no commute!

copacetic

jester77 wrote:

Either move closer to the job, virtualise or don't take it. The furthest I've ever been from any job is 20 mins and I will hopefully be down to 0 mins within the next 12 months. Quality of life is priceless, as in no job is worth that no matter how good it may appear or how much it pays. I had to drive up from Limerick to Dublin yesterday to catch a flight home and I couldn't believe the traffic. Felt so sorry for the people that do that every day. I was going nuts and cars ahead of me were lane hopping and getting nowhere. Madness wouldn't describe it. Why would you even think of contemplating that every day?

i wish i could have a virtual job alright, sweet.

musicfan

I spend about 2 hours door to door each way.......have been commuting for abt 13 years now - you do get used to it. having said that i've never had a job close to home so i don't know any different!!

Take a book.......listen to music..........fall asleep - all good ways to pass the time!

ixoy

It's varied and right now it's the longest it's been - pretty much one hour door-to-door. Most of that time though is spent on a train, where I get to read a book or watch TV and, as they're things I'd do at home anyway, it doesn't really bother me.

If I end up buying, that distance is going to increase but as long as I'm in a place where I can continue to read/watch as I commute, I won't mind so much.

Bulmers

with regard the sandyford - blanch travelling issue i had with a job offer, i tried it a two mornings (can work there as part of current job) and it's unreal. Left Blanch 8, got to place 9:30, 2nd gear on M50 for most of it but coming home much worse..1hr 45mins, and this is summer hols..imagine raining december evening....

I would have loved this job but i cant face travelling like that as to me personally i think having time for myself, g/f etc in evenings is more important, also i think that after 6months - 1 yr, would have been looking to move out of there..

nesf

An hour commute on a train wouldn't bother me much, time for reading/music. In a car it would depend on the traffic, the idea of sitting in a car waiting for an hour each day makes me cringe really. Some people can do it but personally I'd regret the time lost to a long commute far too much for me to contemplate it really.

BostonB

Bulmers wrote:

with regard the sandyford - blanch travelling issue i had with a job offer, i tried it a two mornings (can work there as part of current job) and it's unreal. Left Blanch 8, got to place 9:30, 2nd gear on M50 for most of it but coming home much worse..1hr 45mins, and this is summer hols..imagine raining december evening....

I would have loved this job but i cant face travelling like that as to me personally i think having time for myself, g/f etc in evenings is more important, also i think that after 6months - 1 yr, would have been looking to move out of there..

Should have got train into pearse than walked to Luas.