Where to live between Coventry and Marlow?

browny5678 · 21 February 2018 at 3:45PM

Hi,

I have a new job based near Coventry/Leamington which means we'll have to move from our current home in Suffolk. Husband currently does a 2h each way train commute into Central London for work (which unsurprisingly he hates!), but is likely to shift into his company's Marlow office. Bearing in mind both of us will be driving, we're trying to work out where to move to in between the 2. He wants to be able to get to the office in 90mins, including time to find parking in Marlow which is apparently not easy. I don't want a commute much over 90mins either if possible, but have no issues with parking on my end.

We've looked briefly at Bicester, Banbury and surroundings, but its difficult to work out what the traffic will be like just based on google, as we know the M40 can be pretty horrendous.

Any advice on where would be a good base? Is Banbury going to be too far north for him to be able to get from home to desk in 90 mins? We would like to live somewhere reasonably nice (sadly Oxford is way over budget!) and be close to a few shops etc, but schools aren't a consideration for us. We're hoping to get down to the area and look around soon but are trying to glean all the info we can!

Thanks in advance for any help

hazyjo · 21 February 2018 at 4:44PM

Don't know the areas well, but would have thought you'd be better off as near to Marlow as possible so one has a short commute through the worst traffic and the other who's going the furthest is going against a lot of the traffic.

Been to Thame which was lovely. Is that too over budget?

G_M · 21 February 2018 at 5:17PM

One of you finds a new job closer to the location of the other's.

Long term this commute is going to knacker one, both or the other.

Residential mooring on the Thames?

hazyjo · 21 February 2018 at 5:47PM

Can one of you get a train and live on the train route somewhere while the other drives?

Agree with G_M, commuting by car is a killer. My friend used to drive halfway round the M25 every day. Was soul destroying, dangerous, and exhausting.

kerri_gt · 21 February 2018 at 6:57PM

I was going to suggest perhaps one could get the train too - although Marlow is on the GWR line which is essentially in and out of Paddington and through to the west so not great if you're North of that.

Though it would be potentially possible to get a train into Reading, change to then go to Maidenhead and change to get the train to Marlow (thinking of ways to avoid London)

Lokolo · 21 February 2018 at 7:49PM

I second Thame. A nice area. And between the two.

If not you basically want somewhere along the M40. Easy to get to Coventry and decent enough to get to Marlow from Handy Cross High Wycombe junction along A404 (known as Marlow bypass).

The Marlow Bypass and Handy Cross is awful on Fridays and between 8-9 on weekdays.

tarab1986 · 21 February 2018 at 10:31PM

ive lived local to that area for a long time and am used to the m40 commute, you're right in thinking that Bicester or Banbury are good choices. You'll get more for your money in Banbury as it's cheaper than Bicester IMO is also a lot easier to get on and off the M40 as long as your living the 'right side' as Banbury town centre snarls up quite a bit in the mornings. Banbury is fairly decent for shops and has improved a lot over the years. You'd have options to go non motorway to leamington in the event of accidents ect.

Bicester is probably considered nicer than Banbury by most locals (closer to Oxford and therefore more expensive), it's smaller and has a better reputation - but some mornings you might queue for 30 minutes before even joining the M40

Thame is also a nice location but I'm less familiar with prices in that part of the county

I'd echo that the handycross roundabout can be soul destroying some mornings. It might be possible to avoid if you come off the motorway early at stoke church but I've never done that commute as im often heading to wycombe from my way.

If I had the choice I'd probably go for Banbury in terms of value for money and at least one of you will have a relatively nice/straightforward commute. I'd discount Bicester as the extra junction south on the m40 won't save hubby much time and will add a significant chunk of time onto your commute.

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Where to live between Coventry and Marlow?

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