How big is your trip to work? How "comfortable"?

ShadowHearth

Hey my fellow boards.ie petrolheads.

I am coming to you with a need of advice and question.

How far do you need to drive every morning to work?

How comfortable are you with doing this trip everyday? Does it add more stress in your life?

I am asking, because I am planing on buying my first home, but I have a few options. 1 is on town I am based now and it will be same 10km trip to work. The ather ather house is 30km from work, but is way nicer place.

Matt Simis

I live 65km from work (so 130km a day round) and it takes me the same approx time as some people 15km from work who are living on one side of Dublin travelling to the other. I live in Meath, so I have a longer by distance commute but a much much more enjoyable one. I would personally aim for a sub-60min commute (by whatever transport mechanism).

30km from outside a city in is not a long commute at all, 30km travelling through a city would be a nightmare, so you need to refine it a bit. Also, despite what you may be lead to believe, even travelling at good speeds the longer commute will use much more fuel than a much shorter, bumper to bumper commute (though the long trip is more efficient, its still physically using more fuel).

Alanstrainor

30km versus 10km is not much at all. Currently I cycle to work, tbh i'd be cycling the 30km if i was in your shoes!

It does depend on where that 30km takes you through, but tbh, unless it's going to mean a tonne of urban bumper to bumper driving, i'd think it's a no brainer.

R.O.R

I've a similar journey to Matt, but only 62kms each way. Majority is Motorway, most of the rest is the R132 (or old N1), so hardly any stop/start work.

Takes 50-60 mins dependant on traffic and at this stage it's the quickest commute I've had in the last 8 years.

30km's is only around the corner.......

EPM

210km each way, Cork to Carlow.

I try and cut it down as much as possible though to maybe do it 3 days a week. It does add stress yes as it's almost 5 hours in the car some days but it's gotta be done at the mo:)

garhjw

i'm about 20km from work but try to drive as little as possible as i find rush hour traffic very stressful. i maybe only drive 1 day a week - i cycle or use public transport depending on the weather

MugMugs

EPM wrote: »

210km each way, Cork to Carlow.

I try and cut it down as much as possible though to maybe do it 3 days a week. It does add stress yes as it's almost 5 hours in the car some days but it's gotta be done at the mo:)

210 KM Each Way ???

My god ! I thought my 80KM was bad !

ShadowHearth

R.O.R wrote: »

I've a similar journey to Matt, but only 62kms each way. Majority is Motorway, most of the rest is the R132 (or old N1), so hardly any stop/start work.

Takes 50-60 mins dependant on traffic and at this stage it's the quickest commute I've had in the last 8 years.

30km's is only around the corner.......

Would you be often: aaas feck this. Sick of it! I whana have some extra 30 mins of sleep!

I am not bothered much abou actuolly petrol, but more about my own state.

I allready wake up at 5:00 to be at full blast at 6:00. So wondering if anather 30 mins will make me a bit more jumpy during waking up moment.

I know I am being a bit silly here, but was just wondering how bad am I, and is that a problem to most people.

EPM

ShadowHearth wrote: »

I allready wake up at 5:00 to be at full blast at 6:00. So wondering if anather 30 mins will make me a bit more jumpy during waking up moment.

I know I am being a bit silly here, but was just wondering how bad am I, and is that a problem to most people.

You'll get into a routine very quickly. I'm awake most mornings before the alarm.

R.O.R

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Would you be often: aaas feck this. Sick of it! I whana have some extra 30 mins of sleep!

I am not bothered much abou actuolly petrol, but more about my own state.

I allready wake up at 5:00 to be at full blast at 6:00. So wondering if anather 30 mins will make me a bit more jumpy during waking up moment.

I know I am being a bit silly here, but was just wondering how bad am I, and is that a problem to most people.

Most days I would be bored with the journey 10 mins in to it, but it does depend what I'm driving :P

EPM

EPM wrote: »

210km each way, Cork to Carlow. ...........

You do that 3 days a week :eek:

EPM

RoverJames wrote: »

You do that 3 days a week :eek:

Sometimes even 4 or 5...

Zubeneschamali

I do 80 km on the Motorway to and from, and it's quite doable (45 minutes).

Last year I was doing 120 km each way, and that was a pain.

Balmed Out

I have a 60km commute (near clonakilty to near blackrock castle) and so long as the times I start work arent around rush hours its grand expecially since i discovered audiobooks in the library.

Unfortunately our roads arent anywhere near as good as Dublins so really depends where your going. I mean some days a 50 minute drive can be doubled by a few tractors and hitting the city at the wrong time.

Think more on the area too. I mean the commute is definately worth it if you get to live in an attactive coastal area vs some slurry smelling hole in the middle of nowhere

Anan1

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Would you be often: aaas feck this. Sick of it! I whana have some extra 30 mins of sleep!

I am not bothered much abou actuolly petrol, but more about my own state.

I allready wake up at 5:00 to be at full blast at 6:00. So wondering if anather 30 mins will make me a bit more jumpy during waking up moment.

I know I am being a bit silly here, but was just wondering how bad am I, and is that a problem to most people.

Do you mean 30 mins each way, ie an extra hour a day commuting?

Tigger

It's 50km to work and most days I wish it was more.

Eoin

Just over 30km either way, and it's a very easy commute - pretty much all national road/motorway, and only 2 sets of traffic lights in all that time. It takes about 30 minutes.

Anyway if you are buying a house, the chances are that you'll be there for longer than you are at your current job, so I don't know if you're taking the right factors into consideration.

That said, I would take the 30 km drive if it's in a far nicer place.

furtzy

66km round trip every day on motorway for half and then the other half through Dublin. We start early and finish early so avoid most of the traffic. The city centre truck ban made a huge difference so the commute doesn't bother me at all

TestTransmission

I've only got a 15 minute drive to work,still gotta get up at 4.30am though

ShadowHearth

Anan1 wrote: »

Do you mean 30 mins each way, ie an extra hour a day commuting?

Well I am not sure how long it will be, but the road I will be using is pure shiet. If anyone heard the famous mallow to fermoy road in co cork then se good road on mallow Limerick.

Cheers for your put so far lads. Makes me feel a bit better.

Eoin

You should try and do a trial run or two, if you can find the time.

Anan1

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Well I am not sure how long it will be, but the road I will be using is pure shiet. If anyone heard the famous mallow to fermoy road in co cork then se good road on mallow Limerick.

Cheers for your put so far lads. Makes me feel a bit better.

You really need to work out how much the lost time & extra cost of commuting is worth to you, and then weigh that against the advantages of living in a nicer place, but with less free time to enjoy it. Also, this is OT, but I strongly advise you not to buy any property now - prices are still falling, and (IMO) will continue to fall for the foreseeable future.

OldmanMondeo

I had an 80 mile round trip, doing it for 9 years. TBH, I was getting fed up with it. We had looked at moving closer to work, but it didn't pan out.

OP, also take into account social life as well as work. How much would a taxi be after a night out to the new place further out to where, I presume, your family / mates are.

no1beemerfan

I currently drive Roscrea to Newbridge everyday...a tad under 100km each way and have been doing it for 13 years but lately I can see how much it robs out of your day/life so I've rented a house 20kms from Newbridge.

30kms doesn't seem too bad to me so I'd get the house you'll be more happier living in....after all its the biggest purchase you'll ever make!

mosesgun

90km from South Carlow to Dublin 4 - 5 days per week. Takes approx 1 hour. Not ideal but not too bad either. You'd be tired at the end of the week though. 30km from work is no bother.

n97 mini

10 miles from my house to where I work in the city centre. I made sure to buy a house beside a suburban rail station (and a decent bus route, incl decent Nitelinks) so I would never have to drive it.

keithclancy

130km each way 4 days a week.

Takes between 1hr 10 and 1hr 15.

careca11

at the mo all I have is a 12km round trip to work/dropping the child off.
so thats easy , even after 2/3 hours sleep each night (i'm a terrible sleeper.....all stems from stress)

however my office is due to close in october and relocating to Dublin , so tha would be a round trip of 130km
i will not be able for this (not after 2/3 hours sleep at night) , it will impact on my health , my family and my finances (estimate cost in fuel €4/5,000 a year plus toll,)

so i'm a bit fcuked really

ShadowHearth

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

I had an 80 mile round trip, doing it for 9 years. TBH, I was getting fed up with it. We had looked at moving closer to work, but it didn't pan out.

OP, also take into account social life as well as work. How much would a taxi be after a night out to the new place further out to where, I presume, your family / mates are.

That is a good point. I would not be the biggest fan of nights out or pubing. I don't say it's wrong, just not my cup of tea. If we have a drink/party night it's 99.99% in somebodies place where we can crash for all night.my best friends/family members already live 50km from me so I used to drive up to cork/balincoling.

I do enjoy a drive, so far driving in back country roads with mx5, only puts a smile on my face, with skyline ack on the road it sounds even more fun. I was even bitching that I don't have enough opportunities to have a drive, but like you said: I don't want to get Fedd up with driving in a few years.

Already got advice here on not buying. I am allways happy for advice, but can't we drop it? I already back from property part of boards.ie and there are good few property version of "bmw535d" . Long storey short: it's only up to 80k property, which is bought to live in and not to be an investment. Even if it will drop in price it wont be very big loss, as it's cheap already. Me and misses want to put our roots in to Ireland after already good 6 years we had in this country. And I will be happy to make this country economy move from stale buy buying something. Even if it wont do much impact .

jaybee747

I'm travelling 120km per day and it takes me about 45mins each way.
I am happy to drive this distance,not to far not to long.
The hours I work help me avoid traffic both coming and going which is a plus.
I just jump into the car, put on my favorite album and away I go,don't even notice the time now (4 years travelling).

Could be worse I worked in the city center some years ago and took 1.5 hours to travel from Tallaght to town.That was stressful as it was mostly sitting still in traffic.

Vicxas

69km each way so thats roughly 140km round trip between Dundalk and Swords in Dublin, Around 1hr trip each way.

Gitb1

I drive about 4km to work:o takes between 8 and 11 minutes depending on if i get stuck at lights. Gas thing is i still tend to be late once every fornight or so

old hippy

One bus, one tube - 30 mins or more


or

One crowded tube, one not so crowded tube - 25 mins or more

£20.80 a week costs

CarMuppet

Depends.

Worst case : Drive to airport and get multiple flights connections to US, Mexico or China - Commute time can be over 22 hours.

Best case : Bedroom to computer in office via kitchen for tea - commute time 7mins.

Lando Griffin

I drive around 160km to and from work every two weeks and takes approx 20 - 25 minutes to do each morning.
I usually leave at 7.50am as any later there tends to be alot of traffic which means more aggrisive stupid drivers to deal with.
I car pool with someone so we are saving approx 1000 euro on this excercise with the current prices at the pumps.