thread: How Long Is Your Commute (Including Drop-off)?

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  1. #1
    Registered User
    Add fionas on Facebook

    Apr 2007
    Recently treechanged to Woodend, VIC
    3,473

    How Long Is Your Commute (Including Drop-off)?

    Just curious how long people's commutes to work are (including drop-off to childcare/school) etc.

    We recently moved to the country and after working in Melbourne CBD for the last 20ish years, the idea of taking an hour to get there doesn't appeal as I think that's WAY too long. But maybe that's normal.
    Last edited by Amity; April 2nd, 2011 at 11:11 PM.

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Dec 2006
    In my own private paradise
    15,272

    i'm down to about 90 seconds now but for about four years before DD, it was 40 minutes each way, then when i had to drop her off and pick her up, it blew out to being about 65 each way (she was still breast fed and would want a feed before i left and when i got there as i'd have to wake her to leave at 6.30 for a 7.40 start)

  3. #3

    Jun 2010
    District Twelve
    8,425

    Hour and a half each way here...I hate it

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Jun 2010
    763

    I have a 35min express train with a 15 min walk to the station. I'm not currently doing drop off's as df is home, but when I do it will probably be a 25min drive and drop off and then a 40min express train (because I need to park I go one stop further back). Before I had DS, I would leave work at 4:45 to make it back for a 6pm pick up. We live in Sydney, so no real choice but to live this far out so we can afford a nice house with a big yard. I only work 3 days per week so I think the commute is worth it, if I want to work closer to home I would have to work full time to earn the same amount of money if not less.

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Mar 2006
    7,046

    Fi, you know where I work I live (approx) 35Km from work. My trip to work takes me anywhere from 30 min (granted that is at 6am) to 90+ minutes (for a 930 start). If I am starting work at 0930, I leave home no later than 0800 to drop DD off at Kinder/Creche and then continue on to work (I prefer to leave by 0750 but she isn't always intune with that!). I only do drop off's if I'm starting 0900 or later. If I am on the late shift, my trip to work is 45 min (give or take) and I leave at 1130.

    My trip home is much quicker. I can do door to door (including picking DD up from Kinder and having a social chat with carers) in 1 hour. If I'm not collecting DD it is about a 45 min trip.

    Coincidently, if I were to catch the train (and didn't have to worry about drop off/pick up) it would take me around 40 min on the train (longer if it's an all stations) plus the 5 min walk each way from the station to home. But because I'd have to take the train two stops in the opp direction of where I actually need to go for work, then walk 2Km, drop off, then walk 2Km and get a train to the city... it would take over 2 hours!

  6. #6
    Senior Moderator

    Nov 2004
    Chickens.
    4,989

    It takes me about 40 mins. I drive to my Dad's (12min), drop off the kids(2 min), drive to the station closest to him (10min), catch express train (16 min), walk to office (4 min).

    I loved living in the country, 10 min walk to work, so nice.

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Jul 2005
    Rural NSW
    6,975

    I agree, and have always wondered why so many people commute so far... how can they afford the petrol, wear and tear on the car, and time?

    As you know we have also moved to the country and now my DH can walk to work if he chooses but as he sometimes needs his car he drives down the street (about 5 blocks) to park the car closer to the office... and yay for free all day parking!

    We live 1 block away from my DDs school and 2 blocks away from my DSs school. I'm still a SAHM but there is also a childcare centre on our street that i could use if i worked.

    In the city DH bought a weekly train ticket for about $30 so we don't have to buy that anymore. He also doesn't have to commute for nearly an hour per day (30 mins each way, no drop off).

    We've always been a huge advocate for living fairly close to work though. I think if many people did the sums it would almost work out cheaper to live closer to work (if work is in the same spot each day) than to say, live on the outskirts of a major city and commute into the CBD and pay for petrol/wear and tear on the car and parking.... plus all the convenience food because you have no time to cook.

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Apr 2009
    in the garden
    3,767

    It's about 15 minutes now - 5 to daycare, 10 to do the drop off and 5 to work - so actually 20 I guess.

    Back when DS2 was in care it was 5min to daycare, 15 min to train station, 20 min train ride & 5 min walk. So about 45 - 50 minutes.

  9. #9
    Registered User

    Jan 2007
    WA
    1,577

    I'm not back at work yet but daycare is a 5 min drive and then my office is about 30-40 mins but depends on the time of day. I've been able to sublease parking in my office building so I get to park right under the building

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Hork-Bajir Valley
    5,722

    We just moved 2 towns away from where I currently work, sound far but is ok 35km, which takes about 25min door to door. I was doing the same when I lived in canberra but took so long cause of lights etc...
    Soon though ill be working 1 1/2hrs away from home... But will have onsite accomadation I can use.

    Sent via my vortex manipulator

  11. #11
    Registered User

    Jan 2006
    country victoria
    1,055

    I live on a farm 45km from town. It is a 30min drive into town, then I do a school drop off, and then kinder and daycare drop off, luckily they are in the same building. So in all leave home at 8am to start work at 9am.

  12. #12
    Registered User

    Aug 2006
    On the other side of this screen!!!
    11,129

    Well it takes me 45min to 1hr15min (depending on the vagaries of the pub transport system) BUT I just plug into my iphone, surf BB, read, whatever, so it's bonus chillout time in my day. Can't complain about that .

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Aug 2007
    Melbourne - west
    528

    My job is 1 min drive, or a twelve min walk so I save lots of money not needing to pay for travel and some exercise. Its great... Although the job itself is not the best paying money and is a supermarket doing admin, but I cant really complain.....

  14. #14
    Registered User

    Nov 2004
    Melbourne VIC
    1,733

    About 45-50 minutes including drop off. I hate the travel time, but unfortunately jobs are hard to come by much closer to home than that for us. But, we would never move to be closer to work because we love where we live.