Is google maps about right?

Malc

Malc

Malc

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Manchester
I've got a new job in London and my Girlfriend a new job in Harlow working for a large pharmaceutical company.

We've worked out that to live together she has to get the train from Liverpool street station, which is about 30 mins. My job is near New Malden just off the A3.

The area that looks the best to live in is Canada Water as I can drive to New Malden and she can get a 15min tube ride to Liverpool St then 30 min train to Harlow.

Google maps reckons 40mins for this drive

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Canada+Water+station&daddr=New+Malden+KT3+4DQ,+United+Kingdom&geocode=FaHLEQMd1j3__ykbXrQdIQN2SDHAM7I0OP7oWA%3BFQJcEAMdIBT8_ylB68hLEwl2SDE_jksZZciPfw&hl=en&mra=ls&sll=51.398777,-0.246162&sspn=0.052371,0.118961&ie=UTF8&ll=51.430039,-0.107117&spn=0.209341,0.475845&z=11

I'll be setting off about 6:30 to get to the office before 7:30 and setting off home a 4pm

My questions for anyone who has knowledge of the area are:

1) Is Google maps about right? If it is I can definitely live with 40mins each way.
2) Where else is a decent place to live that is quick to get to Liverpool station or Stratford (preferably Liverpool) and I can drive to work without getting congestion charged. I've looked at Bow but heard it's a bit of a dive, plus for Driving purposes, it's easier south of the river.

I've posted in Motors as I want a critical and serious opinion, plus it's mainly about the drive.

Cheers
 
I used to live in Colliers Wood a few years back, and my journey to work took in part of that route. Just going from Colliers Wood to Raynes Park would take a minimum of 20 mins when the schools are on, and up to an hour on bad days.

That suggested time from Google will be best possible case and does not represent what time it would take during rush hour.
 
Cheers lads.

I've just checked Colliers Wood to Raynes Park and I could alternatively just go down the A3. It's about the same time but a mile or two longer.
I reckon it'll just be trial and error when I get down there. No doubt I'll find the quickest way depending on the times after a few weeks.

What about areas to live with good access to New Malden by Car and Liverpool St Station by tube? I'm liking the look of Rotherhithe/Canada Water.
 
I use Google maps in my truck often, street view is handy for checking bridge heights before you get there!

I find the directions, more or less, good even in a 44tonner, I do tend to check with an atlas / a-z before following the directions blind though....
 
I drive to canary wharf all the time down the a3 (live in wimbledon village) at 6:30am you could probably manage is in an hour, but to be fair I take so many short cuts I can't remember the last time I just took a normal run at it! also you have the benefit of driving against the traffic so you can laugh at point at the poor fools on the a3 by clapham! :D

do you have to drive there, new malden is a doddle to get to on the railway
 
The tube is an option, but seeing as I'm taking my car down anyway and I will have a parking space at work, I imagine it'll be cheaper to drive than get the tube, considering I'll use a gallon of petrol per day which is ~£6.

I also dislike the cramped, overcrowded conditions of public transport so I try and avoid it when I can. If driving becomes a problem then I can always switch to the tube but I'd prefer not to.
 
Malc said:
The tube is an option, but seeing as I'm taking my car down anyway and I will have a parking space at work, I imagine it'll be cheaper to drive than get the tube, considering I'll use a gallon of petrol per day which is ~£6.

I also dislike the cramped, overcrowded conditions of public transport so I try and avoid it when I can. If driving becomes a problem then I can always switch to the tube but I'd prefer not to.
Click to expand...

Oh that's very much my take on public transport too, if I can get out of going anywhere near it, I will!

Some people love it though, hop on, fall alseep, arrive.

horses for courses :)
 
Canada Water is a nice area but a bit boring and like suburbia. It's quite cheap considering how close into town you are.

Bow and Stratford are not so nice basically! Plus the car journey for you would be much worse and tubing it would be a bit longer.

edit - timing is key. leaving at 6.30am gives you a chance. In full rush hour I would expect that journey to easily be an hour plus.
 
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Brilliant, Canada Water it is then.

I assume I'm going against the majority of traffic with my commute as I'm going away from the centre in a morning and back in at night. That should speed things up slightly.

Also my start time is flexible. Basically anything between 7am and 10am. I could set off at 6:15am and leave work at 3:30-4pm if needs be.
 
Have you actually looked at the journey your girlfriend would be making. Canada Water to either Liverpool Street or Tottenham Hale is not that easy (change a couple of times).

Also I guess the pharmaceutical company is the one in the Pinnacles part of Harlow, which is not exactly close to the train station (20-30min walk or 5min cramped bus).

Her journey would be about 1:30 on a good day riding "cramped, overcrowded conditions of public transport" as you put it. You get about an hour alone in your car.
 
Yeah we've checked that and she's happy to do it.

It's also about an hour including waiting.

Rotherhithe station
7:03 tube to waterloo ~5mins
7:11 tube to Liverpool St ~7mins
7:25 train to Harlow Town ~28 mins
7:59 bus to Pinnacles ~7mins
Work before 8:10

Pretty much an hour plus walking to Rotherhithe Station and from the drop off at Pinnacles.

We spent around 4 hours choosing potential places to live and checking tube times. This is pretty much the best compromise for both of us.

It's not ideal but it's about the only way we can work it.
 
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canada water station if you are going jubilee line to waterloo.

surely to liverpool street it would be quicker to go east london line to whitechapel and then hammersmith and city to liverpool street.

have you checked buses? canada water is a main bus station and they go most places from there.
 
I meant Whitechapel not Waterloo. They both begin with W!

Overground from Rotherhithe to Whitechapel
Hammersmith and City from Whitechapel to Liverpool Street

Checked the buses and they appear to be quite a bit slower to Liverpool Street.
 
Living in that area I would say 40 mins is not even close to realistic for that journey.

I used to make this journey by car - http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou....156604&sspn=34.598285,79.013672&ie=UTF8&z=13

and my usual travel time was closer to an hour than 20 mins.

I now do this drive daily

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&sou....156604&sspn=34.598285,79.013672&ie=UTF8&z=13

I leave at 7.40 to get there for 8.30 - and I am often later (I dont actually have to be there for 8.30 so am never late for work) and one day a week I leave at 7 and still dont get there until just before 8.

For your journey Id say you are looking at at least an hour (even more if there are any problems with rotherhithe or blackwall).
 
You won't get there in 40mins all the time. The fact your getting out early will help, but expect something closer to 1hr. The traffic conditions in London make it a very hit and miss for journey times. Also if your gonna head back home at 4pm, then expect some heavy traffic and increase in journey time.

I went to wandsworth a few weeks ago, car journey, i live in east london not far from bow, time was around 5pm and it took around 40mins to get there...
 
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