best place for commuting to UCD?

scaryfairy

this must have been discussed to death but just wondering if locals can give any advice: my job recently moved to Maynooth and I don't drive (as embarrassing as it is). My husband works in UCD. Our son goes to creche there but starts school in Sept 2017 and we currently live in the area.

I just simply cannot figure out the logistics. my travel times are silly at the moment - door to door adding up to 3 hours a day. I also cannot make it to work at all when my husband travels (1-2x a month) and I have to drop my son to creche. If we move to Maynooth, then the commute would be just as bad for my husband... We looked at locations along the commuter line, but read quite scary stuff say about Ashtown etc. So I am thinking of moving closer to MY work and get my son into creche where I can take him without having to rely every day on my husband.

so: how bad is the commute from Maynooth or Leixlip to UCD? he could drive, take the bus or train/dart and folding bike.. Is there a time of the day when he could get to work under an hour? he doesn't have to do shifts just cover core hours or so. How reliable is the 66x?

many thanks

Dolbert

I took the 66X from Maynooth when I had a temp job in UCD a few years ago. It's doable, but back then at least it took a good hour and a half there and back. If he has parking in UCD I'd imagine driving is a good bit quicker.

VincePP

How about learning to drive an automatic?

My oh was similar - lived central London and central Dublin and grew up on edge of rural tiwn. Never needed a car til we decided to move to rural area. Couldn't get the hang of gear stick, so tried an automatic and was zipping around in no time.

Moonbeam

http://www.dublinbus.ie/Route-Planner might help.
Anywhere along the Maynooth line should be good for you either,Castleknock,Clonsilla etc

lordgoat

Moonbeam wrote: »

http://www.dublinbus.ie/Route-Planner might help.
Anywhere along the Maynooth line should be good for you either,Castleknock,Clonsilla etc

clonsilla prob where i'd suggest too

ixus

Are you working in the town, College, business park? Factors to take into account. Long enough walk to business park from Train station or the other side of the town. Bike not factored in..

Drive to UCD for 8, leave at 4? Traffic be grand that time. It's the peak that will get you!

scaryfairy

thanks so much for the responses. I suspected as such about the 66x... not sure my husband would be willing to put up with it! I guess he would have to do a few test runs to see how it works out.. at least he doesn't have to clock in as I do (btw, he works for UCD, I work for Maynooth Univ.)

and yes, I WILL get a licence, and will not bother with gears at the beginning as we were not best friends when I tried to learn to drive a couple of years ago...


We had a look at Castleknock, but not yet at Clonsilla - is it safe for a family with a little boy? I know so little about those areas.
thanks again

n97 mini

66X from Leixlip takes around 1 hour 10 mins to get to UCD from Leixlip. The drive is usually around 30 mins.

Clonsilla doesn't have an awful lot, it's almost one big housing estate, but it's not very far from Blanchardstown village.

Moonbeam

Clonsilla is fine but the train is packed by the time it gets there.

lordgoat

n97 mini wrote: »

66X from Leixlip takes around 1 hour 10 mins to get to UCD from Leixlip. The drive is usually around 30 mins.

Clonsilla doesn't have an awful lot, it's almost one big housing estate, but it's not very far from Blanchardstown village.

30 mins to ucd if you leave before 7. I drive maynooth to pretty much the beacon hotel every day (it's about 5-10 mins from here to ucd). I leave at 6:30 and get in at 7. If i'm 15 mins later, it's about 40mins. And it just gets worse.

I leave bang on 4 and get home at 4:35 at best. If I leave a 4:05 it's 45mins and after that it gets worse.

Obviously traffic is better when there are no school runs and the colleges are off.

Moonbeam wrote: »

Clonsilla is fine but the train is packed by the time it gets there.

+1
Clonsilla is grand, plenty of nice estates and some to avoid, just like every other town in Ireland.

VincePP

How about staying on a Saturday in the glenroyal hotel in Maynooth

Use the day to have a look around and see if the town suits you, check out facilities etc.

Then on Sunday morning drive from there to UCD - it would probably mimic a 7am weekday trip.

Advantage of Maynooth based on extra info above - you'd probably be able to get a place walking distance to a creche. Plenty of local transport to NUI, hubby assuming a 4pm finish can collect child, giving you a little flexibility.

The problem with clonsilla is it is quite built up and it could take 20min just to get to motorway and both of you would have serious commuting.

n97 mini

lordgoat wrote: »

30 mins to ucd if you leave before 7.

Member of my household does it 5 days a week, either driving or on the 66X. If they need to be there for 9am it takes about 50 mins, including parking. OP's OH hours are flexible, which means they can avoid 9am starts and 5.30pm finishes, which will take longer. This is from Leixlip, which is already 8 km closer to UCD.

yellow hen

lordgoat wrote: »

30 mins to ucd if you leave before 7. I drive maynooth to pretty much the beacon hotel every day (it's about 5-10 mins from here to ucd). I leave at 6:30 and get in at 7. If i'm 15 mins later, it's about 40mins. And it just gets worse.
.

I live on the straffan side of maynooth and commute to the clonskeagh side of ucd daily. The quickest I can possibly do it is 33mins (I've tried a variety of routes). After 6:40, traffic just becomes very heavy. After 7am, it's a no-no unless it's a friday. Otherwise, it's a grand commute. I finish work after 3 and usually zip home no bother.

Sorry, just to edit and say that we only moved here recently and finding a creche place wasn't as easy as I imagined. Luckily, a place came free beside us but otherwise I'm not sure what we'd have done.

scaryfairy

thanks, these real life experiences are super helpful!
I am leaning more towards moving to Maynooth than Leixlip - Maynooth looks so sweet (not that I have seen much of Leixlip!).

will have to talk to the university creche about a place for the Montessori year, and pay a visit to the boys' school and see what the story is about RE and whether they have places for non-religious kids...
it can get so complicated

thanks again for all the responses

n97 mini

scaryfairy wrote: »

I am leaning more towards moving to Maynooth than Leixlip - Maynooth looks so sweet (not that I have seen much of Leixlip!).

Maynooth has more to it than Leixlip, though it is further out and students are a mixed blessing.

scaryfairy

I know and looking "sweet" is not exactly the most rational or pragmatic approach. Things will change, def.