Commuting to London Guide

It's worth it! (For them and you!)

"YOU can park at the station, you can usually get a seat, and, best of all, when you get out of the train on a spring evening your nostrils fill with fresh, clean country air. This may be why as many as one in 10 Londoners say they would be prepared to live up to two hours' commuting distance from their desks.

The New Forest is a mix of woodland, open land and gorse that touches the coast at its southernmost end. Handsome towns, such as Lymington, are providing permanent homes for Londoners who commute from Brockenhurst to Waterloo in 90 minutes. 'The New Forest is not cheap, and once people have moved there, they tend to stay,' says Kevin Allen, of John D Wood in Lymington (01590 677233). 'Prices are high - we have had people from Wandsworth and Fulham telling us so. It is expensive, but we don't get the turnover and people have to pay premium prices.'

Property: A mixture of red brick and pale ochre Beaulieu brick period properties in and around Lymington's Georgian high street. One-bedroom flats start about Pounds 250,000 and good family homes at about Pounds 500,000. Expect to pay a 15 per cent premium for properties south of the high street, which are closer to the sea.

Journey time: Brockenhurst to Waterloo is an hour 39 minutes. Lots of parking at Brockenhurst station and you can always get a seat.

Schools: Excellent state and private schools. See INDEPENDANT SCHOOLS & SCHOOLS.

Big attraction: You have the New Forest on one side and the sea on the other, and the area is great for sailing enthusiasts and walkers. If you want to get to know your neighbours and make local friends, this is the place to be. "It's a fabulous community, you don't have a transient population and people stay here to bring up families," says Allen. " - SARA MCCONNELL - Evening Standard 

Ed's Tips:

Brockenhurst By Rail to Waterloo:

Fares:

Please check for latest fares, but a day return during commuter hours is about £52. If you can leave slightly later, a one day travel card is about £32 including the tube etc.

Car Parking:

If you are leaving early, say before 8am, then you will have no problem parking. In most cases there are plenty of spaces the station side of the footbridge and at worst, you'll have to park the opposite side, where there are many more. The car park is Pay and Display and a full day is £3.00. If you get your parking ticket from the ticket office rather than a machine it is cheaper.

There is a taxi rank at the station, so if you can get a lift outbound, then you can always get a cab home.

Return Journey:

The return journey can be a nightmare if you don't box clever. If you arrive at the train within say 10 minutes of departure, there is a good chance you will have a job finding a seat. The trains generally leave from platforms 9-14 at Waterloo and if you can get to the platform as soon as the train is announced, then you can nab the best seats. If you are there just before, my advice is wait until a later train otherwise you could well be standing all the way to Southampton where many people do leave the train.

What do most people do:

Whilst many people still think that the amazing lifestyle afforded for their family by Lymington is worth a daily commute of this nature, many have organised their work/ life balance to say mix three days in a London office, with two days working at home. If your Employer can allow some flexibility, then by mixing your daily routine, you can actually get the benefits of both worlds. Taking into account that the fares are say £52 for a day return at peak times, then one or two nights in an affordable hotel per week is very realistic and will keep you sane.

Waterloo Station:

There is a pleasant enough Cafe overlooking Waterloo Station which has wireless internet access and a decent Capppucino.

Driving to London:

If you choose to drive to London on occasions or regularly, then the following example will help you consider your options: It takes roughly 2 hours door to door from Lymington to the West End, provided you leave early enough. Our advice is to leave Lymington before 5.45am and treat yourself to a nice breakfast when you arrive at the other end. If you leave after 5.30 ish then you can sometimes add around half an hour or more to the journey time.

It is worth mentioning, that if more than one of you is regularly commuting to London, the cost of driving in could be cheaper. For example; petrol/ diesel @ say £15 average, car parking in say Cavendish Square is £32 per day and Congestion Charge is £8 per day. (£55 as opposed to £104 by train!)

Is it worth it?

Think of an area in or near London, where you can:

Educate your children surrounded by miles and miles of open countryside and fresh air.
Take a rib or boat across to Yarmouth during a mid-week evening and have a barbeque on the beach.
Keep a horse in your back garden and ride from your door across the New Forest.
Have neighbours whose company you actually enjoy.
Walk to your local pub, rather than have to get a car or cab.

Click here to add to this list! (We are compiling a list of all the positive benefits of living in Lymington and The New Forest to be published later this year!)

This could be you early evening mid-week!