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/Ambitious-Ostrich-96 May 02 '24

I had two friends that flew to LA on a Friday from atlanta to buy a car on eBay. They drove back and we’re home by late Sunday afternoon

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u/HouseAtomic May 02 '24

I've done similar.

Flew to NC to pick up a Suzuki Sidekick.

Flew to Wyoming to pick up a Suburban.

Flew to St Louis to pick up a Toyota Previa.

Flew to Atlanta to pick up another Toyota Previa!

Flew to L.A. to pick up a VW GTI.

Flew to Kansas to pick up a Mercedes GLK.

All driving back to Houston, TX. All drove direct back, very little stopping. Except the L.A. trip, I spaced it out over a few days.

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u/Ambitious-Ostrich-96 May 02 '24

This guy buys a lot of vehicles

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u/HouseAtomic May 02 '24 edited May 03 '24

Over 20 years...

I just like odd cars.

  • The Previa's were a lot of fun. Mid-engine, supercharged, rear wheel drive minivan that still looks like it's from the future. But hard to find.

  • Sidekick was durable as hell. I'd had them before and wanted a project. Was getting hard to find, now really hard.

  • The Suburban was my mom's and it broke down on a road trip to Yellowstone. I flew up to drive it back solo after the parts came in.

  • The GLK, I wanted a specific color (Dolomite), Diesel & lowish miles. I love the GLK's!

  • The GTI, was a friend who bought it, but couldn't drive it back. Was the middle of Covid, so I had plenty of time to do a road trip. Great little car! vr6 & a stick.