Southbourne - Winchester Commute??????
Discussion
Depends on timing. Morning "rush" hour traffic on the M27 eastbound and M3 northbound can be at a crawl/standstill several mornings a week (sheer weight of traffic and lousy design around Winchester rather than accidents to blame). And of course it all comes back again in the evening although not quite as bad. Friday evenings in summer are worst. You could get off M27 at J2 and head up through Romsey to Winchester, nicer journey but will take longer and you'll be wondering whether you really did need to divert off the motorway as you're doing it. Traffic in this part of Hampshire is heavy and getting worse with the morning rush starting ever earlier.
timbo48 said:
Depends on timing. Morning "rush" hour traffic on the M27 eastbound and M3 northbound can be at a crawl/standstill several mornings a week (sheer weight of traffic and lousy design around Winchester rather than accidents to blame). And of course it all comes back again in the evening although not quite as bad. Friday evenings in summer are worst. You could get off M27 at J2 and head up through Romsey to Winchester, nicer journey but will take longer and you'll be wondering whether you really did need to divert off the motorway as you're doing it. Traffic in this part of Hampshire is heavy and getting worse with the morning rush starting ever earlier.
This guy is correctaround eastleigh can be a pig
ive spent 40% of my adult life sat around there in my car asleep...
I'd consider cross country routes, avoid m27 / m3 where possible
Hi there,
Just come across this topic as i too am looking at commuting from Southbourne to Winchester and I am wondering what its like. If you ended up doing it can you give me any feedback? I'd be able to start work early or later (8-9.30) and finish between 4 and 6 if that makes any difference? thanks
Just come across this topic as i too am looking at commuting from Southbourne to Winchester and I am wondering what its like. If you ended up doing it can you give me any feedback? I'd be able to start work early or later (8-9.30) and finish between 4 and 6 if that makes any difference? thanks
thirdnipple2002 said:
Hi there,
Just come across this topic as i too am looking at commuting from Southbourne to Winchester and I am wondering what its like. If you ended up doing it can you give me any feedback? I'd be able to start work early or later (8-9.30) and finish between 4 and 6 if that makes any difference? thanks
I would move to Winchester. Just come across this topic as i too am looking at commuting from Southbourne to Winchester and I am wondering what its like. If you ended up doing it can you give me any feedback? I'd be able to start work early or later (8-9.30) and finish between 4 and 6 if that makes any difference? thanks
If you're not too worried about time, then A35 Lyndhurst, Cadnam, might work. Instead of hitting the motorway at Cadnam keep to the old main roads to Romsey and then Winchester. Obviously slower than a clear motorway, but a bit more relaxing. Return journey might be a problem though, especially on summer Fridays due to traffic entering Lyndhurst (has been known to queue back to the A31!!). As has been said, motorways in the Southampton, Eastleigh area are awful at rush hour and getting worse. At present there are average speed cameras on the M27 between Ower and the M271 junction, and the Northam Bridge long term roadworks have sent traffic in all directions, creating problems for everybody. It doesn't really take much to bring the whole area to a standstill.
As has also been said, you could move to Winchester, or maybe buy a motorbike......
As has also been said, you could move to Winchester, or maybe buy a motorbike......
The station in Winchester is pretty central if you are close at the Bournemouth end.
I used to do the reverse commute from Winchester to bournemouth which was fine apart from the odd incident, going the other way is a completely different story. Unless you are getting paid a fortune and like wasting hours of your life in a car, find another way !
Eta; getting into central Winchester at rush hour can take a long time too, something to bear in mind dependingg on where the role is =)
I used to do the reverse commute from Winchester to bournemouth which was fine apart from the odd incident, going the other way is a completely different story. Unless you are getting paid a fortune and like wasting hours of your life in a car, find another way !
Eta; getting into central Winchester at rush hour can take a long time too, something to bear in mind dependingg on where the role is =)
Edited by Jimmyarm on Wednesday 14th January 21:50
Hi, thanks again, info from someone who does the trip would be great. The office is central - close to the cathedral I think. I cant get the train as i normally need a car for my work, although I would have parking close to work (5 mins or so). An hour each way i could probably deal with but 1.5hrs would be a real drag. cheers
At the moment (I'm not sure when they are scheduled to finish) there are barrier replacement road works in both directions between Junctions 1 and 3 of the M27, which come complete with lane restrictions and average-speed cameras.
Once past this, there is the traditional "grind to a halt for no apparent reason" at the lower end of the M3 around Eastleigh. This is often exacerbated by a breakdown or a gentle nose to tail shunt, which inevitably requires the attendance of at least six emergency service vehicles, to ensure that congestion is maximised. This usually happens on Monday mornings.
Don't even consider cutting through Totton and up the M271 for the next couple of months, as this is down to two lanes at the junction with the M27, which is being "improved". All of which inevitably means that the alternative route through Cadnam, Ower and Romsey is now somewhat over-populated.
Once past this, there is the traditional "grind to a halt for no apparent reason" at the lower end of the M3 around Eastleigh. This is often exacerbated by a breakdown or a gentle nose to tail shunt, which inevitably requires the attendance of at least six emergency service vehicles, to ensure that congestion is maximised. This usually happens on Monday mornings.
Don't even consider cutting through Totton and up the M271 for the next couple of months, as this is down to two lanes at the junction with the M27, which is being "improved". All of which inevitably means that the alternative route through Cadnam, Ower and Romsey is now somewhat over-populated.
thirdnipple2002 said:
Hi, thanks again, info from someone who does the trip would be great. The office is central - close to the cathedral I think. I cant get the train as i normally need a car for my work, although I would have parking close to work (5 mins or so). An hour each way i could probably deal with but 1.5hrs would be a real drag. cheers
It can take half an hour to get from the motorway into the centre of winchester some days, I reckon you will be averaging 1.5 hrs at least to do that trip depending on how long it takes you to get out of Bournemouth.Winchester only has a few roads going into the centre, they all get pretty gnarly

On a Friday at midday in November it took me 45min to get from winnal into the town centre. Winchester really is an awful place to drive round.
It takes an hour on a good day out of rush hour/late at night in the winter. For a commute more realistically I'd say 2 hours M3/M27 at Eastleigh is awful further along the M3 it goes to 2 lanes so bottlenecks and then there's getting into Winchester itself.
The train is a better option if you want that job.
It takes an hour on a good day out of rush hour/late at night in the winter. For a commute more realistically I'd say 2 hours M3/M27 at Eastleigh is awful further along the M3 it goes to 2 lanes so bottlenecks and then there's getting into Winchester itself.
The train is a better option if you want that job.
thirdnipple2002 said:
Thanks again. really useful information. It sounds like a bit of a nightmare daily commute and quite a few people have warned me about the roads into Winchester on top of it. Might have to rethink whether the train is an option, at least on some days. cheers
And even then you may have fun on the train with everyone commuting to London. Just seen this topic.
When I'm in the UK I do a daily commute from Ashley Heath, so top of the A338 to Farnborough. This covers the A31, M27, M3. This journey typically takes about 1hr - 1hr 15m. I'm normally leaving home at 6:30. The section from where the M27 joins the M3 up to Winchester is usually the worst & if I leave much after 6:45 I can get reaqlly held up.
Coming the other way it's the Ringwood stretch which is worst. On a Friday in the summer, I don;t bother with the A31 it gets so bad & run through the forest.
When I'm in the UK I do a daily commute from Ashley Heath, so top of the A338 to Farnborough. This covers the A31, M27, M3. This journey typically takes about 1hr - 1hr 15m. I'm normally leaving home at 6:30. The section from where the M27 joins the M3 up to Winchester is usually the worst & if I leave much after 6:45 I can get reaqlly held up.
Coming the other way it's the Ringwood stretch which is worst. On a Friday in the summer, I don;t bother with the A31 it gets so bad & run through the forest.
It could take me nearly an hour to get from Ocean Village Southampton to Winchester I would not want to tackle it from Bournemouth to be honest couple chaps in the office did and took them nearly 90 mins I believe. Add in the summer traffic and could be talking 2 hours to get home would personally get the train if you could!
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