# Working in Staines, so where to live? (and train costs)



## cpp (Sep 22, 2012)

Hi there! 
I'm moving to UK and starting a job from the half of October. 
I wanted to live and work in London (nice places, climate and friendly, various people), but I got a job in Staines. 
If I good know this is 30km from Staines train station to London Waterloo and it takes about 45 min. 
Do you know how much it costs? monthly train ticker or sth. 
Maybe is there another, cheaper option? 
Actually... What do you recommend to me with where to live? London or Staines? 
I'm an young person, so I'd like to see what London can offer to me with entertainment, etc,... But maybe it is more rational to live in Staines when I will work there. 
Thank you for your opinions.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

cpp said:


> Hi there!
> I'm moving to UK and starting a job from the half of October.
> I wanted to live and work in London (nice places, climate and friendly, various people), but I got a job in Staines.
> If I good know this is 30km from Staines train station to London Waterloo and it takes about 45 min.
> ...



You need to go and look and make a decision. Staines is close to Heathrow and living in London is expensive, but then so is the transport costs. I think if you live and work in Staines, you'll not to London often, cos of time and cost

Jo xxx


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## BailyBanksBiddle (Feb 8, 2012)

cpp said:


> Hi there!
> I'm moving to UK and starting a job from the half of October.
> I wanted to live and work in London (nice places, climate and friendly, various people), but I got a job in Staines.
> If I good know this is 30km from Staines train station to London Waterloo and it takes about 45 min.
> ...


For a young person Staines is dead. I know first hand. It's quite a nice town, and very close to Heathrow and London. It has the standard issue pedestrianised high street, usual run of Pizza Express, Harvester, Waterstone's, Poundland, Waitrose, Nandos, Wetherspoons as well as 2 good sushi bars and quite a few good pubs with decent food. But apart from these things and the vague memory of Ali G and Staines' reacting to that film by attaching the suffix 'upon Thames' to make the town seem more posh, there's not a lot of excitement there. 

Off peak from Staines and return will be about £21 to London Waterloo, depending on the train you take it's about 30--60 minutes. Weekends of course are cheaper. You can buy advance rail fares if that suits you. No London waiting allowance for Staines as it's not in London. Cost of living is not cheap there, but again it's less than many parts of London. You might consider living in Kingston, Richmond, Hillingdon, Feltham, Hanworth or Hounslow which are in London but also close to Staines. Stanwell, Ashford, Sunbury, Shepperton, Laleham, Old Windsor and Egham (just over the river) are very close and you can catch trains to London from those places as well; you might even find more reasonable housing in parts of these villages and towns as compared to Staines (upon Thames). 

For a young person, your best bets might be Kingston as there's a uni there and several clubs and other offerings as well as Richmond.


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## cpp (Sep 22, 2012)

jojo said:


> You need to go and look and make a decision. Staines is close to Heathrow and living in London is expensive, but then so is the transport costs. I think if you live and work in Staines, you'll not to London often, cos of time and cost
> 
> Jo xxx


Thx for the answer. Do you know how much the transport cost between London and Staines is?

My question is also because I can't find rooms to rent with multicultural/young people in Staines, only when one person (usually 30-40 years old) has a house and want to rent one room.
You know, I'm 20 and want to meet people in my age who like going out, with whom I can talk and improving my spoken English skills (one of the reasons of my expat), etc...


//edit:*BailyBanksBiddle* thx for your answer too. I have to get know about prices (monthly train tickets and room's costs).


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## cpp (Sep 22, 2012)

I got an information that monthly train ticket Staines<->London Waterloo costs £214 but there is an option London's transport monthly ticket (buses,metro) zones 1-6 (which normally costs about £200) + staines<->waterloo train ticket = £274.
Are these numbers correct?
maybe is there cheaper way?

It is good option if I need 1-6 zone london ticket, but I'm not sure it is a good for me.....


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## cpp (Sep 22, 2012)

I found that that the trains from Staines to Richmond cost 140 per month so it is cheaper than 214 to Waterloo. 
But if I good know Richmond is in zone 4? I guess that if I would like to see what London can offer me, young person then I have to buy 1-4 zone ticket?

something like travelcard zone 1-4 + richmond<->staines traines (instead of waterloo with 274 as I wrote above).
Do you know how much it costs and where to check it?


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## cpp (Sep 22, 2012)

anyone? i will be grateful for your opinions and help.


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## BailyBanksBiddle (Feb 8, 2012)

cpp said:


> anyone? i will be grateful for your opinions and help.


I think the difference would be minimal--because you're travelling the same distance. What you could do is drive from Staines to Richmond or New Malden (no parking fees on some roads) and then get a travelcard to London. But I don't know what advance fares would cost and you'd have to figure money for petrol + your time.


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## cpp (Sep 22, 2012)

BailyBanksBiddle thank you


I was just wondering how much money I spend while living in Staines and traveling sometimes to London. 

For example: I found that trains costs: 

1 ticket from Staines to Waterloo costs 7,5 pounds. 
(See this). 

So if I want to travel to London 3 times a week for instead, it will be cost me 15 pounds * 3 = 45 pounds per week. 
Per month it's 180 pounds! 

Add to this other transport costs, like the tube, buses. Assume 40 pounds per month. 

Is is ~220 pounds per month. 

Am I correct with the numbers? What do you think? Maybe London costs will be cheaper than I assumed? 

Anyway, if I have to spend 220 pounds per month on transport costs when living in Staines, so I prefer live in London and pay 274 pounds per month (only 50 more) and have unlimited London's Underground, buses plus trains Waterloo<->Staines. 

Am I right, right? ;-) 

well... what do you suggest me with where to live in London? Is it possible to find a room to rent near London Waterloo for ~400 pounds per month ??

what do you think ?


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

cpp said:


> BailyBanksBiddle thank you
> 
> 
> I was just wondering how much money I spend while living in Staines and traveling sometimes to London.
> ...


London is huge, there are good bits and bad bits. You could possibly find a cheap part to live in and it wont be much more than living in Staines, but you would be compromising on any standards. The good parts of London will cost you £400 a week at least. 

People tend to work in London and commute there from outside. Its unusual for them to live in London and commute out - for a reason, usually cost!

Jo xxx


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## cpp (Sep 22, 2012)

So...What areas do you suggest to me? 
I thought about Waterloo areas because of the train station London Waterloo where trains from Staines going there.

As I checked Richmond isn't too cheap too...


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

cpp said:


> So...What areas do you suggest to me?
> I thought about Waterloo areas because of the train station London Waterloo where trains from Staines going there.
> 
> As I checked Richmond isn't too cheap too...


I would suggest you live in Staines if thats where you are going to be working. Then, once you know whats what and understand the costs and districts you can maybe move into an area you'd prefer to be in!

Jo xxx


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