How many would rather drive in stead of flying.

[XM DUDE]

given a choice state side.

[american_revolution_2005]

Me!!!!!! We drive everywhere. Michigan every year, Nova Scotia, Florida, Ohio, and Indiana.

[the_yellow_dart]

Me and my family did a huge tour of North America one year. We lived right near Toronto Ontario and the trip consisted of: (stops I can remember)

St Louis

Oklahoma City

Gallup

Grand Canyon

Las Vegas

Death Valley (drive through)

LA

San Fran

Some small town in Oregon

Vancouver

Victoria

Queen Charlotte Islands

Prince Rupert

Banff

Yellowstone

Some small town in South Dakota

Chicago

Edited September 8, 2006 by the_yellow_dart

[mustang84]

It depends, flying can be cool, but driving allows you to see everything from a completely different perspective. I've done both a lot for vacations, but I'd say I probably prefer driving over flying for long trips or where you want to see the scenery. But I love flying too...especially in smaller planes like Cessnas.

[Drew Dowdell]

depends on how flexible I need to be.

under 800 miles, I prefer the train.

over 800 miles I fly.

I'll only drive if I need flexibility at my destination or flexibility in my return trip.... and even then only under 800 miles.

I'm one of the few Americans not afraid of public transportation.

[XM DUDE]

I would not fly due to the expense and hassle factor as people have started FedEx their luggage, so it is just easier to throw the stuff in my vehicle and go, making the trip more enjoyable as I can listen to my XM(can't take it on the plane) and my stuff is with me.

[trinacriabob]

I prefer to fly. Jaunts over 4 hours in a car (knowing that you will have to drive back, too) can wear on you. Plus, flying allows me to collect frequent flyer points.

[XM DUDE]

I would not fly due to the expense and hassle factor as people have started FedEx their luggage, so it is just easier to throw the stuff in my vehicle and go, making the trip more enjoyable as I can listen to my XM(can't take it on the plane) and my stuff is with me.

190928[/snapback]

To me it's not worth the Hassel factor and I don't like to rent cars as I like to just have my own when I get there, that and I don't need some bag smasher either stealing or destroying my lap top.

[CSpec]

Uhh, driving long distances sucks. I'd gladly fly anywhere that was more than a 5-hour drive. I used to fly down to Newark from Boston all the time until the Continental shuttle became really expensive.

[Jamie]

I like driving. I think nothing of a 12 hour drive, and in most cases, for anything less than a trip of 700 miles or so, I'd rather drive than deal with airlines and airport security.

I'm currently located in Manitoba. Last weekend I took my wife and her two kids to a Science Fiction Convention in Atlanta.

We flew into Winnipeg airport from northern Manitoba (my wife works for a regional airline company so the cost of those tickets was negligible), but the best price we could find for airline tickets for four people from Winnipeg to Atlanta for the labor day weekend was a little over double the cost of renting a Buick Allure (Buick LaCrosse) from Budget for a week, plus the cost of the gas needed to drive 1600 miles each way, and paying for 4 night's parking at the Marriott in Atlanta.

We could have bought tickets to Atlanta at the airline employee rates (for 4 people it's a little less than the cost of the car rental + gas), but those category of airline tickets place you at a lower seat allocation/boarding priority than normal stand-by passengers. With the chronic overbooking of flights within North America, we'd still have been waiting for seats for a flight to Atlanta by the time we had driven back to Winnipeg in the car.

With 2 drivers, it was only a 25 hour on the road (plus meal/fuel breaks) straight through run, and for the just over 3200 miles (5169 km) that we covered in 3 days on the road, we achieved a fuel average of a shade under 30 mpg (around 108 gals of gas).

[XM DUDE]

I like driving. I think nothing of a 12 hour drive, and in most cases, for anything less than a trip of 700 miles or so, I'd rather drive than deal with airlines and airport security.

I'm currently located in Manitoba. Last weekend I took my wife and her two kids to a Science Fiction Convention in Atlanta.

We flew into Winnipeg airport from northern Manitoba (my wife works for a regional airline company so the cost of those tickets was negligible), but the best price we could find for airline tickets for four people from Winnipeg to Atlanta for the labor day weekend was a little over double the cost of renting a Buick Allure (Buick LaCrosse) from Budget for a week, plus the cost of the gas needed to drive 1600 miles each way, and paying for 4 night's parking at the Marriott in Atlanta.

We could have bought tickets to Atlanta at the airline employee rates (for 4 people it's a little less than the cost of the car rental + gas), but those category of airline tickets place you at a lower seat allocation/boarding priority than normal stand-by passengers. With the chronic overbooking of flights within North America, we'd still have been waiting for seats for a flight to Atlanta by the time we had driven back to Winnipeg in the car.

With 2 drivers, it was only a 25 hour on the road (plus meal/fuel breaks) straight through run, and for the just over 3200 miles (5169 km) that we covered in 3 days on the road, we achieved a fuel average of a shade under 30 mpg (around 108 gals of gas).

190947[/snapback]

I forgot to mention the Tahoe factor that now makes long trips more fun.

[Croc]

If I can drive there in 10 hrs or less I'll do it. If it's a big road trip, doesn't matter how long it takes.

[Drew Dowdell]

Uhh, driving long distances sucks. I'd gladly fly anywhere that was more than  a 5-hour drive. I used to fly down to Newark from Boston all the time until the Continental shuttle became really expensive.

190945[/snapback]

One word: Acela

[trinacriabob]

One word: Acela

190956[/snapback]

How fast does it run or how long do Acela trips take?

They have been contemplating LA-SD or Portland-Seattle with high speed trains, but they are not there yet.

Currently, the fastest Portland-Seattle is 3:30 minutes which is about 40 minutes longer than driving with no traffic and 1 urination pit stop. Not fast enough. Also, I just priced it at $ 44 whereas United was $ 89 for the airborne hop.

[pow]

Depends on the car and how rushed I am. A LA to NYC roadtrip would be great.

[Variance]

I'll take ground transportation anyday; I don't care how long it takes. I hate flying and the hassles that go with it (the entire airport experience and getting up and leaving mindlessly early to get there).

I'll never fly anywhere again as long as I can help it.

[tmp]

It depends- I will drive from LA to Phoenix, since I would need a car anyway, but I might not to SF, since parking is such an issue there. I wouldn't drive to Chicago or NYC, unless I won the lotto and could take a leisurely trip. The one week I'd be allowed to take off from work I'd rather spend at the destination than on the road.

But I think nothing of driving to San Diego, for instance.

[XM DUDE]

I look for any reason to drive my Tahoe.

[Sixty8panther]

I love flying... love it.

But if I was given the right car and the cost of gas & vacation time

was not unreasonable I'd drive in a heartbeat from Maine to L.A.

or whatever. I'd love to drive my Super 88 cross-country if it was

up to it and I had the $$$.

Or even bettter, how about the power tour in a 1969 Camaro?

[NOS2006]

I look for any reason to drive my Tahoe.

191119[/snapback]

Someone said it before.. we need more Americans like you!

[CreativeVision]

Driving is one of the most enjoyable things I could do. Nothing better than getting out on the open road and leaving all your work worries behind(assuming you are on a road trip as part of a vacation like me).

I'm in Chicago and my wife's family, and her and I, drive up to Traverse City every summer. Good 5.5-6 hours. For our honeymoon we drove from Chicago to Maine and back. Took 2 weeks making various stops along the way. Route was Niagara Falls(Entered thru Canada), up the entire western side of Vermont, over thru the top part of New Hampshire, and then on the Acadia Nat'l Park in Maine. Followed the Maine coast south not quite to Boston before heading back thru NY, Penn, Ohio, IN, and eventually back home. BEST trip of my life BY FAR. Can't recall the total mileage but her Envoy handled it all easily. We even drove up Mt. Equinox 3,816 ft. Had we flown, there is no way this trip would have been near as enjoyable. Did I mention we did this in the Fall when the leaves were in primie time color changing?

[Croc]

But I think nothing of driving to San Diego, for instance.

191093[/snapback]

Why would you? I've done it in 75 minutes before...of course that was on the tollway and not @ peak hours, but still...

[capriceman]

depends I can do 36 hour straight single person (me) drive. sleep for 2 hours then continue another 24-30 hours. but I get bored. And Im starting to not enjoy driving. Other drivers really piss me off. I dont mind flying at all. So it really doesnt matter. any thing past St. Louis from Detroit i rather fly. and Sorry if this afends you but New Mexico, Arizona and North Dakota ARE THE MOST BORINGEST TO DRIVE through.

[knightfan26917]

Holy cow ... very easy question to answer, at least for me:

I prefer DRIVING.

(As if ya'll didn't know my answer....)

Cort, "Mr MC" / "Mr Road Trip", 32swm/pig valve/pacemaker

MC:family.IL.guide.future = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/

Models.HO = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/trainroom.html

"Got a lead foot down on my accelerator" ... Jodee Messina ... 'Bye Bye Bye'

[bobo]

It's been years since I've flown. I have no problem driving between LA and SF, about 400 miles, but anything more than that I would probably fly.

[XM DUDE]

depends I can do 36 hour straight single person (me) drive. sleep for 2 hours then continue another 24-30 hours. but I get bored. And Im starting to not enjoy driving. Other drivers really piss me off. I dont mind flying at all. So it really doesnt matter. any thing past St. Louis from Detroit i rather fly. and Sorry if this afends you but New Mexico, Arizona and North Dakota ARE THE MOST BORINGEST TO DRIVE through.

191227[/snapback]

Not boring if you have XM satellite radio!

[Croc]

New Mexico, Arizona and North Dakota ARE THE MOST BORINGEST TO DRIVE through.

191227[/snapback]

Can't agree entirely. New Mexico blows chunks if you're taking the 10, but it is really nice on the 40. Arizona rocks the 10, but on the 40 it is as enjoyable as an angry toddler.

Won't object to North Dakota though my friend Allan disagrees.

[CSpec]

One word: Acela

190956[/snapback]

Ha! Yeah right. Amtrak is always late and $h! always happens on the way there that makes you slow down or stop in the middle of the wilderness. It's also quite expensive and doesn't go much faster than the normal train (it's about half an hour faster). The only nice things are that the seats are comfortable, they have 120V outlets, and the ride is smooth and quiet. (Unless you're not in the quiet car, in which case EVERYONE yells into their cellphone for the entire time.)

[american_revolution_2005]

XM DUDE: You are like my mom. She finds any way possible to drive her Tahoe when she is not tired. She won't even let my dad drive it. Out of the year and a half we have had it he has only driven it twice and it was for a trip to the airport, and a trip to get an oil change. In the year and a half we have had it, we have put about 50,000 kms on it. We bought our Tahoe with 38,000 kms in Janaury 2005. Now September 2006 we have about 84,000 kms on it. Our Expy is the same. September 2003, 16,000 kms, September 2006, 102,000 kms. We drive a lot.

[NOS2006]

XM DUDE: You are like my mom. She finds any way possible to drive her Tahoe when she is not tired. She won't even let my dad drive it.

191365[/snapback]

Damn, my mom tries every way possible to not drive her '05 Durango and tries pushing it off on me or my dad to drive my dad's '06 Grand Prix or my car (and she doesn't even like my car! it's "too loud" and "too low" for her haha).

[sciguy_0504]

I drove about 11 hours to southern North Carolina and it was hell. I would much rather fly. I like flying.

[Camino LS6]

I like both. Small planes are great fun, though the airline experience just sucks especially with all the post-9/11 paranoid search crap.

I'd rather be free than have the illusion of "safety"

Right now, I'm jonesing for a road trip.

[FAPTurbo]

I've been on planes loads of times, plenty of trans-continental flights, and yet flying is still an awesome experience. I never let Sept 11th, worry me, just because I knew that people would likely be pissed off enough to attack the hijackers if it happened again.

Plus, the engine roar just before and during take off kicks ass.

Now if I could somehow mount one of those GE or Rolls-Royce jet engines onto my truck, then I'd have the best of both worlds.

[speedy_2]

Driving for me. When I was stationed in San Diego I drove home on leave twice. Along with a third trip when I transferred back to Florida. I hate flying.

[Jamie]

Ha! Yeah right. Amtrak is always late and $h! always happens on the way there that makes you slow down or stop in the middle of the wilderness. It's also quite expensive and doesn't go much faster than the normal train (it's about half an hour faster). The only nice things are that the seats are comfortable, they have 120V outlets, and the ride is smooth and quiet. (Unless you're not in the quiet car, in which case EVERYONE yells into their cellphone for the entire time.)

191348[/snapback]

I can't argue with that. In early 2001, as an experiment, I took an Amtrak train from Olympia WA to Berkeley CA instead of driving or flying. Never again. The "21 hour" trip took 24 hours ... more than twice as long as it takes me to drive between the same points, and the train ticket cost me twice as much as an airline ticket between Seattle and Oakland.

[XM DUDE]

Taking into account the hassle factor of flying and the comfort of the Tahoe with XM it is a no brainier to drive over flying.