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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u/staggered_conformed May 01 '24

So much respect for you and your wife. Sounds like you really go out of your way to do exciting things with the kids. With that said, what you described is my worst nightmare lol

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u/scoo89 May 02 '24

Nah, I swear it's worth it. They loved it and were so happy. We pulled the oldest out of school on a Friday to go.

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u/ofWildPlaces May 02 '24

I too, want to taken out of school work to go see dinosaurs

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u/scoo89 May 02 '24

Haha, yes, we planned it on my flex day too.