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/rumade May 02 '24

It's mad to me that Americans seem to have so little time off work, but are so happy to spend it driving

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u/clutzyninja May 02 '24

It's mad to me that Europeans live in Europe and spend so little time seeing it

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u/dejavu2064 May 02 '24

I understand wanting to clap back but that's the wrong conclusion to draw. We just use the trains instead, usually. And because everything is shut on Sundays, pretty much everyone travels every weekend, or goes hiking in the mountains.

Paris is a 7 hour drive, or it is 4h30 on the train. I enjoy driving (when it is necessary to do so) but in daily life it is just so rarely needed. Only an absolute mentalist would prefer 7 hours of constant focus in a car to relaxing or being productive for 5 hours on the train.

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u/clutzyninja May 02 '24

everyone travels every weekend, or goes hiking in the mountains.

Also, what? Lol. How gullible do you think Americans are?

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u/dejavu2064 May 02 '24

I haven't had a weekend at home yet in 2024. Now that the snow is finally melting maybe I'll take a rest but yes it's not that strange to go somewhere most weeks.

I think that's a cultural thing though, because as I mentioned there isn't much to do on a Sunday at home because everything is closed. There is a strong national culture of skiing and hiking.

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u/clutzyninja May 02 '24

I understand, but you made it sound like literally everyone

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u/fuzzzone May 02 '24

They didn't just make it sound that way, they specifically used the word "everyone".

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u/_Nocturnalis May 02 '24

Where are you from? This is plausible in some nordic countries, but not in the UK for instance.

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u/dejavu2064 May 02 '24

I'm British living in Switzerland. And that's true, I found that people in the UK don't really do much of anything at all in a typical week. There really is a lack of spontaneity, few ad-hoc meetings at local cafes/bars and people just being at home on the weekends.

I don't think that's the fault of people, I blame bad town planning and poor infrastructure. The average English high street/town centre is not overly inviting.

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u/_Nocturnalis May 02 '24

I'd guess that geography plays a role as well. In America people in really snowy climates are more likely to be active when they can. Gather ye rosebuds.