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We almost always travel to the next state (Calif) by car anymore. It depends on where we're going but we usually like to have our car if we think we'll come back with more than we left with, as we do buy stuff in certain places. We also take a lot of stuff if it's a trip that involves several things. For example, last year we went to the coast, so I packed beachy stuff. After that we went to a Renaissance Faire, so we took our costumes (can't really pack those). Plus, I went rock-hounding.
Our tipping point is 1,000 miles. But on trips down to just visit family, I fly.
We drive 13 hours to Fl each summer. Longest drive was 23 hours to South Dakota. We don't stop (except to potty/eat) for FL. We did crash in a motel for South Dakota, but it was a very spontaneous road trip. 23 hours was awful, I'll never drive that far again unless I have to.
It's just always been cheaper to drive and split gas so far. My friends and I are all young and on budgets, so we save where we can. I do hate sitting in a car, but airports and airplanes majorly stress me out. I wish I'd get over it because flying takes less time. If I could get over that issue, I think I'd fly on anything over 8-10 hours as long as flight prices were good.
Really? I don't think i've ever had it be more then 30 minutes late. I must be very lucky
You got lucky. I've taken the train across country a number of times, and it's always been late. Sometimes only an hour at each end, but always late. I transfer in Chicago, and always looked forward to just walking around there. Never got the chance, because we were always late.
The worst was when we were 14 hours late, from New York to California. Blown engine west of Denver put us behind, then it snowballed, since Amtrak has to give right of way to freight. We would sit at various places, to let the train go past.
Then the conductor hit his hours limit, so we waited in the middle of Utah waiting for the replacement crew.
I had nowhere I needed to be, so it was just a lot of fun. They opened the dining room and just starting feeding everyone. But lots of people missed flights, events and work.
We almost always travel to the next state (Calif) by car anymore.
When I go from California to Oregon anymore, I look at flying. Making that drive is just too long. From the South Bay to Eugene is about nine hours. Nine hours where I'm behind the wheel and I can't do anything else except concentrate on driving.
My house to SJC is 8 minutes. In SJC about 30 minutes to get through security. Then I'm waiting during which I can read and work. Then the plane to the regional airport in Eugene only takes an hour, during which I can also read or work or watch movies or rest. And that's it, I'm at my destination.
I'm not saying I'll never drive to Oregon again. Of course I will, it's a beautiful drive. But it requires time.
Cost wise, I will fly if driving costs ore than 300% more. Sometimes I will fly at 200% more. It is unusual for that to happen if you include renting a car. Often driving is the only practical financial option. If 4 or 6 people are going then flying is simply too expensive.
Time wise, it depends. For personal travel, I usually prefer to drive period. More than 20 hours becomes impractical though. Maybe with a lot of drivers 24 hours is manageable sometimes (usually not). 48 hours - just cannot do it. It is usually too problematic to take more than a week off at a time.
I hate flying. It is the most unpleasant, uncomfortable, and painful thing I can think of. If it were not for time issues, I would crawl to my destination if I had to before flying.
Funny, not too many years ago, I loved flying. However flying has changed a lot and I have changed some and it is no longer pleasant. Plus I think I may have gotten my fill of it.
In USA... the TRAIN is definitely a 'tipping' point (often LATE... VERY LATE!!!, sometimes DAYS late)
Trains that I've been on are on time or within 30 minutes with one exception. I travel cross country and we often get into the destination a few minutes early. Trains are seldom early because they have set departure times and, sadly, freight trains take priority. The 4-hour delayed train was stopped due to a passenger issue that required the police and medical attention.
The passenger rail system in the US is designed to fail. Amtrak doesn't own its own rails and is constantly at the mercy of freight rail companies. The Southwest Chief, running between LA and Chicago is in jeopardy right now. Amtrak wants to abandon the line from Dodge City to Albuquerque and replace it with buses so presumably one would take the train from LA to Albuquerque then ride a bus to Dodge City and board another train to Chicago. The problem is maintenance on the line through Raton Pass and BNSF doesn't want to maintain the line that it owns but is only used by passenger rail service, not freight. It's not a question of low ridership as that route is often very busy.
If we wanted to design a passenger rail system to fail we couldn't have done a better job.
You got lucky. I've taken the train across country a number of times, and it's always been late. Sometimes only an hour at each end, but always late. I transfer in Chicago, and always looked forward to just walking around there. Never got the chance, because we were always late.
The worst was when we were 14 hours late, from New York to California. Blown engine west of Denver put us behind, then it snowballed, since Amtrak has to give right of way to freight. We would sit at various places, to let the train go past.
Then the conductor hit his hours limit, so we waited in the middle of Utah waiting for the replacement crew.
I had nowhere I needed to be, so it was just a lot of fun. They opened the dining room and just starting feeding everyone. But lots of people missed flights, events and work.
Whenever Amtrak is discussed, those who live on the East Coast start to talk about how great it is. And if you live in New England and certain parts of the Mid-Atlantic, it probably is.
In the Midwest, it is never on time. And unlike the airlines, there is noone at an Amtrak station (even the Chicago Union Station) who can even tell you how long the delay might be. My sister used to use Amtrak a lot. After hours of delays, I told her to call me when she arrived as it was a PITA to spend hours waiting for an arrival.
We always hear about how Amtrak is delayed by freight traffic. I have many friends with Union Pacific who owns much of the rail. They talk about granting the lack of communications that they get from Amtrak personnel that actually delay the freight trains.
For me, Amtrak has never been much of an option. Personally, the two trips out of Chicago that I considered would have gotten me into Cincinnati or Omaha around 3 am. Also, I could never find out from Amtrak personnel where the station in Cincinnati was located. In both cases, I could take a one block walk out of the Chicago Union Terminal and catch a MegaBus for about $10-15 OW and get there quicker.
That is a hard choice for me. Mostly, since I am mostly about the Journey, less about the destination, then I would prefer to drive, if time permits. When my kids were a little younger, we always enjoyed a road trip, but sometimes would fly to a destination and rent a car then drive on for a few more days..... We once flew to new England, rented a car and then traversed New England and Quebec at will.
I think driving is more fun, I like the freedom of stopping and exploring along the way. And on a driving trip, there is not a "destination" in the sense of point B or "Now turn around and head back" More likely, I would schedule a loop of sorts, seeing different places on the way out and the way back.
So whenever possible I would prefer to drive.
12 hours is nothing to me. That's only two hours less than the drive before the Twin Cities and Denton, TX. A drive I am very familiar with and will do for the 3rd time next month. To me it's not about the distance and time to and fro but more about the time I have available in general. If I only have 5 days or less from work and the destination is 20+ hours away then I would rather fly. With no or very little of a time restraint I prefer to drive.
The journey is important but if I'm the one who has to be behind the wheel the whole time, it's not enjoyable.
I am the opposite. I love doing the driving. The proper way to drive is on a highway not in bumper to bumper urban traffic. Gimme a Kansas sunset or a leafy Mississippi forest over some boring city commute.
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