|
I usually do BOS-JFK by air. I enjoy Acela better on that, but it is usually much more expensive and too much of a hassle to get to South Station versus the airport. I have driven down to Stamford a few times, and that is really too much for me driving wise.
|
Originally Posted by shaner82
(Post 24534192)
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
|
If I am driving, I am on "their time". Like others, driving sucks. I can't do what I want. It isn't the weekend anymore, thats for sure. So driving on 3-4 hours on a Sunday for me is not a conversation starter.
If I am flying, I am on my time. I can do any number of things. Including sleep.
Originally Posted by pa3lsvt
(Post 24545002)
Based out of PHL. Live in the triangle between I-76/I-476/I-276 (for anyone familiar with local geography), so a trip to PHL is 30 - 45 minute drive + 15 minutes park/TSA + boarding at T-30. That means I have about a 90 minute sunk cost in flying per departure and about an hour per arrival.
Drives: I drive to north NJ (2 - 3 hours) semi-regularly. I've also driven to Pennsyltucky (2 - 4 hours) regularly. I've driven Montreal to Ottawa (2+ hours?) and back as part of a multi-city trip nested in a PHL-YUL roundtrip by air. Train: NYC (3 - 4 hours by car) is Amtrak & MTA when possible. Downtown Philly is SEPTA when I have meetings there. I once did Toronto to Ottawa (4 hours by car) by VIA to close an open jaw PHL-YYZ/YOW-PHL. Air: I have done PHL-BDL, PHL-BOS, and PHL-RIC same day trips by air. That would be 4 - 6 hours for any of those driving. Flown to MHT, PIT, and ERI around multi-day trips. Also about 6-ish hours driving. The key is whether or not the whole day is blown by driving. If so, a flight makes better sense so I can get a half day of work out of a travel day (either office time or client meetings). |
Originally Posted by airplanegod
(Post 24533864)
Thanks for that idea, I might just do that.
|
I don't fly for work, so all my travel is personal and thus, costs are out of pocket. There are so many factors that I don't have a hard rule for flying vs driving (i.e., anything more than X hours, I'd fly).
Obviously, anything that would require me to spend the better part of a day on the road, I'd fly. But shorter distances, it all depends. If I'd have to rent a car at my destination, I'm more likely to drive. If hotel parking would cost more than a plane ticket, and there was decent public transportation, I'd be more likely to fly. KC, Memphis, Indianapolis and Chicago are all roughly the same distance from my home here in St. Louis. KC, Memphis and Indianapolis, I'd definitely drive, because a car would be needed in those cities (besides I don't think there are nonstops from STL to MEM and IND unless I could stuff myself into a FedEx box). Chicago, well, then it all depends. Am I staying downtown where hotel parking is 50 bucks a night? I'd probably fly. But I'm going up there for a family function in a few months but it's in the northern suburbs where I'd need a car anyways, so I'm driving. |
I regularly fly from Chicago to St. Louis even though the drive only takes me a little over 4 hours.
There are only a few things more boring than driving through the entire state of Illinois. |
Anything over 150 miles (240km), I'll fly, so my 250km YEG-YYC flights are always flown. Its usually same day return trips, so thats 5 hours in a car, which can be alot, especially in the winter on a busy highway.
That being said, I will drive if i absolutely have to. For example, last march I had a very important meeting in YYC but could not for the life of me get a return flight because of spring break. I ended up driving that day, so it happens, albeit rarely. The other exceptions to this rule are mountain resort towns where there is no real air service (Banff, Jasper), and YQR-YXE, which is only served 5 or 6 times daily by expressair at about $400 round trip. Its an easy drive, and because the number of flights is so limited, its not worth it to wait around in the afternoon if I am done early. I also know YEG-YMM (Fort McMurray) is interesting and that a lot of people who would usually drive that distance (400km) end up flying because the highway is notoriously dangerous and stressful to drive. |
As others have said, the nature of the drive plays into it.
Out west here, as soon as you leave a metro area, it's 80mph drive on wide open road. I don't mind that at all. Driving over the mountains is beautiful. However, in winter I always fly. You never know what conditions will be like several days or weeks ahead. Heck, you don't know what the conditions for return in a few days. The roads may not even be open. |
Originally Posted by Dsm2m2
(Post 24548755)
I regularly fly from Chicago to St. Louis even though the drive only takes me a little over 4 hours.
There are only a few things more boring than driving through the entire state of Illinois. |
From SIN-KUL (40min flight) it's always a toss up for me.
I typically fly for work, I have somebidy pick me up from the airport; but I drive when with family. Catching a cab when the tropical thunderstorms hit in Kuala Lumpur is no fun. The biggest problem we have here is crossing the border from Singapore to Malaysia. Off-peak it can take 10 minutes. Peak times, school holidays etc can take up to 3 or 4 hours. The drive itself on a 2 lane highway can also be eventful when there's an accident. So a drive of 350km, which on good days I can cover in 2 1/2 hours (breaking the speed limit), can take up to 5 hours if I'm unlucky. So in a really unlucky scenario, 350km end up taking 9 hours. |
If it's greater than a 6-7 hour-ish (600-700km) drive I'll consider flying.
|
4.5 hours is my rule of thumb for driving versus flying. If flying required a connection I'd increase that by at least an hour. But either way it's not as simple as just looking at the times. I also consider:
- How expensive are the flights vs. the cost of operating my own car or renting one? - Do I need a car at my destination? - Does the flight schedule align well with my personal schedule? - How important is having flexibility in my return date/time? - Would driving require me to drive at undesirable times of the day, e.g. during frustrating commute times or at the end of a tiring day? |
| All times are GMT -6. The time now is 8:39 pm. |
This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.