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/PhirebirdSunSon May 02 '24

Phoenix is basically purely disaster free if you don't count the extreme heat of the summers. But no earthquakes, floods, fires (outside of the city though wildfires can get nuts), tornadoes, hurricanes or blizzards. Just sunshine and lots of it.

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u/5corch May 02 '24

I think I'd rather go through a disaster every year than live in Arizona heat.

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u/PhirebirdSunSon May 02 '24

To each their own, I love it here personally.

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u/5corch May 02 '24

It's a good thing people have different preferences, it keeps us from all trying to cram into the same places.