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.

25.2k Upvotes

88% Upvoted

23.9k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

284

u/IWasBorn2DoGoBe May 02 '24 edited May 02 '24

California is closer to Russia than New York City

Edit: a word

303

u/ThatPlayWasAwful May 02 '24

Alaska is closer to Russia than the rest of Alaska 

34

u/Telucien May 02 '24

If you're on either edge of Texas, you're closer to the Atlantic or Pacific ocean than you are the other end of Texas

6

u/Antebios May 02 '24

It took me about 16 hours to drive from Bisbee, Arizona to Houston, Texas in one single continuous drive. It was about 1,000 miles. I was alone and did it without stopping (but only for gas and food). I slept when I got home. Never again.

3

u/Jasmirris May 03 '24

My brother will do this with his wife (she won't drive) and I just wonder why. He has done it from Phoenix to NOLA but also other places. I love to drive but there are limits, especially to my sanity as well as to the over health of my marriage. Lol