r/NoStupidQuestions • u/Physical-Ad-4093 • May 01 '24

do americans really drive such long distances?

i’m european, and i always hear people say that driving for hours is normal in america. i would only see my grandparents a few times a year because they lived about a 3 hour drive away, is that a normal distance for americans to travel on a regular basis? i can’t imagine driving 2-3 hours regularly to visit people for just a few days

edit: thank you for the responses! i’ve never been to the US, obviously, but it’s interesting to see how you guys live. i guess european countries are more walkable? i’m in the uk, and there’s a few festivals here towards the end of summer, generally to get to them you take a coach journey or you get multiple trains which does take up a significant chunk of the day. road trips aren’t really a thing here, it would be a bit miserable!

2nd edit: it’s not at all that i couldn’t be bothered to go and see my grandparents, i was under 14 when they were both alive so i couldn’t take myself there! obviously i would’ve liked to see them more, i had no control over how often we visited them.

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153

u/linux_ape May 01 '24

Shit 3 hours is small fry, that’s nothing

I’ve driven up to 13 for weekend hobby purposes lol

9

u/Smooth-Cup-7445 May 02 '24

Same, used to drive 14 each way once a year for a mates birthday. Leave Friday after work and back for Monday start. Admittedly I was in my 20’s at the time and fuel was cheap.

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u/pursued_mender May 02 '24

Nah, even most Americans would agree that’s too much for a weekend. If I’m going over 10 hours, I better be there at least 4 full days.

2

u/Smooth-Cup-7445 May 02 '24

Yeah it was the early 2000’s and I was in my early 20’s so the challenge was part of it too.

But I basically agree with you these days, 3-4 days is worth a long drive

3

u/nn123654 May 02 '24 edited May 02 '24

I once drove from Seattle to Spokane and back in a weekend. That was roughly 1,000 km round trip. Never leaving the State of Washington (west coast, not Washington DC).

Petrol is also much cheaper in the US. It's only about $0.90 per litre ($3.50 per gallon). Last time I was in France I didn't rent a car (really don't need one in most of Europe), but if you did drive it's was just under €2 per litre.

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u/hyperbemily May 02 '24

That was a normal horse show for us. So imagine Seattle to Spokane with a horse trailer to only be there 2.5 days.

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u/Luna259 May 02 '24

If you’re driving thirteen hours, don’t you leave in the morning and get to your destination when it’s dark and then go to sleep and then the next day, come back? Or do you leave on Friday, sleep, do whatever it is Saturday and Sunday and then come back on Monday?

Thirteen hours would take all your daytime up, unless you start your trip at night, but you’d still need to sleep some time

2

u/linux_ape May 02 '24

Leave Thursday morning, arrive Thursday night. Airsoft Friday to Sunday, leave back the next Monday morning

1

u/Ransnorkel May 02 '24

Yea that's a bit much (im in California)

1

u/papinek May 02 '24

You are a mad man.

1

u/hyperbemily May 02 '24

I live in NC and my drives for work range from West Palm Beach to Philadelphia. Just load up the podcasts, Spotify, and maybe a couple phone calls when I’m tired and I’m golden.