Commute and Travel Time Log

Who this is for

What the journey to work actually costs, in time and money. Each line records the date, where from and to, how you travelled, the minutes it took and what it cost; the minutes become hours and the costs total for the period.

Commuters weighing up a move, a change of hours or a switch from car to train, and anyone whose work travel time is worth knowing before a conversation about it.

What this helps you track

• Minutes door to door for every journey, not the one you remember
• Hours spent travelling over the period, worked out from the minutes
• What each mode of travel costs, and the total
• Which route or departure time turns out quicker
• Figures to set beside a change of job, home or working pattern

How to use it

1. Write your name, the usual journey and the period the sheet covers at the top.
2. Add a line for each journey — usually two a day — with the date, from, to and how you travelled.
3. Record the minutes door to door, including the walk to the stop and the wait.
4. Enter the cost of that journey: the fare, the fuel and parking, or the share of a season ticket if you prefer to spread it.
5. The hours and the total cost appear in the summary on screen and in the workbook; on paper, total the columns at the foot.
6. Use the notes to record delays, alternative routes tried and what made a difference.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser
• Excel / Google Sheets workbook

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The workbook uses plain formulas only — SUM, IF, COUNTIF and the like — so it opens in Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets without anything breaking, and every calculated cell is grey so you can see which figures it worked out.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How do I cost a season ticket or a car?

Either way that suits you, as long as you stay consistent: divide the ticket by the journeys and enter the share, or enter the whole price on the day you bought it. For a car, fuel and parking per trip is the simplest; the vehicle running cost sheets on this site go further.

Can I claim for my commute?

Whether ordinary commuting can be claimed against tax or expenses depends on where you are and on your employer's policy, and this sheet takes no view. For business travel that is reimbursed, the mileage and business travel log is built for the claim.

Should I log both directions?

Yes, on two lines. The journey home is often slower than the journey in, and the difference is worth seeing.

Is there a right amount of commuting time?

No figure is offered here. The log gives you your own hours for the period; what you make of them is yours.