Weekday Travel Time from Navan to Sandyford

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burger1979

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hi,

I was wondering if anyone does the commute during the week from Navan to Sandyford?? I live in Raheny but am going to buy a house possibly in Navan in the next 6 months. Was wondering if its hellish trying to get to that side of the city from Navan and what the best route to use would be?
Also how long would it take people in the morning/evening and what time do they leave their houses at in the morning?

Thanks for all the replies in advance.

Burger.
 
I'm doing Drogheda - Sandyford daily, so can discuss part of the trip, not all.
Normally bumper to bumper from Finglas through to Mad Cow junction, averaging 50-60 min from the M1. Clears off a bit around Tallaght but Firhouse to junction 13 & 14 are often very slow... From drogheda I'm looking at 2 hours (but XMas week you can do it in 50-55 min ;-)
My personal recommendation for getting into Sandyfors Ind Est is Junction 13, Junction 14 is rotten at the best of times... today for example it was being quoted at 40 min to get off it! I tried J15 today for the first time (in thru leopardstown / west wood), about 20 min, but kept moving all the way... A little less frustrating than handbraking it on the J14 slip road.
I'll be back on the train and luas come Feb, a lot less frustrating!
I know you've mentioned Navan, but if you are really heading towards the northside, have you considered those already on the commuter rail lines? I think i read the navan line is due up and running in 2012....
 
I did ashbourne to sandyford - drove in and out everyday - the morning drive isint too bad (leave around half 7 to be in for 9) but the homeward journey is a nightmare - id avoid the M50 if i were you and go via ashbourne bypass, finglas, city centre and out the stillorgan dual carriageway.
Pearce street on the way home is the make or break - if you get through it you'll fly home, (well kind of..... it is dublin!) but if you get caught in the snarl up your in trouble.
 
I have to agree with city route in the evening can make very good time (or at least you move enough not to get too frustrated). I used to do the pearce st bit, but now either go via leeson St / cuff st /georges st going down by christchurch and back in via Jervis st, or carry on after the cuff st / georges st junction, to the next big junction (sorry don't have a map to hand), about 500m past Georges St junction, and this time come out directly by Christchurch....
City versus M50 feels a lot faster, but I think that is because you have a change of scenery along the route...
In the mornings coming via city can be ok, but for me its the Whitehall / Fairview / Amiens St bit that adds the time, so is good as long as Dublin City radio recommend it! (a hint now, Dub City radio during rush hour is a godsend... save to your radio and save the number on your mobile, when you're stuck you can warn others)
 
Either get a new job 4 hours + commuting per day is madness or dont buy a house in Navan.
 
Thanks for all the replies folks. The house buying in Navan is only preliminary talk the moment. We are thinking of buying there cos my finace is from there. I think what i might do is live there for a few weeks with her and her family and try thr commute and see how frazzled my nerves are after it. I dont own a car full time, we share her car and she has during the week so i would have to factor in the cost of buying/running a car if we decide to make the move.

another option as finbar pointed out is to get another job which might be a possibility but i have just been working with the company i work for now for a little under 3 months. also i work in consrtruction so maybe i could be on a site in another part of dublin by the time the house is bought.

briancbyrne: you said you done ashbourne to sandyford. what route did you take if you avoided the M50?? i would try to avoid this aswell as if i wqas to do the commute for a trial run.

thanks.
 
I do Navan to Cabinteely every day. It's achievable and isn't too bad
PROVIDED you can go off peak and there are no crashes on the M50 !!!

I live in the north side of Navan beside the racecourse and this is the route that I take -

Navan => Dunmoe => Slane Road => Boyne Drive => Beauparc => Yellow Furze Church => N2 => M50 through toll

Total distance is 52 miles. Total duration is from 1 hour to 1.5 hours

I work flexi time so I either leave Navan at 5.50am (takes 35/40 minutes to M50 using N2) OR I leave Navan at 9am (takes same length of time to M50)

NEVER EVER USE THE N3. IT JUST ISN'T WORTH IT. IT'S A BUILDING SITE FOR THE NEW M3 WHICH IS BEING BUILT AT THE MOMENT. ALSO DUNSHAUGLIN/FAIRYHOUSE/CLONEE BYPASS ARE A JOKE AT PEAK TIME
 
Alistair, you leave at 5.50am, with 1.5 hrs added on thats 7.30 roughly arrival time into work. that doesnt seem too bad. dont think i could get used to the getting up at 5.30am though i find it hard to get up at 6.10am as it is!!!
i dont think i would use the N3 either, just seeing it on a friday evening getting to navan on the bus is enough to get me frazzled.
 
I think you are mad. When you haven't the house bought now is when you have the choice. That is a long commute. You will get tired of it and the traffic. I have a 50 mile round trip every day (relatively traffic free)that I have been doing for the last 6 yrs. It drains you during the week and the last thing you want to do at the weekend is get in the car to go anywhere (and I love driving). I have attempted to use public transport and used it for 3 months but it was such a nightmare some days that it was not worth it.
You also have to factor in a car, it will need servicing and tyre changes more frequently, plus changing more frequently as you will be putting huge mileage. Petrol and diesel prices are also not going down. Even with an economical car it is still going to be expensive.
Is your Girlfriend living and working in navan already? Why not try to move somewhere nearer your work place and somewhere she can move to and commute easily to so as it's not you doing all the driving. Leixlip, Maynooth, kilcock maybe.
Good luck with it.
 
burger1979 said:
I think what i might do is live there for a few weeks with her and her family and try thr commute and see how frazzled my nerves are after it.
Click to expand...

A trial period is a good idea if you are really set on this.

However, keep the trial long enough (e.g. 2-3 weeks at least) to get a feel for it. Also, don't time your trial for school holidays or off-peak times of the year.

Nonetheless, my view on is that it could be a nightmare commute (I used to live in Ratoath and commuted to the city centre and Sandyford from time to time). Apart from the commuting time, there is the cost of petrol.....
 
Bob tg - the trial should give a good idea alright and i would do it during normal school time alright. its not set in stone as this point moving to navan. just something to try out and see how hard it can be. we are starting to look at houses and since we were in navan last weekend we had a look at some and then I started to think about the commute to and from there to sandyford. i live in raheny so i would like to buy somewhere around there. not only for the shorter commute and dart line but also cos alot of our friends are from that area too.

niceoneted - my finace works in damastown so its quite easy for her to get to work and back right now (she lives in navan with her folks) 45mins each way and 45 mins from my house too. as i said above i would like to live somewhere around raheny as it would be better. and you right on the cost of the car/running issues too, i have been thinking about those too. those costs could add up over time to the possible savings you make on the buying of the house.

once again thanks for all the replies.
 
burger1979 said:
Alistair, you leave at 5.50am, with 1.5 hrs added on thats 7.30 roughly arrival time into work
Click to expand...

If I leave at 5.50am, I am on the M50 for 6.30am and I am in work by 7am.
The 1.5 hours trip is usually confined to mornings if I leave Navan at 9am or if I leave work at 6pm in the evenings.
In general it is 1.25 hours if I go off-peak.

Another point to consider (if you are prepared to wait) is that the M3 will be completed in the next few years and so will the train line to Navan.
They are saying 2012 for the train line, but I don't really believe them. You can always add at least two years to the estimates.

My advice to you would be to buy in Raheny in a years time (after the crash and houses are dirt cheap)
 
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