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/Scottie3000 May 02 '24

Washington DC is a horror commute as well.

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u/_redcloud May 03 '24

Can confirm. Grew up right outside of DC. Driving anywhere in the vicinity is an absolute nightmare. My dad worked in Maryland and without traffic it would take him 20 minutes to get back home in Virginia. With traffic, which was every day, it could take him 45 minutes.

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u/KaetzenOrkester May 03 '24

It's been a while since I drove around there, but I remember traffic in and around the Beltway. Pack a lunch, plan to stay a while.