Have you driven after long flight ?
#31
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,310
Hi,
I will be flying from Seattle to Munich (total 13 hours, including 1 hour stop). After reaching Munich at 16:10, I would want to reach Fussen, which is 160 KM. This is not a big distance, less than 2 hours.
Driving same day, instead of staying near airport, would save me good time.
What is your experience ?
Thanks
I will be flying from Seattle to Munich (total 13 hours, including 1 hour stop). After reaching Munich at 16:10, I would want to reach Fussen, which is 160 KM. This is not a big distance, less than 2 hours.
Driving same day, instead of staying near airport, would save me good time.
What is your experience ?
Thanks
#33
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,310
M[left]
Are you sure that arrival time is correct?
I will staart from Seattle at 18:10 and will reach Frankfurt after 10 hours, which means, it would be around 4:00 AM Seattle time. Then 1:40 hrs stop and another 55 minutes flight and will reach Munich, when it will be around 7:00 AM in Seattle. It would have been easy, if it is a day flight.
#35
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Toronto
Programs: SPG LT Plat, Hilton G,Priorty Club G, AC E
Posts: 2,979
The real fun is when you've been on a plane for 12+ hrs. then you get to a 3rd world country which you've booked a stick and the steering wheel is on the other side thus you are also driving on the other side of the road. Oh such fun!
#36
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
I don't really count any of the 160 km (100 mile) drives are really "long".
540k / 330 miles....yeah, that's kinda long-ish after a day of travel. Enough that I'd be in a hotel if this was taking place late in the day.
Only time I can recall doing an airport hotel to defer a 100-mile drive was flying into LAX late evening. I just didn't want to screw with LA traffic down to San Diego after 6 hours on a plane. Grabbed some sleep and then hit the road at sunrise the next day. It ended up being kind of relaxing, comparatively speaking.
540k / 330 miles....yeah, that's kinda long-ish after a day of travel. Enough that I'd be in a hotel if this was taking place late in the day.
Only time I can recall doing an airport hotel to defer a 100-mile drive was flying into LAX late evening. I just didn't want to screw with LA traffic down to San Diego after 6 hours on a plane. Grabbed some sleep and then hit the road at sunrise the next day. It ended up being kind of relaxing, comparatively speaking.
#39
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
I just ponied up the $$....well..the company $$...to buy a commuter flight SAN-LAX and back.
I will be going out to HKG and BKK, and am home based in SAN. While the prospect of driving up from SAN to LAX on the outbound is fine, the thought of driving back down to SAN after the return..a total of 17 hours flying and roughly 21 hours travel time including layovers and a 2 hour car ride in Thailand is simply too much for me to consider. Even though I am in Buisness class with a lie flat on both segments. I have been drowsy behind the wheel from shorter trips than that.
I would seriously rather get to LAX and wait 3 hours for a flight to SAN than immediately drive the 2ish hours after that. It's a safety issue for me and for other people on the road.
My travelling companion though, also based in SAN, saw $$ when he worked out that the company would reimburse him for the mileage. He will be driving it when he returns, and I will bet dollars to donuts the couple of hundred he gets from the mileage will seem not worth it during that drive. He would never admit it of course!
I will be going out to HKG and BKK, and am home based in SAN. While the prospect of driving up from SAN to LAX on the outbound is fine, the thought of driving back down to SAN after the return..a total of 17 hours flying and roughly 21 hours travel time including layovers and a 2 hour car ride in Thailand is simply too much for me to consider. Even though I am in Buisness class with a lie flat on both segments. I have been drowsy behind the wheel from shorter trips than that.
I would seriously rather get to LAX and wait 3 hours for a flight to SAN than immediately drive the 2ish hours after that. It's a safety issue for me and for other people on the road.
My travelling companion though, also based in SAN, saw $$ when he worked out that the company would reimburse him for the mileage. He will be driving it when he returns, and I will bet dollars to donuts the couple of hundred he gets from the mileage will seem not worth it during that drive. He would never admit it of course!
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE 2MM; UA MP Premier Silver; Marriott Bonvoy LT Titanium Elite; Radisson
Posts: 35,232
When I used to have a 9 to 5 cubicle job in a downtown office, I would be tired/drowsy driving home to the burbs.
#41
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Portugal
Programs: *G, VS Silver, HH Diamond
Posts: 631
I've considered it after many trips.
I've only done it once and probably under the worst circumstances. Three days before I was supposed to fly home, I had been in Provence and wrecked my bike in a solo cycling tour. My flights had been booked roundtrip MCO-LHR-MCO but I lived in JAX. I had spent some time in London and in Paris before going to Avignon to do the tour. On the last day, I wrecked - ended up with a minor wrist fracture, a minor concussion, and a fairly moderate strain in my neck and upper shoulder along with some lovely scrapes on my arms, knee, and face. The plan had been a rest day in Avignon before taking the train to through Paris to London, stay overnight at the Hilton Heathrow T4 then be on my way. Nice, easy, leisurely. Everything went according to plan... except instead of easy and leisurely, I was broken and alone. Made it from Avignon to the Hilton at Heathrow no problems and realised I had booked the wrong dates - and they were sold out that night. Found a quaint hotel not too far away and stayed there. Arrived just in time to get last orders from the restaurant. Airport check-in went even better - someone was looking out for me. I was definitely not a frequent traveller so no reason why this should have happened but someone must have taken a massive amount of pity on me because I was upgraded at no charge. The flight was okay-ish, but turbulence triggered a migraine to go along with the injuries. By the time I landed, I just wanted all the painkillers I could get my hands on. A friend in Orlando picked me up (I left my car at his place rather than pay for parking at the airport). I passed out on his couch for a good two or three hours before driving to Jax. Got really sick around Daytona. Had to find a pharmacy for nausea meds. Made it home. Promptly passed out again. Woke up the next day, went to the doctor, got the good drugs. Stayed home for like a week.
10/10 do not suggest trains, planes, and automobiles in such a scenario especially solo style. If I had been well, it would have been a piece of cake.
I've only done it once and probably under the worst circumstances. Three days before I was supposed to fly home, I had been in Provence and wrecked my bike in a solo cycling tour. My flights had been booked roundtrip MCO-LHR-MCO but I lived in JAX. I had spent some time in London and in Paris before going to Avignon to do the tour. On the last day, I wrecked - ended up with a minor wrist fracture, a minor concussion, and a fairly moderate strain in my neck and upper shoulder along with some lovely scrapes on my arms, knee, and face. The plan had been a rest day in Avignon before taking the train to through Paris to London, stay overnight at the Hilton Heathrow T4 then be on my way. Nice, easy, leisurely. Everything went according to plan... except instead of easy and leisurely, I was broken and alone. Made it from Avignon to the Hilton at Heathrow no problems and realised I had booked the wrong dates - and they were sold out that night. Found a quaint hotel not too far away and stayed there. Arrived just in time to get last orders from the restaurant. Airport check-in went even better - someone was looking out for me. I was definitely not a frequent traveller so no reason why this should have happened but someone must have taken a massive amount of pity on me because I was upgraded at no charge. The flight was okay-ish, but turbulence triggered a migraine to go along with the injuries. By the time I landed, I just wanted all the painkillers I could get my hands on. A friend in Orlando picked me up (I left my car at his place rather than pay for parking at the airport). I passed out on his couch for a good two or three hours before driving to Jax. Got really sick around Daytona. Had to find a pharmacy for nausea meds. Made it home. Promptly passed out again. Woke up the next day, went to the doctor, got the good drugs. Stayed home for like a week.
10/10 do not suggest trains, planes, and automobiles in such a scenario especially solo style. If I had been well, it would have been a piece of cake.
#42
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 765
I just ponied up the $$....well..the company $$...to buy a commuter flight SAN-LAX and back.
I will be going out to HKG and BKK, and am home based in SAN. While the prospect of driving up from SAN to LAX on the outbound is fine, the thought of driving back down to SAN after the return..a total of 17 hours flying and roughly 21 hours travel time including layovers and a 2 hour car ride in Thailand is simply too much for me to consider. Even though I am in Buisness class with a lie flat on both segments. I have been drowsy behind the wheel from shorter trips than that.
I would seriously rather get to LAX and wait 3 hours for a flight to SAN than immediately drive the 2ish hours after that. It's a safety issue for me and for other people on the road.
My travelling companion though, also based in SAN, saw $$ when he worked out that the company would reimburse him for the mileage. He will be driving it when he returns, and I will bet dollars to donuts the couple of hundred he gets from the mileage will seem not worth it during that drive. He would never admit it of course!
I will be going out to HKG and BKK, and am home based in SAN. While the prospect of driving up from SAN to LAX on the outbound is fine, the thought of driving back down to SAN after the return..a total of 17 hours flying and roughly 21 hours travel time including layovers and a 2 hour car ride in Thailand is simply too much for me to consider. Even though I am in Buisness class with a lie flat on both segments. I have been drowsy behind the wheel from shorter trips than that.
I would seriously rather get to LAX and wait 3 hours for a flight to SAN than immediately drive the 2ish hours after that. It's a safety issue for me and for other people on the road.
My travelling companion though, also based in SAN, saw $$ when he worked out that the company would reimburse him for the mileage. He will be driving it when he returns, and I will bet dollars to donuts the couple of hundred he gets from the mileage will seem not worth it during that drive. He would never admit it of course!
#43
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,808
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 15,486
I did a SAN-ATL-DAY redeye a few years ago and ended up only getting ~1h of sleep on the second leg (and none on the first nor during the 3h layover). Driving after that was not a fun experience and is basically why I try to avoid redeyes for domestic flights if at all possible.
#45
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: South Yorkshire, UK
Programs: A3*G, LH FTL, VS Red, Avis Preferred, Hertz President's Circle, (RIP Diamond Club)
Posts: 2,356
I used to drive after returning from a long haul trip but one experience made me take public transport ever since. There were temporary traffic lights just outside the airport and I stopped when they changed to red. The next thing I knew there was a guy hammering on my window. I opened it and he said I'd been sat there for two changes of the lights without moving. I had fallen soundly asleep. People had been beeping their horns and I hadn't stirred. It turns out that company policy was that I shouldn't have been driving after a long haul flight anyway as they could be liable.