London commuters help please

[Rooter]

Chaps, I am sure a good few of you have to commute to London, having just accepted a new job, I am going to have to commute a fair bit (Liverpool Street) Probably at least 3 times a week and I am trying to work out my best options as I have to fund it myself. So far I have come up with the below options:

Train from Newbury to Paddington, parking at Newbury is fine as I have a parking space 2 min walk away, Weekly ticket is £114 per week or £426 a month. Plus tube which would be about £15 via oyster. (annual ticket is over £4k!)

Drive to Basingstoke and go to waterloo, parking is going to cost me £10 a day ish and the saving on the train is not enough to really warrant this, however south west trains are way better than first great western!!

Drive to Hammersmith (or another suggested easy place), park and get the H&C line to Liverpool street. Fuel will probably be around £25 a day, parking i expect to be circa £20 a day, plus around £5 a day on the tube so about £50, but I would have to battle the M4.

My left field option, is buy a motorbike (have a full licence) and ride all the way to Liverpool street, would buy a cheap commuter bike, fuel would prob be around £8 a day max, parking and security are my concerns here and the initial outlay of the bike and insurance etc. but have to battle idiots, buses, taxis and the weather...

Anyone any other ideas? not going to be rigid or regular enough to look at car share etc, so solo travel. I dont do buses either.

Confused as to whats going to be best for both ease, speed and cost. (and stress)

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

Chaps, I am sure a good few of you have to commute to London, having just accepted a new job, I am going to have to commute a fair bit (Liverpool Street) Probably at least 3 times a week and I am trying to work out my best options as I have to fund it myself. So far I have come up with the below options:

Train from Newbury to Paddington, parking at Newbury is fine as I have a parking space 2 min walk away, Weekly ticket is £114 per week or £426 a month. Plus tube which would be about £15 via oyster. (annual ticket is over £4k!)

Drive to Basingstoke and go to waterloo, parking is going to cost me £10 a day ish and the saving on the train is not enough to really warrant this, however south west trains are way better than first great western!!

Drive to Hammersmith (or another suggested easy place), park and get the H&C line to Liverpool street. Fuel will probably be around £25 a day, parking i expect to be circa £20 a day, plus around £5 a day on the tube so about £50, but I would have to battle the M4.

My left field option, is buy a motorbike (have a full licence) and ride all the way to Liverpool street, would buy a cheap commuter bike, fuel would prob be around £8 a day max, parking and security are my concerns here and the initial outlay of the bike and insurance etc. but have to battle idiots, buses, taxis and the weather...

Anyone any other ideas? not going to be rigid or regular enough to look at car share etc, so solo travel. I dont do buses either.

Confused as to whats going to be best for both ease, speed and cost. (and stress)

Stress wise, it looks to me like Newbury to Paddo is winning. Have a look at how much adding on the underground is to the weekly/monthly ticket, you might be surprised at how cheap it is.

I'm commuting from Didcot next month, and I'm impressed how easily I will be able to get from Didcot to Baker St, for only circa £500 per month!

 

[Deleted member 18121]

I've been through similar ideas mate....the motorbike sounds good until you realise you'll be leaving home before 6am in all conditions and will more than likely be killed on at least 17 different occasions to and from work.

I'm assuming you'll be doing commuter hours? ie leaving home at 5:30am and get home 7pm ish? TBH with the length of journey that you'll have I recommend getting the one that is the least hassle...one where you get on, sit, get off and jump in car. You want the least amount of options that could go wrong with your journey and the further you drive the worse it'll probably get.

Personally I'd choose your Newbury to Paddington idea.

 

[Rooter]

You are prob both right, just don't like spending money on travel When every job I have had before has been on a work from home contract so all expensable...

 

[CheltenhamHacker]

You are prob both right, just don't like spending money on travel When every job I have had before has been on a work from home contract so all expensable...

Very true! I just think you would be suprised how much you would be willing to offer to the Gods when you're stressed rushing for certain trains, due to roadworks in the morning. Not that Newbury/Paddo will be perfect, but once you're on the train, there is nothing you can do, so less reason to get stressed!

 

[cookelad]

Live in Zone 4 and my local station is on a route into Charing Cross or Cannon Street so it's a no brainer for me and my annual ticket is "only" £12xx!

 

[guest100718]

I work right by Liverpool Street. I can certainly advise on which bars to go to

 

[CMAC]

Can't advise Scott but delighted you have found a new role. Is it one you wanted?

 

[Rooter]

I work right by Liverpool Street. I can certainly advise on which bars to go to

I'm gonna be based on artillery lane paddy. Gladly buy you a beer one day!

 

[Rooter]

Can't advise Scott but delighted you have found a new role. Is it one you wanted?

It's slightly left field, same core industry I am used to, but very different offerings! It's not quite 100% perfect, but having not worked for almost 3 months, beggars can't be chosers! It's a great company, great prospects etc. In fact my first week is 4 days in Seattle then 3 in Denver. Not a bad week 1.

 

[CMAC]

It's slightly left field, same core industry I am used to, but very different offerings! It's not quite 100% perfect, but having not worked for almost 3 months, beggars can't be chosers! It's a great company, great prospects etc. In fact my first week is 4 days in Seattle then 3 in Denver. Not a bad week 1.

sounds good- USA company? Delighted for you and the (growing) family

 

[G1BB0]

3 days a week I would just buy a daily travelcard tbh as a weekly will probs cost more overall

 

[Hickory_Hacker]

I hopped about all over the place last weekend using an Oyster Card, well impressed. Every time you want to get somewhere it's hey presto with no waiting :thup:

Disappointing that I didn't get a free train ride from my old fag end smelling mate Tizzard but all in all it was worth the trip ... ELO and all the rest in Hyde Park, happy days

 

[MikeH]

Chaps, I am sure a good few of you have to commute to London, having just accepted a new job, I am going to have to commute a fair bit (Liverpool Street) Probably at least 3 times a week and I am trying to work out my best options as I have to fund it myself. So far I have come up with the below options:

Train from Newbury to Paddington, parking at Newbury is fine as I have a parking space 2 min walk away, Weekly ticket is £114 per week or £426 a month. Plus tube which would be about £15 via oyster. (annual ticket is over £4k!)

Drive to Basingstoke and go to waterloo, parking is going to cost me £10 a day ish and the saving on the train is not enough to really warrant this, however south west trains are way better than first great western!!

Drive to Hammersmith (or another suggested easy place), park and get the H&C line to Liverpool street. Fuel will probably be around £25 a day, parking i expect to be circa £20 a day, plus around £5 a day on the tube so about £50, but I would have to battle the M4.

My left field option, is buy a motorbike (have a full licence) and ride all the way to Liverpool street, would buy a cheap commuter bike, fuel would prob be around £8 a day max, parking and security are my concerns here and the initial outlay of the bike and insurance etc. but have to battle idiots, buses, taxis and the weather...

Anyone any other ideas? not going to be rigid or regular enough to look at car share etc, so solo travel. I dont do buses either.

Confused as to whats going to be best for both ease, speed and cost. (and stress)

feel the pain scooter!
my season ticket is £3.8K and then another £800 to park. eye-watering stuff

Over the course of a year I probably average 3 days a week in the office and the season ticket is better value (and tons less hassle) than buying a combo of daily, weekly and monthlies

as you know I berate SW trains on twitter (probaly more other commuters than them actually) but the service is pretty good

from talking to Michael Weston who used to work for us and commute from Bstoke but now works at Foremost in Slough he uses FGW and says it is indeed rubbish compared to SWT

If you dont want to tune it apparently there is decent bus from W'Loo to Liv St or you could walk it - Tom our content editor walks the ohter way from Liv St to us and says takes him 25 mins

surely the tube from Waterloo to Liv St would be a lot less hassle from Paddington

and finally, dont even think about driving. it'll do your nut in and pretty much all parking in west london is residents only

 

[guest100718]

I'm gonna be based on artillery lane paddy. Gladly buy you a beer one day!

And 9 holes round pebble down at urban smithfield

 

[Rooter]

Thanks all

Cmac - yes a US based co
Mike - yes, swt are way better than fgw. Would never drive the car further than hammersmith, ever! London does my nut in the car! Pads to liv st is only 25 on the h&c line, it's actually ok.. Yes Waterloo is easier, but Basingstoke is a 25/30min drive and parking there is a. Limited and b. Expensive! Might look at Whitchurch as that's closer to me, same line etc..
Gibbo- a daily ticket with tube is £59. If I am going more than 2 days a week, a weekly ticket is better vfm.
Paddy - never been there, it's a date!

 

[G1BB0]

£59!!!! Ouch!!!

I tend to get weekly/monthly and travelcards if I am working off peak/weekends as cheaper. Annual is the way to go but mine is 3.4k without tube. I seriously dont think there is such a thing as affordable/realistic priced travel into london these days

 

[vkurup]

Chaps, I am sure a good few of you have to commute to London, having just accepted a new job, I am going to have to commute a fair bit (Liverpool Street) Probably at least 3 times a week and I am trying to work out my best options as I have to fund it myself. So far I have come up with the below options:

Train from Newbury to Paddington, parking at Newbury is fine as I have a parking space 2 min walk away, Weekly ticket is £114 per week or £426 a month. Plus tube which would be about £15 via oyster. (annual ticket is over £4k!)

Drive to Basingstoke and go to waterloo, parking is going to cost me £10 a day ish and the saving on the train is not enough to really warrant this, however south west trains are way better than first great western!!

Drive to Hammersmith (or another suggested easy place), park and get the H&C line to Liverpool street. Fuel will probably be around £25 a day, parking i expect to be circa £20 a day, plus around £5 a day on the tube so about £50, but I would have to battle the M4.

My left field option, is buy a motorbike (have a full licence) and ride all the way to Liverpool street, would buy a cheap commuter bike, fuel would prob be around £8 a day max, parking and security are my concerns here and the initial outlay of the bike and insurance etc. but have to battle idiots, buses, taxis and the weather...

Anyone any other ideas? not going to be rigid or regular enough to look at car share etc, so solo travel. I dont do buses either.

Confused as to whats going to be best for both ease, speed and cost. (and stress)

Roots... congratulations on the new gig.. and welcome to the big smoke..


Like Mike, I give SWT a hard time, but they are one of the better service into town. I also take Southern and SouthEastern and I really dont understand where they spend all their millions.

Q) Are you always going to commute during peak times? If not then it might be worth looking to buy a network card. The NW card costs about £30 for a year, but you will recoup your money v quickly. Example: Travelcard from Woking during peak hour £27, travel after 10am with a NW card £14.5!!! Cant beat it. You will need to check when offpeak starts from your stations. I generally do my conf calls before 10 am and all the face to face after 10:30.. But if I am going to be in London most of the week then weekly or monthly is the way to go..

Also, buy your annual ticket on 31st Dec for 2015 as prices will zoom up once again..

finally Option 5: if it is too much then get another job

 

[Ethan]

I live in Wokingham and have the choice of SWT direct to Waterloo, service every half hour, takes 65 minutes approx, or FGW via Reading, more frequent service and a bit quicker overall. Even so, I almost always take SWT, because it just seems like a more pleasant experience and you usually get a seat. It is also cheaper. Waterloo is also a bit nicer than Paddington, in my opinion.

 

[Dave1980]

You could always use a borris bike once you are in London, my old boss used to do it daily from Waterloo to Moorgate, was much cheaper than the tube!