ezzie

Who can suggest a semi-rural/low crime area with good schools that's within commuting distance from London but has reasonably affordable property. We don't know the areas around London at all so some suggestions would be brilliant. Commuting would be to central or western London. Places I've looked at so far, ie Kings Langley have so many changes on the train! I'm hoping for some local knowledge here...

asprilla

Are you sure about that ? I thought that kings langley was 30mins from euston, no changes?!

I reckon people will be able to help you out a bit more if you give an indication of price range, and also the kind of house you're looking for,

best wishes

ezzie

Kings Langley is 3 changes to Chiswick. Need 4 bed house, around the 1000 quid(ish) mark for months rent. Apparently Kings Langley isn't that nice to may need to look further afield to find something rural(ish) in price range....the Orkneys perhaps!

Bermudashorts

Do you mean commutable to Chiswick or to the West End or the City, where most people work? It really changes the answer quite a lot, especially if you want to avoid changing trains too many times (which is an extremely good idea by the way). Also how many people are in that budget, just one or a family?

Edit: Sorry just read 4 bed house.

Fleaflyfloflum

If you need to be commuting to Chiswick anywhere north/NW of London is not a good idea. You need to concentrate more on West/SW of London, which is going to be hard work as there are a lot of very expensive areas in that region if you want semi rural within commuting distance. That what EVERYONE wants LOL!!

Best not to just search tube line routes, but include national rail networks links too. Try searching places on the national rail network that stop at Richmond as thats an easy change to a tube for Chiswick.

ezzie

Thanks both...well, if no little niche exists it looks like we may have to knock that idea on the head. I shall have a closer look to the west though. I'm currently doing battle with making sense of the rail system of Britain. Bring back British Rail!

MsElui

try Addlestone in Surrey. Cheaper than the surrounding areas like Weybridge as they are on a sub rail line. But a nice place.

asprilla

this might help you out:
http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/tocs_m...rail_maps.html

jonfrank123

We've just moved back to the UK from Canada, and have rented a house in an Oxfordshire Village on the edge of the Cotswolds. It's very quite and crime free. You can rent a nice big house for the price of a 2 bedroom flat over a kebab shop in North London.

Despite being a village I am a minute's walk away from the bank, post office, mini supermarket, newsagent etc and have a big Sainbury's and Waitrose a 10minute drive away.

You would however, need to be a little creative with your London Commute. Your options would be to drive to Uxbridge on the A40, park your car there and take the Picadilly line into Central London. Or take the bus into Oxford, then the Oxford Tube bus into London. Maybe it is pushing it a bit, doing this everyday, I will only be doing it every week or so.

Still worth looking at I think

ezzie

Dare I ask what Slough's like? There are some green bits around it but there doesn't seem to be much to rent around there. What about Slough itself?

Thanks for advice on Richmond line plus National Rail website...brilliant help..what would I do without you all?

ezzie

I just googled it.....I guess we won't be moving to Slough then!

jmh

Here's a thought:

http://www.southeasternrailway.co.uk....php/highspeed

ezzie

Hmmmm....fabulous, but looks like it's not going to be operating till end of 2009 (probably add another 6 months on top of that too). Fare's to Tonbridge are nearly 30 quid return per day....yikes!...and that's not even the high speed train!

I'm looking at Watford at the moment!

bakugan

Where is it then??

bakugan

If you are going Watford - look at Shenley? Next door to Radlett? Radlett has a rail link into London