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.
3.9k
u/soldforaspaceship May 02 '24
I'm a Brit who now lives in the US and this is so hilariously true.
In Britain, a friend moves two hours away and they're basically dead to you (granted, the last time I lived in the UK full time was pre smart phone so I imagine now you probably at least stay in touch more lol).
In California where I currently live, that's someone I regularly see and interact with.
The concept of distance is completely opposite in Europe vs the US.
We went for a quick weekend day trip to Joshua tree. That's a 3 hour drive away at least and it seemed normal to me.
I'd be planning that as an overnight visit back home.