Well, if you live nearer Parkway than Temple Meads, then it would certainly make more sense to go from there, certainly. As for crossing London... let's say yo

Well, if you live nearer Parkway than Temple Meads, then it would certainly make more sense to go from there, certainly. As for crossing London... let's say you work in Old Street - that's a good half an hour from Paddington. I think you'd be lucky to have a door-to-door trip take less than three hours. I commute into Oxford Circus from Castle Cary (in Somerset, roughly the same journey time as from Bristol Temple Meads) one day a week: I set off from my house at 6.50am, driving to the station allowing myself ample time to collect my ticket and so as not to miss my train in case of getting stuck behind tractors, and I get into the office at 9.50am. On a good day. I don't mind the six hours of travel one day a week (and I am occasionally quite productive on the train, though often on the journey home I tend to get mildly drunk reading The Economist) - but doing all five days would drive me insane.