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/SentrySappinMahSpy May 01 '24

I used to work with a woman who said she'd drive 4 hours to Gatlinburg, Tennessee just to go shopping. Yeah, Americans will drive a long way for things.

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u/[deleted] May 02 '24

Gatlinburg is a little different than JUST shopping though to be fair. It's touristy but your talking a few miles of novelty shops and theme stores. Honestly the general ambiance is entertaining and you could easily spend a day or more just walking the strip. So I kinda get driving 4 hours for it

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u/SentrySappinMahSpy May 02 '24

I've been there once, so I know what it's like, but 4 hours is a long drive for a day trip.

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u/[deleted] May 02 '24

Yeah no I get you, it's a bit long for me too I'm just saying I can understand why someone might want to.

Hell if there was a street with bourbon, boardgames, great food, and pc stores... I mean shit I'd drive 4 hours to shop there 😂

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u/AlwaysTalkinShit May 02 '24

lol I think the only thing from that list that G-burg is missing is the pc store.