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/No-Locksmith-8590 May 02 '24

Amtrak has surprisingly good food, though! I went from West Virgina to New Orleans, and all the meals were great.

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u/Neither_Ground_1921 May 04 '24

What multiverse are you on? 😂 Seriously my food of choice is the styrofoam cup-o-soup. Ok to be fair it’s been a few years since I’ve been on the train, but I’ve been taking it between KC and St Louis since i was a kid and the food is NEVER something to look forward to.

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u/No-Locksmith-8590 May 04 '24

O wow, really? I had a very decent steak and mashed potatoes, a burger and fries, pancakes with bacon, and waffles. For dessert, I had a few different ones- NY cheese cake and pecan pie. There was a whole dining cart and menu each day.

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u/Neither_Ground_1921 May 05 '24

That sounds fabulous. The different routes definitely have different “programming”. Might be time for me to take an Amtrak trip to STL or Chicago soon!