We sometimes have work trips that are about a 6 hour drive away...some folks drive it, I still fly even with a connection.

I really despise driving more than about 2 hours but will do it if I have to. Once in the 4-6 hour range I may be more likely to fly - depends somewhat on the specific destination, weather concerns, or whatever.

I wish I lived in a place with reasonable rail options as I would go that route often if I could. But it won't happen in this region of the US, not in my lifetime anyway.

I'd probably drive unless there was a reason not to (e.g. weather, inaccessible location, etc.)

Years ago I had a project that required stops in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Syracuse over a ten day period. The project budget included hub and spoke flights from Toronto. I suggested to my boss that he rent me a car and let me drive instead. Cheaper for the client and I enjoyed a very pleasant motoring "vacation."

It depends on the scenery of the drive.

Four would be a drive, my cut off seems to be at the 6 hour mark. Although I have done two road trips around the US (one solo). I abhor long distance driving, though much less so as a passenger. I get to sleep that way!

We drove once from CT to Baltimore and back. Never again. At minimum I would take Amtrak down, but in all honestly I would just hop on a 55 minute flight to either BWI/IAD/DCA. I have to drive to Florida from CT coming up in August, not looking forward to it but that's the price of wanting my car down there.

Depends whether I'm billing by the hour or lump sum.

Drive
 

I don't fly unless I absolutely have to and I love to drive. I wouldn't fly for under 8 hours. Train comes second after driving and flying as a last resort.

Luckily, I don't have a job that requires distant travel. Actually, it's not luck at all, I wouldn't take a job that requires travel, as I am afraid to fly. I fly only because I want to see foreign lands and I don't have enough vacation time to take a boat. I'm not going down in a pile of steaming metal for work.

Think Auto-Train. You'd have to drive to Virginia, but after that you can sit back with a book. Or a nap.

Have you thought of the auto train. You can ride relaxed on the train,and your car arrives with you.

4 1/2 is a great over/under and makes for a tough call for me. The determining factors are pretty much where/when would I have to drive, what is the expected level of traffic along the route, how "taxing" is the meeting/engagement expected to be, and what is the cost of the flight. If I could use the driving time in a more productive way, I would probably fly. If it's a marketing call and I don't expect the meeting to be much more than "meet and greet", then I might drive.

But, from the greater DC area, the airport choices make getting to a lot of places within a 4 1/2 hour window fairly easy. Driving from this area, on the other hand, can be a real pain and full of unexpected delays.

I would fly if at all possible. I hate driving and would spend 6 hours at the airport over 3 in the car. In the car, I can only talk on the phone at best, but while I'm at the airport/on the plane I can get quite a bit of work done. Or, if I don't feel like working, I can have a few drinks and watch a movie. It's generally a lot more productive.

Far too many other factors involved to simply say over/under 4 1/2 hours.

Personal car? I wouldn't trust it that far, and quite frankly I get too uncomfortable driving over two hours in it. If I had another car to use - maybe. Depends on how difficult the drive is -lot of traffic? Lots of navigating? And what about parking at the other end? Am I going to be doing this on top of a 9 hour day?

Of course many variables in the plane and train as well. Example - MetroWest Massachusetts to New York. The train is convenient, other than you have to get into Boston first, and then it is usually the most expensive and crowded option if you have any time at all to plan ahead (and they say no one wants to take the train!). Driving may be an alternative if the weather is nice and you are not doing rush hour. Then again airfares between the two are cheap if you plan ahead and take the train in from JFK or EWR. But if this is last minute, forget that option.

So there is no one answer. And if you are talking about a policy, I would think it would be better if it included a time function, and also wear and tear (and safety) on our car.

Thanks for that idea, I might just do that.

Fly.

London to Manchester is regular for me. I'll drive one in five or six.

Prefer someone else to drive me to LHR in Friday M25 traffic. Catch up with some TV on the ipad in the terminal. Have a scotch on the plane and watch the traffic below on the M40 / M6.

I drive whenever possible. I hate flying. I can't stand being jammed into a tiny seat, breathing in stale air. The airlines have ruined flying for me