Commuting Drogheda-Dublin

V123

Hi,

I am thinking of buying a house in Drogheda (louth side). I will be commuting to Donaghmede Mon-Fri.

just wondering if anyone does this and how they find it?

Also cost of petrol etc.

V123

also just wondering if Drogheda is a nice place to live?

Victor

That would mean paying the toll and/or going through Drogheda twice a day

You could live on the Meath side and get the train to Howth Junction. If getting the Enterprise (non-stop Drogheda-Connolly) you would needs to cross Amiens Street and get the 15 or 29a.

www.irishrail.ie
www.dublinbus.ie/en/Your-Journey1/Timetables/All-Timetables/15/
www.dublinbus.ie/en/Your-Journey1/Timetables/All-Timetables/29a11/

V123

V123 wrote: »

Hi,

I am thinking of buying a house in Drogheda (louth side). I will be commuting to Donaghmede Mon-Fri.

just wondering if anyone does this and how they find it?

Also cost of petrol etc.

Get the train daily and its very good service with regular trains. Good for you for howth junction.

Drogheda is a lovely place to live imo and seems to be a bit happening in the town with the new cinema at scotch hall due to start in September and lots of places to go within the surrounding area. Good number of bars and restaurants around as well.

V123

Thanks all, yes I think it seems like a lovely place to live.

The train sounds like a good option depending on whether I buy near the train station or not though. Anyone know how much a weekly ticket would be?

Is there parking at the train station in Drogheda?

Also does anyone drive this commute and how is traffic, cost of petrol etc?

markpb

Out of curiosity (and I'm genuinely not trying to troll) why are thinking of buying a house in a town you neither know nor work in?

V123

hi mark, I do have friends and family that live there but i just wanted other peoples opinions

The Spider

markpb wrote: »

Out of curiosity (and I'm genuinely not trying to troll) why are thinking of buying a house in a town you neither know nor work in?

Best to get in now, you'll get something decent in Drogheda or any other commuter town now, give it a year and those places will start to feel price pressure as prices rise to high in Desirable areas of Dublin.

I've done the same except in the opposite direction on the east coast, commute every day, takes a little bit of getting used to, but very doable, takes about the same time it took to come from the North side to the South side, I should clarify that we have family in the area we bought, but there is no way on earth we would have the same standard of living we have now, if we lived in Dublin.

Victor

V123 wrote: »

The train sounds like a good option depending on whether I buy near the train station or not though. Anyone know how much a weekly ticket would be?

Is there parking at the train station in Drogheda?

There is a car park with 400 spaces. http://irishrail.ie/drogheda

You should be able to get a Dublin Bus / Luas / Bus Éireann add-on to these for a few hundred euros per year. Check out www.taxsaver.ie also. Talk to them if you need a different ticket, e.g. a Bus Éireann annual ticket. Note that the Bus Éireann station in Drogheda is much nearer the town centre than the train station.

To Howth Junction (valid all stations Drogheda-Howth Junction) http://railusers.ie/passenger_info/fare_calc_2013.php?station_from=DGHDA&station_to=HWTHJ&stage1=Submit+Query

Station From: Drogheda (McBride)
Station To: Howth Junction

The journey distance is: 42.48km, fare zone DE future zone C

Ticket Adult Child Student 16-25 Family
Single €14.70 €7.00 €10.50 €11.00
Open Return €21.70 €10.50 €15.00 €16.00 €43.50
Day Return €20.10 €10.00 €27.00
Monthly €200.00
Annual €2,000.00

To Connolly (valid all stations Drogheda-Connolly. You can probably get to Sydney Parade for the same prices).http://railusers.ie/passenger_info/fare_calc_2013.php?station_from=DGHDA&station_to=CNLLY&stage1=Submit+Query

Station From: Drogheda (McBride)
Station To: Dublin (Connolly)

The journey distance is: 50.12km, fare zone EE future zone D

Ticket Adult Child Student 16-25 Family
Single €16.00 €8.00 €11.00 €11.50
Open Return €24.80 €12.00 €15.40 €16.50 €49.50
Day Return €22.90 €11.00 €31.50
OffPeak commuter return €13.70 €6.50
OffPeak commuter single €13.40 €6.50
Monthly €220.00
Annual €2,200.00

http://www.busfare.co.uk/eireann.html

Service 101
7.00 : Adult Single
12.00 : Adult Rtn
11.50 : Adult Day Rtn
6.50 : Child Single
9.50 : Child Return
9.00 : Child Day Rtn
7.00 : Student Single
10.50 : Student Rtn
34.50 : Family Rtn
44.50 : Adult 10 Jny
39.50 : Student 10 Jny
31.00 : Child 10 Jny

V123

thanks victor, your a star

its quite pricey though isn't it - im trying to weigh up if it would be better driving

The area that im looking at is a good bit away from the station so it could add on a half an hours walk too you know which I don't mind but if its not much more cost to drive then I would drive

Victor

V123 wrote: »

its quite pricey though isn't it - im trying to weigh up if it would be better driving

With TaxSaver, you pay from your pre-tax income, saving you up to about half.

The area that im looking at is a good bit away from the station so it could add on a half an hours walk too you know which I don't mind but if its not much more cost to drive then I would drive

There is a Drogheda town bus service, but it isn't great: http://buseireann.ie/pdf/1336734062-173.pdf

You could get a folding bike (use the Bike-toWork scheme) to bring on the train (free). Full-size bikes only on Enterprise services (charge) or Commuter carried off-peak for free, banned at peak times.

Another option, but agains via city centre: http://commuter.matthews.ie/

lOWCOUNTRY

Regarding commuting:

You cannot assume that fuel costs and other running costs of a car will stay the same. The cost of fuel has escalated drastically in recent years.

You cannot assume there will always be parking or that it will always be free. Many previously free Dart stations now charge for parking.

You cannot assume that rail fares will remain as they are. With government subventions for transport dropping there is a strong possibility that fares could increase.

Commuting takes time and can be unhealthy. Sitting in a car for a couple of hours a day causes stress and is bad for physical fitness. Commuting time eats into time for leisure activities. Long commutes can also lead to under performance at work if the commute is tiring. It is also difficult to socialise with workmates because of the long trip home. This can lead to isolation/ bullying in the workplace.

Think long and hard about commuting!

V123

thanks victor, yea I never thought of a folding bike! that would be really handy for me and also would get a bit of exercise in too

V123

thanks for your comments "Iowcountry" and it is not something we are taking lightly!

I am just trying to get a feel for what is involved and estimate the cost. I do agree with 'The Spider' that it probably takes about the same time it would to come from the North side to the South side and this is something that I have done before but wouldn't have classed it as commuting as such and it wasn't a problem.

I would probably prefer to use public transport - at least you can read a book rather long concentrate on driving.

The Spider

V123 wrote: »

thanks for your comments "Iowcountry" and it is not something we are taking lightly!

I am just trying to get a feel for what is involved and estimate the cost. I do agree with 'The Spider' that it probably takes about the same time it would to come from the North side to the South side and this is something that I have done before but wouldn't have classed it as commuting as such and it wasn't a problem.

I would probably prefer to use public transport - at least you can read a book rather long concentrate on driving.

Well good and bad to everything really, depends on where you are inlife if you're at the settling down family stage, then you won't beat the space you'll get outside Dublin, if you're in the still wanting to go out to bars and concerts and that, then I would think about if it's the right thing to do.

markpb

The Spider wrote: »

There is no way on earth we would have the same standard of living we have now, if we lived in Dublin.

The Spider wrote: »

Well good and bad to everything really, depends on where you are inlife if you're at the settling down family stage, then you won't beat the space you'll get outside Dublin, if you're in the still wanting to go out to bars and concerts and that, then I would think about if it's the right thing to do.

I don't understand that at all (not disrespecting the fact that it's down to personal opinion). How would your standard of living improve by spending more time commuting and less at home?

I rent a house in Dublin, close to my workplace (5 min walk to my baby's creche and a further 5 minutes walk to work), we have a garden at the back, a football field and tennis courts right outside, a park with playground 10 minutes walk away so there's plenty of "space". We're close to the Luas and reasonably close to the city centre so commuting costs (if I ever move) are minimal and a taxi home after a night out doesn't cost a fortune. We're also a 15 minute bus trip to Dun Laoghaire if we want to go to the coast at the weekend.

V123

yes The Spider, we are at the settling down family stage.

Markpb, in my situation, we are renting a place for twice what the mortgage would cost per month. We live in a high rise apartment on the top floor with large balcony but no garden etc - not really good for children!

If we keep renting for the next 4-5 years, we will have spent about 40 thousand euro in rent and have nothing to show for it.

At least if we buy then that money wont be wasted and I would like to live in an area where there is a nice community with lots of company and friends for my children to grow up in.

markpb

V123 wrote: »

If we keep renting for the next 4-5 years, we will have spent about 40 thousand euro in rent and have nothing to show for it.

On the other hand, if you rent near where you live, you won't be paying:
- management fees (for apartments or houses in managed estates)
- repairs and maintenance (both internally and externally)
- property tax
- commuting costs

Over 4-5 years, those add up to a lot of costs. Property tax in a few years will most likely be vastly higher than it is now. Petrol and car tax are also quite likely to rise. Public transport costs will definitely rise and the level of service (by public operators) is quite likely to fall as they handle their financial problems. You also need to factor in the time you spend commuting is time not spent with the friends and family you chose to live near.

Lastly, you also have the advantage of being able to move more easily if you change jobs or if your job moves location.

Anyway like I said, I was just trying to understand why people do this. It's all personal opinion and I hope it goes well for you

RATM

OP what part of Drogheda are you thinking of buying in ? It has some very rough parts and isn't as safe as you think it might be. If you are going to live in a commuter town I think there are better options tbh.

V123

hi ratm, we haven't looked at any place particularly yet but we will look at areas carefully. I do think everywhere has 'rough places' though!

sorry im new to this, what does 'tbh' mean?

the reason we are choosing Drogheda is because I know people that live there so we were considering Drogheda, Bettystown, Laytown - out that way you know . I'm not sure I know anyone in any other commuter towns though!

The Spider

markpb wrote: »

I don't understand that at all (not disrespecting the fact that it's down to personal opinion). How would your standard of living improve by spending more time commuting and less at home?

I rent a house in Dublin, close to my workplace (5 min walk to my baby's creche and a further 5 minutes walk to work), we have a garden at the back, a football field and tennis courts right outside, a park with playground 10 minutes walk away so there's plenty of "space". We're close to the Luas and reasonably close to the city centre so commuting costs (if I ever move) are minimal and a taxi home after a night out doesn't cost a fortune. We're also a 15 minute bus trip to Dun Laoghaire if we want to go to the coast at the weekend.

Ah, this is easy, I've spent years living in Dublin renting close to work moving all over the city as I changed jobs, anyway long story short, I'm not from Dublin either is the miss us, we have a 10 month old baby girl, so we decided to move south to be closer to family.

We bought a 250 sq meter detached house on 1.6 acres behind electric gates and a winding driveway for less than the price of a two bed apartment in dun drum, last year when prices were less than they are now, the house is 1km to town where there's 18 restaurants, 14 pubs, a tesco an aldi a liddl and a super value, we're a 4km drive to the beach, our garden is surrounded by trees, so north facing south facing isn't an issue, we have the sun until it disappears.

The downside is obviously the commute, but it's not that bad 50 minutes door to door, I've spent longer going from point A to B in Dublin.

We also have family down here so the baby is in the creche 3 days as opposed to 5, spends the other 2 with her Granny.

If being close to work is your motivating factor that's fine, but I spent a long time going from one rented house to another and everyone who rents knows deep down that its not their house, a landlord can inspect it at any time with a weeks notice and that even more than not being able to decorate it is the big factor for me.

V123

sounds good to me The Spider! Looks like you made a good choice there!

nomoreindie

The Spider wrote: »

Best to get in now, you'll get something decent in Drogheda or any other commuter town now, give it a year and those places will start to feel price pressure as prices rise to high in Desirable areas of Dublin.

I've done the same except in the opposite direction on the east coast, commute every day, takes a little bit of getting used to, but very doable, takes about the same time it took to come from the North side to the South side, I should clarify that we have family in the area we bought, but there is no way on earth we would have the same standard of living we have now, if we lived in Dublin.

Your first paragraph wouldnt look out of place in the Irish Independent.
The op should maybe rent short term in Drogheda to see how they find the commute.

V123

yea we were considering that but having looked at what's up for rent there, the price of renting in Drogheda does not reflect what our mortgage payment would be and while renting we would also have to factor in commuting which im guessing will be about 300 a month - so we would be paying near what we are paying now plus 300 for commute and we are trying to save as much deposit as posible

Juwwi

I do the commute by car and it can be a nightmare.

I'd strongly advise renting for a year before you buy.

If your from Dublin and have lived there all your life it will be a big change.

Laytown and Bettystown don't realy have a lot going for them in my opinion,
if I was buying in the places you have mentioned l'd be looking at Grange Rath.

The Spider

Like I said I'm not from Dublin, so to be honest it was an easy decision for me, I'd still rather be back to where I'm from, but not to be!

I'd think long and hard about the move if you are from Dublin, it can be a big change moving from a city to a small town especially if there's no family in the area, but if your girlfriend/wife is from there, like it or not that's where you're going :-)

RATM

V123 wrote: »

hi ratm, we haven't looked at any place particularly yet but we will look at areas carefully. I do think everywhere has 'rough places' though!

sorry im new to this, what does 'tbh' mean?

the reason we are choosing Drogheda is because I know people that live there so we were considering Drogheda, Bettystown, Laytown - out that way you know . I'm not sure I know anyone in any other commuter towns though!

Right well you're right to believe that it has its rough areas- I grew up there and there are areas of the town I'd avoid like the plague. You want to be south of the river if you're commuting in any case- being north of it can be a nightmare as you face traffic jams to get over the bridges and out of town before your commute really begins. There are a lot of fairly decent houses around the Dublin Road areas from the train station to further south of the town. I'd avoid Laytown if I were you, few murders down that way wouldn't have me feeling nice about bringing kids up there. Bettystown has a nice beach but otherwise I'm not sure.

I would go along with others and say that I think you should rent for a year there first before purchasing. You might not like it and would then be stuck there, better to have the flexibility of being able to change your mind a year down the road.

V123

V123 wrote: »

yes The Spider, we are at the settling down family stage.

Markpb, in my situation, we are renting a place for twice what the mortgage would cost per month. We live in a high rise apartment on the top floor with large balcony but no garden etc - not really good for children!

If we keep renting for the next 4-5 years, we will have spent about 40 thousand euro in rent and have nothing to show for it.

At least if we buy then that money wont be wasted and I would like to live in an area where there is a nice community with lots of company and friends for my children to grow up in.

If you not too set on an area of Drogheda I would deffo choose the southside of the Boyne. Some nice areas near the station with decent amenities nearby such as good schools and creches and bars and restaurants. Wheaton Hall , Deepforde and Grangerath are all decent estates. Lived in Drogheda for 6 years now coming from Dublin and would not move back if I could afford it. Love the area and the people are very friendly. As others have said though might be best renting even for six months to get a feel for the area and the commute.