With an increase in the number of people working more flexible hours, an increase in cheap flight operators and the destinations these airlines reach, an increase in the daily frustration endured by millions of British commuters and the increase in the price of British property - the concept of ‘Euro-Commuting’ a new expat trend has been born.
Euro-Commuters are those who reside in mainland Europe – usually France or Spain – who make use of cheap airlines to travel once a week or every once in a while back to their offices in the UK, and who make the very most of living an affordable and idyllic life abroad whilst earning a decent UK based salary. So, is Euro-Commuting a case of having your cake and eating it? We take a closer look.
According to the Foreign Policy Centre the average daily commute for Britons is one and a half hours every single day of the working week…for those who are mathematically minded, that’s seven and a half hours a week or thirty three hours in an average month – what a waste of a life spent on a cramped train or in a car on gridlocked roads.
When you add to this frustration tolerated by the majority the escalating price of housing and cost of living in the UK, it is of no surprise that so many people actually dream of starting a new life abroad or eventually retiring to the sun.
While the majority may only be dreaming about escaping to a new life, a small but growing number of Britons have made the decision to pack their bags, move to mainland Europe, find a sunny and affordable spot within easy reach of an airport serviced by cheap flight operators flying back and forth to the UK on a regular basis, where they can get a decent internet connection and from where they can easily Euro-Commute.
Most who have chosen this route still work in the UK with a high percentage still travelling to and from the UK weekly. These people choose more flexible working hours often working four days in the UK and having three days at their place in the Spanish or French countryside and benefiting from fewer hours on British roads and more spacious and affordable property in a location which often enjoys better weather and a lower cost of living.
However, according to a representative from Eurostar, the number of those commuting back and forth across to mainland Europe could be about to increase significantly when in mid-November the St Pancras high speed rail terminal opens connecting London to the Channel Tunnel, France and beyond in less than the time it takes many to reach their office in the UK on a Monday morning from their local English home.
The new Channel Tunnel Rail Link connection will allow Euro-Commuters to access London from Lille in 1 hour twenty, London from Brussels in 1 hour fifty and London from Paris in just over two hours offering those who don’t like to fly a viable alternative and opening up even more of mainland Europe to the Great British worker…so just imagine this, you wake up Monday morning have croissants and coffee on your terrace overlooking your expansive sun-kissed French garden, you pop in the car to the local station to board the train, you’re at your desk in London in under two hours. After working your flexible hours and attending key meetings for just a few days you’re back on your terrace with your laptop to hand and you’re letting the crime and pollution free French countryside inspire you for the rest of the month before you repeat the process.
This is just what many Euro-Commuters are doing – they attend work in the UK for just a few days a month and then tele-euro-commute for the rest of the time. Definitely a case of having your cake and eating it I think you’ll agree!
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