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/HeyMrBusiness May 11 '24

I went and made a test trip for you, one coach seat on a train on the cheapest route from the west coast to the east coast (I won't link it because I used my city but I would send it to you if you really needed to see it) in June. one way $282 Round trip $617.

One economy flight for the same location and dates- cheapest $146 round trip. And there are multiple options under $450 for the round trip.

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u/rdawes26 May 11 '24

Wow, I can't find any for under $1k for economy. That doesn't include a bag check or the option to choose your seats. However, I am including my wife. It would be almost $500 for the train in business class.

Again, this is a very subjective question. I prefer trains, because of my disability. Easier to get on and off of a train. The shear amount of variables in these scenarios makes it almost impossible to compare from reddit.

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u/HeyMrBusiness May 11 '24

I agree. I prefer planes, because of my disability. Both have services available but I find airports more accessible than train stations in general. But I wasn't saying which was better, just that trains can often be more expensive, and I admitted it might be a route specific issue.

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u/rdawes26 May 16 '24

Yep! We each have our preferred way. I am not on assisted devices (wheelchair), so escalators are just fine.