23 replies to this topic

[Mandeep]

Hi all,

My wife and I are planning to move to Chesham quite soon from the East side of London - we like the Chesham area, it's affordable for us, and it's closer to the motorway links heading up North where our parents live. We're still however having doubts about the long commute into London and whether or not we'd get completely fed-up with it!

Where we currently live isn't very nice at all and not a great place to raise a family, but at present I only have a 25 minute commute into work and my wife's commute is only about 35 minutes. From Chesham the commute for us both will be about 1.5 hours - give or take 10 mins depending on the walk from home to the station.

So my question is, is the commute worth it? And is it something we'll eventually get used to? Also, how reliable are the tubes from/to Chesham?

If there is any other advise or tips you can give us that would also be great!

Thank you!

[Matthew (MPJ/Admin)]

You get used to the commute! Where about will you have to commute to? This can make a difference and depending on costs you might find it quicker to travel to Amersham and pick up a Chiltern service into Marylebone, or even Hemel and get a Lonodn Midland service to Euston. Off peak travel to the area is now very slow!

[PeterC]

I live just outside Chesham and drive to Chalfont and Latimer which has a much more frequent service. When I worked on the South Bank it was very convenient to get a Chiltern to Marylebone and then Bakerloo but now, working in The City, the long run on the Met does become tiresome while the walk from Marylebone to Baker Street takes away the advantage if using Chiltern.

As Matthew says off peak journeys are now very slow but on the other hand, with Oyster, are quite ridiculously cheap.

[Mandeep]

Hi guys, thank you for such quick replies!

I will be travelling to North Greenwich and my wife to Moorgate. We have contemplated getting the train from Amersham, or as Peter mentioned, Chalfont and Latimer, however I'm assuming you mean drive to these stations? If so, how much is the parking? Do most people drive to the station or walk?

Do you also know what the buses are like in Chesham and are there any that go all the way to Amersham? If so, how long does it usually take?

I don't think getting the train to Marylebone would really knock a huge amount of time of my travel, but as I understand it trains from Amersham leave every 5 mins or so, but from Chesham are every 30 mins? Therefore Amersham (Or C&L) would be another option if you've missed your train to/from Chesham - especially in the evening.

Thanks...

P.S. We did get the off-peak service last week to Chesham - it did take quite a while!

[Matthew (MPJ/Admin)]

Trains from Amersham are not very 5 minutes or so, more like 15 minutes, with some no nstop to Marylebone.

For Moorgate the Met is probably the best

There are quite a few buses between Amersham and Chesham, but nothing very early (I don't think) and they don't run much into the evening at any decent interval. During peak hours the time taken to get between Amersham and Chesham can be a long time owing to school traffic.

[147]

Although there are 4 trains per hour to and from Amersham, they are not equally spaced.met services southbound and Chilter are every 30 minutes each with a 9 minute gap between met and chiltern. On the north the chiltern arrives about 5 minutes after the met.

[cathindia]

You asked about carparking. The daily rate at Amersham (at the car part nearest to the station) is £5 and at the station car park in Little Chalfont it is £3.50. I think you may be able to buy a season ticket for the Amersham car part but I am not sure. I drive to Little Chalfont. As pps have said there are more frequent tubes (although to be honest I get the train whenever possible as it is quicker and more reliable) and you are a zone closer (since I don't go in everyday I use my Oyster Card rather than have a season ticket) so it is cheaper! I have always been able to park in the car park (I usually get there about 8.15am).

Hope this helps.

[PeterC]

Cathindia beat me to it, I have never had a problem parking at C&L either. I don't think there is any difference on PAYG, I haven't checked travelcard prices this year or last. You can get a season for the car park but I never found it cost effective.

[Mandeep]

Thank you for the car parking advice...

Reading what everyone has written it seems that there are plenty of different options available, what with being able to get the train as well as the tube, and the various station and car park options. For us all these different options are good when there are tube delays/closures etc, but it doesn't actually reduce our commuting time - the commute will still be approx 1.5 hours.

Therefore I just have one other question really - is living in the Amersham/Chesham area worth the long commute? We really like the area from the few visits we've made, but obviously don't know it as well as people that currently live there - your thoughts and opinions would really help...?

[147]

I wouldn't live any where else. But then again having been born here I'm biased.

[PeterC]

We are probably a self selecting group here. I know people who would never move beyond the reach of a night bus and others who wouldn't live in London if you gave them a free house and travelcards for life.

For myself I love living in the countryside just outside Chesham with London on the doorstep. The travelling to work is tiresome but that is the price that I am willing to pay.

[Rob75]

Therefore I just have one other question really - is living in the Amersham/Chesham area worth the long commute? We really like the area from the few visits we've made, but obviously don't know it as well as people that currently live there - your thoughts and opinions would really help...?

Your business of course, but 3 hrs travelling each day is a lot. You talk about raising kids etc - I suspect at that point 3 hrs might be a real drag (I have an hour each way, and that is more than enough).

There are a huge amount of places within a 1.5 hr commute, and you will get more for your money in most of them. So, honestly, I would have a very good look around. (and personally I would sacrifice motorway links up north for a shorter daily commute).

[Elliott]

I moved to Amersham from Putney some 30 years ago. Travelling from south of the river to work in North Kensington was a bind, but I soon found commuting from further afield to be very tiresome indeed. The trains were (and still are) often quite full, so you would need to be prepared to stand for the duration of the journey into, and possibly out of, London.

On the other hand, I love Amersham and the surrounding area. It's reasonably safe and relaxed. The locals are friendly. There are community events dotted through the year. There are plenty of opportunities for evening classes, sports, drama etc. And even the worst school is on a par with middling schools elsewhere.

Chesham, especially, has a good ethnic mix and everyone rubs along nicely (there's always the odd idiot, but they are idiots and very rare). Shops in Chesham are more varied than Amersham.

Three hours is a big chunk out of a day, but a lot of people do it.

[Eaton]

My husband commutes to Moorgate each day, he uses the Chiltern Turbo for comfort and walks from Marylebone to Baker St, (5 mins), before jumping on any train that is going in his direction. I drop him at the station and pick him up each day and his daily commute is about 3 hours. It would be more if he had to drive and park and of course there are the financial implications of parking at the station. There are season tickets available for the car park but I can't remember what they cost.

He tends to doze or read on the train as he gets such an early train 6.24am that seating is never an issue. I know that he would rather not have the commute but the standard of living is much higher. However, he does not have to cook a meal, read to children etc when he gets in from work.

One thing you must take into account is that when there are problems on the train there are real problems. It's not unheard of for my husband to spend 4 hours trying to get home from work when there are signal problems etc. It's not common but does happen around 4 times a year.

[Mandeep]

Really helpful comments -thanks again!
So it looks like the commute will be something we'd get used to.
We've visted properties at Hilltop, off Berkhamstead Rd and Waterside (i think). They all have quite a different feel, do you have any thoughts on areas?

[147]

We lived on hilltop for seven years, and it does look that the parking there is better than chessmount. However the downside if you're going to chalfont for the train is the return journey through Chesham in the evening.

[cathindia]

If you are thinking of starting a family, you should also take into account childcare with the commute. Most nurserys/after school clubs only run until 6pm. I work near Charing Cross. I leave work at 5pm and I get the 5.27pm train from Marylebone which enables me to pick up my children from the childminder at 18.15. I could not put them in the after school clubs as they all finish too early so I have had to find someone to pick them up from school and look after them. This is more expensive than the after school clubs. This is just something you might want to bear in mind.

[PeterC]

However the downside if you're going to chalfont for the train is the return journey through Chesham in the evening.

You could drive via Ley Hill and Latimer.

with regard to a commute to the City, once you add on the walk from Marylebone to Baker Street I find little or no time advantage in using Chiltern as you may wait a long time to get through the barriers at Marylebone. I am assuming a commute for a 9am arrival between Farringdon and Liverpool Street of course.
If I get a Chiltern train I normally change at Harrow.

[cathindia]

little or no time advantage in using Chiltern as you may wait a long time to get through the barriers at Marylebone.

You might be interested to know that the barriers at Marylebone were removed last weekend. It is now a free-for-all. It you are using oyster cards, there are various card readers dotted around to use, but no barriers to go through.....

[Matthew (MPJ/Admin)]

You might be interested to know that the barriers at Marylebone were removed last weekend. It is now a free-for-all. It you are using oyster cards, there are various card readers dotted around to use, but no barriers to go through.....

The removal of the barriers is only temporary. They are being replaced in a different formation, (a kind of a V shape I have been told) and there will be 3 extra gates! The excess tickets booth has been removed which should help the flow of passengers through the barriers

[Bluegrass]

Personally if I was working in N Greenwich I would not move over this way, unless there was potential to change work location. Why not look at somewhere more convenient at a comparable cost. Don't really know where, East Grinstead?

[PeterC]

I missed the bit that said you were commuting to N Greenwich. As much as I like it here I wouldn't have moved here from Essex if I was working there. If you want somewhere semi-rural look in the Brentwood / Ongar / Chelmsford / Billericay area. No doubt somebody here will start putting down Essex, with about as much justification as slagging off Amersham because it is in the same county as Milton Keynes, but it is a very nice area,

If by "north" you mean east of the Pennines then the M11 / A1 is also a much easier drive than the M1

[Mandeep]

I understand that there are areas we could potentially move to that would be closer for us, and even potentially cheaper. However one of the big reasons why we are looking closely at Amersham/Chesham is because of the easy(ier) commute to the West Midlands which we do at least twice a month.

At the moment it take us well over 2 ours (about 115 miles), however from Chesham would take is about 1.5 hours (85 miles). Essex would be even further I'm assuming.

Hopefully it will only be a couple of years before we can both find work closer to the West of London etc. And if we find that it's not for us, and the commute isn't something we can carry on with, then can always move again I suppose!

[Bluegrass]

Sorry don't follow your logic on this one. To save 4 hours per month going to W Mids you are willing to spend at least another 2 hours per day communting = 40 hours per month? I would suggest with a family it would be much better for the balance to be the other way around. Also you say that you can move again. True, however there is no certaintity in the housing market in the short term and also the sheer cost of moving and stamp duty make this not really viable for most. You don't want to get settled into a community and schools and then have to move. Much better to get it right now. Obviously I don't know you or your particular situation but have a good think about this is my advice.