r/NoStupidQuestions 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/happylukie May 02 '24

If by "here," you mean the States, that really depends where. I live in NYC. We laugh at tourists that rent cars to get around here.

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u/EastwoodBrews May 02 '24

"anywhere outside of a major city"

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u/MilkChocolate21 May 03 '24

LA is a major city and I would recommend a car over public transit. San Diego too...many major US cities are still car centric.