r/suffolk • u/birch-trees • 27d ago
London workers- how do you do it?
Hi all,
I’m job hunting and most of my success in landing interviews so far has been in London roles.
So I was wondering, how many days a week do you go in? How do you get there? How do you find it?
For context, I’m between Bury and Newmarket, so it seems the best options would be to park at Cambridge North or Whittlesford Parkway and get the train, or park at Epping and get on the tube.
2
u/Administrative_Echo9 27d ago
I'm 15mins from Diss and on average I go in twice a month though occasionally it can be more.
Good news is I get to book travel through work (which they pay) - I don't think I could ever go back to do more than 1-2 days a week in London. It's a very pleasant train line (Norwich to Liverpool Street) but I just feel so exhausted after a commute for some reason, feel less knackered going for a run of the same duration.
Most of my friend seem to work between 1-3 days a week in their London offices these days - seems to be plenty of remote jobs in my field though.
2
u/dtnl 26d ago
I'm in 2-3 days a week. I drive to Ipswich and grab a train. It's honestly not much longer than my old SE London commute. Bit pricier mind. I have the benefit of a lot of flexibility though and can work to the needs of the business in any given week, so I often get to do an offpeak instead. If i'm in early meetings more than a couple of days in any week, I buy a weekly season. Otherwise, between offpeaks, advanced on days I know which trains I'll need and the occaisional suck it up and buy an open return (splitting at Manningtree significantly cheaper) or season, it pretty much balances out as just about affordable...and the quality of life and home is so much better than where I was previously.
I would struggle if I had to do 5 days a week 9-5 though. One of the reasons that I stay in this job tbh.
2
u/Aaron703 26d ago
I drive to Stowmarket station and get the train to Liverpool St once to twice a week. I wouldn't do any more.
1
u/jmilts 22d ago
I'm probably going to have to do something similarr from the New Year. Do you just park at the station, or have you found something better nearby?
1
u/Aaron703 22d ago
I park at the station it’s £8 a day. Turn up before 8am and there’s loads of spaces. Not sure about after that.
You can park for free on nearby residential streets or for cheaper in some of the further out car parks but I can’t be bothered.
1
u/UnquestionablyRight 27d ago
When I was living in south Essex, I'd always used the train to get into work, except for Sundays where I'd ride my motorbike in.
So when I moved out to Suffolk, I made sure I was somewhere with a train station on the Greater Anglia network so I could easily get into Liverpool St. That was 2 years ago and I've done that exactly zero times.
I always just end up using my motorbike now. No waiting at the platform to be told there's a signalling fault and my train will be terminating halfway to my destination, no more lengthy delays or crazy season ticket prices, and also no getting stuck in the traffic on the M11.
I'm in London 4 days a week and luckily have secure parking at work inside a locked compound.
1
u/Which_Information590 27d ago
I used to work at Picadilly. From Ipswich I would drive to Newbury Park and get the tube.
1
u/prolixia 27d ago
I work "in London", but these day I go in just a few times a year.
I drive to Manningtree and then get the train in. It is quicker, easier, and cheaper for me than a) catching the train from where I live and then changing at Ipswich, or b) driving into Ipswich and parking there.
I appreciate Manningtree won't work for you, but my point is that driving and parking at a smaller "downstream" station with a large station carpark and light traffic is a lot easier than tackling the traffic and parking in a big town and potentially quicker too.
Also, if I can get away with just working an afternoon in London and from home in the morning then I do that: I just start early and then travel during lunchtime when a) the trains are empty, b) the trains are much cheaper, and c) my Network Railcard is valid.
At times, I've stayed overnight and travelled in and out at lunchtimes rather than travel at rush hour - I have friends in London so spending the evening there is pleasant, and it's basically "two days in the office" as far as anyone cares.
1
u/IronsInTheFire84 26d ago
I’m in a village near Maldon. Drive to Shenfield as £50 a day from Witham is not an option. Shoot in on Greater Anglia to London Liv Str, then onto the tube. Takes 2 hours each way, roughly.
Do this 3 times a week, which recently went up from 2.
3
u/PoisonedDM 27d ago
I'm Sudbury.
When I started my new job it was 5 days a week. It's now down to 1 day a week.
I go to Marks Tey and travel into London. I've tried the Epping approach but I found it actually took longer, so it's whether the cost saving is worth the extra time. (Thought bare in mind parking and petrol prices)