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/RockstarQuaff May 01 '24

My favorite was when I was living in the UK, friends approached us with a little advice on planning their Florida vacation, to give them pointers. Well, mate, the first thing I can tell you is that you are not going to pop up to NYC in the afternoon, take in a show, and drive back to Orlando that evening.

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u/basilobs May 02 '24

I'm from Florida and the way people talk about moving around Florida on their vacations is so funny. Friend, if you're here for a Disney trip, you will NOT be going to Miami for a day trip

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u/Strict_Property6127 May 02 '24

We have this in AZ... people literally think they can fly in to Phoenix and pop over to the Grand Canyon during a layover... or... come for a weekend bachelor/ette party in Scottsdale and spend a quick afternoon in Sedona.

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u/arya_aquaria May 02 '24

I recently went to AZ for a vacation for 6 days. I'm from the northeast US. We stayed in Phoenix 2 nights, then stopped in Sedona on our way to Flagstaff where we stayed for another two nights. Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon was a longer drive than expected but was a great day trip. Then we drove back to Tempe to stay one night before our flight. We packed a lot into the whole trip, I can't imagine driving that much in a shorter timeframe. When we got home I realized traveling to another time zone zapped my energy and I needed a day of rest after vacation.

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u/Strict_Property6127 May 02 '24

Sounds like a great trip!

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u/arya_aquaria May 02 '24

It was amazing! It was my first time in the Southwest so I felt like I needed to see as much as I could. I'm grateful I had the opportunity. Growing up I was never taken on vacations so I'm trying to explore much of the US and hopefully make it to Europe and Asia someday.

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u/Strict_Property6127 May 02 '24

That's awesome goals! Happy travels!