“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 about 8 hours of driving pretty much a guarantee I’ll take the car. Longer starts to factor in lodging on the way depending on whether I need to rent a car upon arrival and other factors. Also what airports I’d be visiting also factor in.
I live on a (relatively) small island, where the coast is never more than about 120km away, so… not far.
I would say 6-8 hours but it also depends on where I am going and for how long. If it’s a non-stop flight between decent airports, I don’t have to check luggage, and I land at my destination city with decent public transportation I might opt for the plane for a shorter trip. And in some cities it would be a pain to bring your car (thinking New York City etc.). But if, for example, I am going to east bf nowhere like visiting my family in southern Oregon then definitely an 8-10 hour drive is the better option. In general I think we are all talking around a similar point: If drive time is less that door to door flight time, I will probably drive.
Now, if we had a decent train system that is another discussion.
I was surprised to see that Peter hit my number (12 hours) on the head, but there are mitigating factors even with that. Is this personal or business? If it’s the latter, my line is more like 6 hours. If it’s personal, that may get pushed back even further if there are multiple days involved; the cost of airfare for my wife and I plus a rental is far greater than just driving and getting a hotel along the journey. Depending on what’s involved, I sometimes opt to rent a car for longer trips. This sometimes can be surprisingly affordable, and a good way to evaluate models for a possible future purchases in extended real-world scenarios.
Easy,
Is it overseas… No? Then I am driving. I really don’t like flying at all.
Besides… the best part of a road trip is going off the beaten path. See the back roads and the more interesting countryside.
100% the Sydney melb trip unless I have to be in inner city with no parking i drive the 8 hours.
Enjoy the drive.
Usa related i had to do Salt lake city to sfo last year.
But I finished midday fri and had to be in office Monday morning.
So did the drive got to duck into Bonneville salt flats first time in Reno and just in general had fun.
Lots to be said for seeing thing out of city’s sometimes.
Driving for 6+ hours in California means you run the risk of passing through a hellish rush hour zone at some point if you don’t time it right.
If you want to drive from SF to LA on a weekday, the difference between leaving at 8 am and 10 am could be hours of travel time.
And that’s true of lots of different built up areas—Sacramento, SF, etc.
At least with a plane you don’t have to plan out your trip like you’re about to make jump to hyperspace and don’t want to have a problem a million miles away.
The elephant in the room will always be changing planes and the waiting time involved. We looked at a flight from Milwaukee to Atlanta and there was a 4 hour wait in Baltimore. So the calculus has to factor a minimum of a 50% overage in the plane lane. At 6’2” and 230 lbs the seats are hell on earth (or in the sky). 12 hours and time of year
In a previous life, when I handled the logistics for Pittsburgh Glasswork’s MOPAR account, I had to regularly go from the Steel City to Auburn Hills, MI. That was *just* inside the range where it made more sense to drive at a realistic time of 5 and a half hours.
The good part is that I no longer fear Purgatory. Bill Waterson (as a Clevelander) knew what he was talking about when he had Hobbes tell Calvin that we go to Pittsburgh after we die. That’s the paradisaical destination that we reach after millennia of purgatorial suffering driving across northern Ohio.
In all seriousness, I’ve driven from home to New Orleans, to Florida, to Boston, to Chattanooga, to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons, and put thousands of miles on a car driving around the Southwest. My wife (who would take 3 week road trips as a kid, in a Crown Vic packed with 5 people) and my sister (who lived dead center in the middle of the Australian Outback, 20 miles from anything) feel the same. There’s just something especially soul-sucking about Rt 80 across Ohio.
All across Canada is fair game for me. If I would have to go anywhere overseas, well, driving isn’t an option.
Just depends how nice the drive is.. I’d never do the 5000 mile round trip from Portland to the smokies in TN just because the 40 total hours between Denver and the smokies is very dull. But I happily do 4500+ mile trips staying west of Denver because it’s always so easy to have a wonderful time and fit a million amazing things into each day
8 hrs typically.
Will do up to about 12 if taking mountain bike. Sometimes find a halfway point that I can ride at and stay the night to break drive in half.
If it’s on the company, I’m flying if the drive will be more than 6 hours for all the reasons/math you laid out. If it’s on my dime, I’m driving pretty much every time as I’ve got a family of 5 to buy tickets for. Also – we always have a ton of stuff and car seats to bring with us which is a pain when you’re flying. This reminds me that I really need to get some sort of miles card. All that said, I love to drive so I don’t see it as a big penalty. If flying were more of a fun experience (like it used to be?), maybe I’d buck up more often.
Back in ’19 I had reason to head to Cleveland from the Berkshires in Massachusetts on 4 occasions in one spring/summer. I drove every time. Using most of the logic mentioned and adding an inherent cheapness to add a rental car at the other end the drive was worth it when I balanced it against flying.
A few years ago I decided to head from the Berkshires to the west coast of Florida. We made it a vacation on the way down, stopping in 2 locations on the way. Then heading home I booked the Auto-Train which gave me slack time until I hit DC. An extra night to see the sights before heading home.
A year later, a similar trip without the side trips and this year again, but it also includes a side trip. No side trips can make any sense if aircraft are involved.
My general rule of thumb is if I can drive, I’m not flying.
Europe is another story~
6 hours.
before I read this, my answer was 12 hours..
for the same reasons as yours, no-one seems to count travel time to the airport, security lines, waiting, arriving, waiting for a rental car, and driving some more: in the travelling time for flying. It’s weird.
flying was a miserable fraught experience before the FAA chainsaw massacre, now it will be dangerous as well.
My favorite airline was Southwest, with free bags, easy change of flights, and cheerful staff. Private equity has changed all that now, so SWA is now just another horrible cheap airline with fees every time you turn around, and immiserated staff.
Actually maybe bump that 12 hours up to, anywhere I can drive to, I will..
Work: over three hours, fly me.
Personal needs: over 6 hours I’ll consider a flight instead.
Vacation: if I have to cross an ocean.
6-7 hours driving alone and depending on time of year. If traveling with someone I may increase that distance.
I once flew from Columbus to Toronto, 45 minute flight. Factor in 2 hours at airport and another 30 minutes getting out of airport and 45 minute drive in Toronto, and the 4 hours that were used where not ideal for my schedule, I would have easily shifted the 4 hours during work hours for 6 hours in the evening. Worse was coming back, at the time 4+ hour line to go through security, plus nearly every flight to US that day were delayed because of the security line jam. The last time I went I drove, the security coming back at the bridge near Buffalo took maybe 10 minutes, otherwise rest of the trip I was on time and I got a stop at a favorite restaurant mid way through drive to have dinner. Columbus – Toronto drive is about 6 hours.
Now I plan these trips out and also knock out a sight seeing stop or restaurant stop, a drive is much more valuable than a short flight when you slow down a little.
For work (or work-adjacent, like an interview), if it’s longer than 4 hours by car I’m flying. I don’t like putting that amount of wear on a personal vehicle for work anyway.
For vacations, since pretty much all of my family’s trips involved extensive driving, I almost feel like a road trip is part of the vacation. I can get from NC to Maine anywhere from just under 16 hours to almost 18 hours; attempting the same route by air can cut the time in half, or it can take even longer, accompanied by the risk that you might end up with a crummy rental car. Sixteen hours is a long time to travel if you’re only staying a few days though, so if I only have enough vacation time left for a short trip, then flying it is.
I max out at about 5 hours, but it depends where I’m going. It’s not an option for everyone, but the train is not so bad- especially if you are self-employed or your employer allows you flexibility to remote-work enroute. The journey might be longer but you can be more productive and take less leave time. Or, drink, pop some edibles, or just nap. Even south (or west) of DC, the ride can be bumpy and slow, but most of the time the other passengers are seniors visiting kids and most of them are asleep so it’s quiet as a mouse. Coach class trains have far more room than first class planes and it’s nice to get up and take a stroll now & then. Flying just has so much wasted time waiting, waiting, waiting.
Price is usually the most important to me. I have enough time off that I can often take a long drive to get somewhere, and I have a relatively efficient vehicle, so driving wins a lot of the time, unless I’ll be somewhere I don’t need a vehicle (rare in the US) and/or the drive is long enough to require me to stop and rent a room (even then, driving can win, since I usually need a vehicle).
If my partner is going, time starts to be a larger factor. It becomes a balancing act with time, price, and convenience.
It’s not about the distance for me. My main question: is United Airlines the only way to get there? If so, I’ll drive. Or walk. Or just not go.
I already felt this way after working for UAL for a couple of years back in the late ’90s. And that was before they even made the news with stories about smashing people’s guitars, or even smashing people.
There’s that guy who made the news recently for punching a United gate agent and knocking him out cold. He landed in jail. I only know the headline, not the actual whole story, but on that basis? He probably should have gotten the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The gray area between driving and flying is what would probably be best addressed by high(ish) speed rail:
https://youtu.be/LlxohbiQG6Y?si=j3vtXfCFte-cyA9Q
Counterpoint: California’s high-speed rail, approved by the voters in 2008, will get you from Bakersfield to Merced (both cities suck!) starting (maybe?) in 2028, but most likely 2030 or later.
If there was still a land bridge between Europe and the Americas, I’d never fly again.
I can drive for a week straight and be perfectly fine. (Obviously taking rest stops and such.)
Or I can fly for 8 hours and be down for the next 2 days with motion sickness. (Which happened last time I flew.)
If I’m not the one piloting the craft, I will get sick. Doesn’t matter if it’s land, sea, or air based.
Depends on weather.
In winter, I could go from Brooklyn to my son’s art school in Chicago via subway, plane, subway and only be outdoors a couple of blocks at each end.
Summer, the George Washington Bridge and stay on I 80.
When I was in my 20s and early 30s I drove from NYC to California “go across the GW Bridge, turn left at Sacramento, and another 66 miles.” Every summer, fly every winter.
Now the traffic is so bad that a couple of years ago I dropped my daughter off at SFO and she got home in Brooklyn before I got back to my mom’s in Tracy on account of a semi truck load of wine bottles on the Altamont that made the normally hour and a half trip seven hours stuck in traffic
Also, do you want a car where you are going? That’s the big thing. I hate renting cars.