“You’re driving there?” I was asked this in the same tone someone might ask, “You’re ripping your fingernails out?” See, the company I was working for at the time was doing a “brand activation” at a Supercross race – we were doing them at every race on the circuit that year – and while the rest of team was hopping on a two-hour flight to get to the event, I drew the short straw and would be driving the five or six hours to the venue so I could bring a pickup-truck bedload’s worth of stuff we needed to set up the activation.
But I hadn’t actually drawn the short straw, at least not accidentally: no, I requested the short straw, and the drive it represented. I was looking forward to it, in fact. This stunned my work buddies, who thought I would have it hard while they had it easy. It was the other way around, I explained.
“Let’s do the math,” I said. “Is a two-hour flight really a two-hour flight? You’re going to drive about a half-hour to the airport, take at least another 30 minutes to get through security and to the gate, and then blow an hour waiting at the gate and boarding. We’ll assume the plane takes off and lands on time, and the flight is precisely two hours. You’re going to kill another 30 minutes deplaning and getting your bags, then 30 more getting the rental cars, and then you’re driving at least 40 minutes to the venue. That’s 340 minutes, divide by 60 … five hours and 36 minutes.”
I could see it starting to register. “Going through security, sitting in a gate chair eating a garbage lunch, squeezing into a coach seat, waiting in line at the rental place … none of that sounds fun to me. While you’re doing that, I’m going to hop into a nice, new Honda Ridgeline [the company had just purchased one as an errand runner] and take a scenic drive through southern Texas – alone – as I blast my music as loud as I want. I’ll stop to refill the tank at Buc-Ee’s, stretch my legs a bit and enjoy a chopped brisket sandwich with those hand-cut potato chips of theirs, then hit a full-size, nice-n-private bathroom stall before heading back out on the road in a comfy seat, with my tunes on the stereo and a giant Coke in the cupholder. I’ll arrive about the same time you do. Who will be more refreshed and less sore, you think?”
So, long story short: if the drive is going to be 12 hours or less, and it’s not expected to be a traffic beatdown, I will choose driving over flying every time.
Your turn: How Long Does A Drive Have To Be Before You Consider Flying Instead?
Top graphic images: depositphotos.com
If it’s reasonable to do in a day, I’ll drive it. Insert your own definition of reasonable.
My god I have had that exact conversation with my work colleagues as well. 9 or 10 hours is about my drive vs fly cuttoff.
Vacations, multiple drivers changes the calculus a lot in favor of driving near anywhere.
The math changes with kids. It used to be I would fly to Denver from Kansas City without even considering the alternative.
But we’re currently planning a trip to Denver next year with 2 kids and aren’t even considering flying. It’s about an 8 hour drive, and we would rather deal with that than keep 2 kids entertained for a 2 hour flight, as well as deal with renting a large enough vehicle and dealing with carseats and all the necessary items for small children.
I live in north MS. I’ve driven to yellowstone, New York, LA, and Key West. I plan to drive to Alaska soon. So yeah, it would have to be a long way.
I used to travel a lot for work, and my rule of thumb was 8 hours. If it was less than an 8 hour drive, I would normally drive, but if it required multiple connections or a long drive from the destination airport, I would adjust it up.
After a few minutes with google maps and my travel memories I would call it 10 hours.
Also 10 hrs is as far as I like to drive in a day.
That’s generally my pain threshold, though I will do ANYTHING to not have to stay in New Mexico, so I’ve been known to go from PHX-OKC (15 hours) several times.
I thought it was Arizona people want to escape?
Don’t you know that New Mexico’s unofficial state motto is “Come for the Green Chili, stay because your car got jacked?”
lol
News to me!
Given all the shenanigans at the FAA, dealing with air travel plus crashes and close calls – I’m driving within the continental US. I know it’s still statistically safer, but right now I feel safer being in control of my own destiny – for the most part anyway.
The news is incredibly efficient at causing fear.
Flying isn’t safer, and your control over risk is a major additional reason.
I’ve want to have a race from suburban Minneapolis to Navy pier in Chicago, one person on a train, one person on a plane, and one person in a car. Bags and car rental have to happen with the plane and train, and I’m not sure what the outcome would be other than the train person would be last.
Also at my destination if I get a rental car under 45 minutes I consider that lucky.
I kind-of ended up doing that except it was from Metro Detroit to Philadelphia. Somehow I was able to drop off my friends at the airport in Detroit, drive to Philly, and pick them up from the airport there. Now that wouldn’t have happened if there wasn’t a long flight delay, but I still held it over their heads for the entire weekend. I was also able to take their bags with me in the car so they paid for all of my food and beer the entire weekend. I call that a win in my book.
great story. I will now have to go to google maps and look at the route.
You need to enroll in some of the plans where you pick the type of vehicle and it’s ready for you when you get to the rental lot. No waiting at counters and it is generally just a few minutes and you’re on your way.
I don’t mind flying so much as I absolutely hate dealing with airports and cramming myself into the tiny coach seats. If it was a cross-country trip, I’d consider flying, like the business trip I took twenty years ago from Colorado to Orlando. Colorado to California? Drive. Colorado to Montana? Drive.
The livestock in steerage is even worse.
Depends on what I’m doing once I get there but generally 12-15 hrs. is my limit for driving unless its a planned road trip.
I drove to Mexico for 36 hours, divided in 3 days (12 hrs each) with 3 kids and 2 dogs. It was way cheaper to do this compared to buying 5 tickets + day care for the dogs for 2 weeks during Christmas time (Around 8K total for flights and dog care). I also saved some money not renting a car and just driving mine at the destination.
On our way back I found some very cheap tickets ($50 each on Frontier) from Phoenix AZ, I sent the family back and I just drove by myself and the dogs. The best roadtrip ever lol
420 + 69 = 489 miles
488 I’m driving
490 I’m flying
489 I’m not going
Elon is that you?
Generally about 16 hours of driving. Oklahoma to Cleveland in one shot is about my limit. I HATE airports and commercial air travel, despite (or maybe because of) working in the industry. I’d much rather hop in the van and put the hammer down. Not to mention that if it’s a last-minute trip, it’s just more convenient and inexpensive. Plus having a vehicle at the destination, being able to take whatever I want, and having the ability to leave at any time.
Under six hours means absolutely no flying, the math is more interesting when the kids are involved.
When there are oceans involved. Or the Darien Gap.
I’m from the Midwest, I’d drive to Europe if it was possible. /s
That being said, I go by my work’s rules. More than 10 hours, I have to fly. For my own travel? It depends on the situation. For instance, I’ll happily fly from Wisconsin to Florida since it’s a 20 hour drive.
However, I drove from Wisconsin to Texas as I wanted to have my vehicle to drive around instead of a rental for the 2 weeks I was there. It’s all about what you need and why you need it.
Generally 8 hours, as in if I’m going to waste a day going to/from the airport, may as well just drive there in what would amount to a day at the office.
BUT, if I’m staying longer and driving around more we may stretch it to 10 or 12. Like if heading down to Orlando for a week at the parks may as well just drive that’s like 10. If heading up to New England and going to drive all around to visit family for a week, again may just drive, that’s about 12, a long day, but still just a day. If heading out to Cali, when I’m retired I’d love to take a couple weeks to drive out, but if I’m still a working man then flight it is.
Also, not to get all Greta, but flying is fairly pollution heavy, same with cruises, not a fan, but if I have to get overseas or something I’ll fly and offset my carbon as best I can.
I haven’t lived in the US for a while but my tolerance for long drives is much greater there – traffic is generally ok, parking easy and cheap in cities vs flights regularly delayed or overbooked, rude staff and long security queues – so I’m very comfortable with 6-8 hours driving. In Europe and Asia cities are often car-unfriendly and flying is much easier -but expensive- but in addition train (or even bus) becomes a viable third option getting you right into the centre of a city and avoiding check-in processes. So 2-3 hours driving is my max.
I don’t travel often but was driving back and forth every other weekend from Northwest Indiana to DC in 2023 so I am one that prefers to drive. But I think if going somewhere far for just a weekend I would prefer to fly but if it is a week+ stay somewhere it is nice to have my own vehicle so the fiance and I can bring all our crap.
It definitely depends a lot on the destination and how ideal mass transit is at said destination.
It’s about 10 hours for me. The local regional airport, ERI, lost all of their good connections during COVID so the only airline we have left is American, with the only connection to Charlotte, NC. Usually 10 hours ends up being the break even point where it is quicker to drive than fly from here. If farther, I either drive the 2 hours to the Cleveland airport to catch a flight or if international I will drive the 3.5 hours up to Toronto first.
For 15 years, I aged 5-10 flights a month for work. Most locations might as well have been selected by throwing a dart at a map. Here are a few of the factors I always considered. These are based on the fact I live a ten-minute drive from a major airline hub.
For trips between locations with a high frequency of direct flights, I would fly for anything more than a four-hour drive. Anything with a connection, and the drive time limit hits about 7. For two connections, which also typically means limited, infrequent flight options, the drive time would need to be at least ten hours.
I agree I would rather pull a tooth than check a bag. Checking a bag is another 1-2 hours of travel time.
Agree with all this. And work trave definitely changes the calculation vs personal travel… they want you on the clock asap and thats easier to do when you’re not behind the wheel.
It depends on who/what is going with me and the destination. If it’s taking dogs because no boarding place will board a senior dog who needs medicine, obviously driving. If it’s towing the camper, it’s driving by definition. It takes a good bit to persuade me to fly between the security theater/jobs program and the overall crappiness of American commercial aviation these days.
I agree wholeheartedly. I used to travel for my job for 15 years. If I had to go from one location to another location while out, if it was less than a 8-hour drive, I told the higher-ups to forget about getting me a flight and that I’d be better off driving. I already had a rental car. Plus I travelled with 3 tool boxes, (70 lbs each) 3 equipment cases, (50 lbs each) plus my suitcase.
By the time I went back to the airport, returned the rental car, dragged all my luggage to the ticket counter, went through security, found my gate, waited for my flight, boarded, flew to my connecting hub, deplaned, walked to the next gate, waited, boarded again, flew to my destination, retrieved my luggage, (if it made it) waited in line for another rental car, and drove to the next job, (or the hotel, if it took all day to get there) I would have arrived earlier and more refreshed had I just kept all my stuff in the original rental car and just enjoyed the drive.
If the rental car agency charged me a one-way drop fee? Oh well. It was always less that the cost of the flights, not to mention the excess and overweight baggage fees.
I fly a lot for work, averaging 220k miles/year, so I might not be the best person to answer this, as sometimes I crave a roadtrip, but 8 hours is my threshold. If I can’t get there in a day’s worth of driving, I’m flying.
Unless the scenery is worth taking longer than 8 hours, then in that case, count me in. The car I’m driving also plays a big part in my decision. If I have a comfortable vehicle that’s fun to drive, then I will most likely drive. If I have a rental Altima, then I’ll fly.