Commuting from Maidstone to Canary Wharf

jermaindefoe

Not sure how many people have heard of maidstone but i just got a job in canary wharf and my partner has one in sittingbourne. To comprimise we are going to move from faversham and then she can still drive to sittingborne and i can commute a lesser (90 min joruney to canary wharf)

My question is, has anyone got experience of commuting to london via coach. There is a local service here that offeres a season ticket, pretty much to my office door for £3500 less than the train. This seems really good value to me, there must be a down side? I guess the last bus is at 6.30 so if i have to work late i would be screwed but other than that I am not sure why I shouldn't pick the coach?

I would really appreciate peoples opinions on this, or, could anyone suggest a better area to move from (other than maidstone) that is quick to london, but my partner could still get to sittingborne.

Thanks

duchy

Gillingham ?
Direct train service to Sittingbourne and faster train connections to London. Rents/property prices are lower than Maidstone too. If you wanted something a little more rural Hempstead. Or what about just moving to Sittingbourne? No travel costs for your GF which would balance out your higher rail costs ?

You'd still have the option of the Kings Ferry Coach too. I've never used Kings Ferry to commute but know people who have-and as you rightly point out the main disadvantage is the fairly early departure of the last one -and the longer travelling time means an earlier start in the mornings. I've no idea how badly they can get delayed by traffic issues though.

jermaindefoe

duchy wrote: »

Gillingham ?
Direct train service to Sittingbourne and faster train connections to London. Rents/property prices are lower than Maidstone too. If you wanted something a little more rural Hempstead.

You'd still have the option of the Kings Ferry Coach too. I've never used Kings Ferry to commute but know people who have-and as you rightly point out the main disadvantage is the fairly early departure of the last one -and the longer travelling time means an earlier start in the mornings.

It would seem like gillingham was quicker but after you take in to account the tube/ dlr then it seems a little longer

duchy

I used the traveline south east site for train times and checked the on-time record too. From personal experience the Maidstone line I think is more subject to delays -and on the Gillingham line you have better frequency and other options if there are issues on the line. I would suggest you try the Kings Ferry coach a few times beore committing to a season ticket though.

Browntoa

Kings ferry pick up from the top of Bluebell hill , guaranteed seat on the coach both ways. As you need to pay for car park at Blue Bell alternative free option is to drive to commtuer car park at Rainham and park for free

Rainham or Gillingham are good alternatives to live, both trains straight to Sittingbourne

regular commuter on their coaches with no problem

duchy

Rainham might be another good option to consider in that case (didn't know parking was free there)

Jeff_Bridges_hair

jermaindefoe wrote: »

It would seem like gillingham was quicker but after you take in to account the tube/ dlr then it seems a little longer

Why use the DLR? Go to London Bridge and then the Jubilee line out to canary wharf. Or get the HS1 into STI(stratford) and then Jubilee down from there.

duchy

HS1 carries a supplement -faster but more expensive than London Bridge

vikingaero

My sister commutes by coach from Aylesford to Canary Wharf. The pros are the handy pick up point 150 metres from her house, more friendlier regulars on the coaches than on the trains and the lower cost compared to a train. The cons are accidents and random events affecting arrival times and the limited number of services. She finds that the limited schedule means that she can use that as an excuse to get away from work earlier and on time. If she really has to work late then she gets the train back.

jermaindefoe

vikingaero wrote: »

My sister commutes by coach from Aylesford to Canary Wharf. The pros are the handy pick up point 150 metres from her house, more friendlier regulars on the coaches than on the trains and the lower cost compared to a train. The cons are accidents and random events affecting arrival times and the limited number of services. She finds that the limited schedule means that she can use that as an excuse to get away from work earlier and on time. If she really has to work late then she gets the train back.

Thanks very much, this sounds exactly like what I want to be honest. It is just that I am worried that working in an investment bank they will want me to work all the hours availabe (even though my role is technology based)

It is nice to see that others do it and manage it well enough.

Thanks