Would you rather fly than drive?

[NM]

We drove BNE to CBR a few times in the last year. Driving due to the cost of airfares for 3 people plus cost of car rental while there compared with fuel costs. After an unfortunate encounter with a kangaroo on the last return journey, I decided that next time we are flying. Any cost advantage was very quickly eroded and reversed and 2 days delayed in getting home was just not worth it. Now many years ago we used to drive the Newel Highway between MEL and BNE at least twice a year (return) and never had a hick-up,m so long drives are not an issue for me - its the risks of unplanned incidents and their cost and time implications that are biggest concern now. We were stuck for 2 nights in Coonabarabran while trying to find a way to get home and a car that took 2 months to repair (waiting on parts). Insurance company was great, but there was no practical way to get home from Coonabarabran (bus service twice a week via Sydney, no rental car facilities within 100km etc).

Mrs NM wants to visit Longreach next year. Will certainly be putting flying as the first option.

 

[samh004]

Having recently received a new car with much better fuel economy and decent aircon, driving is seeming less like a bad idea. I'll be driving to the Hunter next year for a Do, instead of flying.

Mrs NM wants to visit Longreach next year. Will certainly be putting flying as the first option.

I hear there's an AFF Do in April

 

[DaveB]

My wife's grandparents deserved goldmedals for their efforts. Every Xmas for close on 10 years, they took their three grandchildren with caravan in tow from Sydney to Brisbane return via Adelaide.

 

[kermatu]

My wife's grandparents deserved goldmedals for their efforts. Every Xmas for close on 10 years, they took their three grandchildren with caravan in tow from Sydney to Brisbane return via Adelaide.

Via Adelaide! (and in summer - yikes!).

 

[Franky]

My memories of family road trips as a kid:
- Dad waking us up very early due to an obsession with meeting a tight schedule on holidays 'we have to be on the road by 8am'. If we were behind schedule meals and toilet breaks would be skipped to regain time.
- Mum and Dad arguing about directions, stopping/not stopping for breaks/meals etc.
- Fidgeting with my sister in the back seat because we were both bored.

I don't really remember why we did it?!

I thought it was only my family that did that!

 

[Franky]

My younger years (60s, 70s, etc) were spent in the Navy, and being from Perth I did many trips across the Nullabor. I loved driving then, and do now, but as others have said, numb bums ands dodgy knees make long trips less pleasant now. I don't know how I am still alive to be honest, with many postings and leave trips up and down and across the country by car. I still think about one trip from Sydney in 1969 when I left late Thursday night, and arrived home in Perth around 1800 on the Sunday. Just couldn't be done these days, thankfully. PTL as some would say.

 

[NM]

I hear there's an AFF Do in April

Yep, trying to convince her that its a better option than the event that triggered her interest ... but alas the dates do not currently align.

 

[burmans]

I'm probably the unusual one then, outside the city I like driving, including overseas (e.g. Europe). Not a big fan of the long distance in one day on the motorway, a road trip should be slow, relaxed, and you should try and get off the main roads. Driving is the only way I know to get to small country towns successfully, particularly in Europe.

 

[Warks]

I don't mind driving up to about 5 hours but beyond that is a real strain nowadays. I have to say though since having cruise control on cars it's a lot less tiring even as I age. I had to drive a friend's car for about an hour on the tollways out of Melbourne a few weeks ago and couldn't believe how tiring it was on the foot trying to keep the speed down to the limit all the time.

If we had trains like the Europeans I'd be on them a lot of the time. Of course we don't have the population density of Europe so it's never going to happen. Used to love train trips growing up.

We do a lot of driving holidays but make sure the drive each day is three hours or less with the odd longer day occasionally.

 

[GarrettM]

I don't mind a big country drive still, although I don't do it a lot. Got one next month though. Perth to Esperance (8hrs) and then a week later Esperance to Kalgoorlie (4hrs), and then Kal to Perth a couple days after that (7hrs). I'll let you know after that if I still enjoy big road trips.

 

[DaveB]

Yep, towards the end, they couldn't believe how luxurious when they did the trip in a new Regal with AC. She still fondly remembers the trips with her grandparents and two cousins, though never enough to convince our two daughters of the joy of being in the back seat.
Now only the two of us traveling, we love to drive, particularly OS as having previously been to the big cities, a great way to get around and visit the villages and small towns that really give you the vibe of any country.

 

[sausagefingers]

My family and I love road trips (wife and two daughters 11 & 8) last year we drove from NY-DC-Orlando-Dallas-Monument Valley-Vegas-LA over the course of a month and it was the best experience of my life. Now we all enjoy flying too but on a budget with four of us it can be costly as well.

 

[tomo69]

The road trip is only as good as your travelling companion and the excitement of the destination. For those of us a little(OK a lot) grey and children who can't stand being in the same universe as each other ill fly any day.

 

[sausagefingers]

The road trip is only as good as your travelling companion and the excitement of the destination. For those of us a little(OK a lot) grey and children who can't stand being in the same universe as each other ill fly any day.

LOL, This is very true. we're doing another US roadtrip in March I hope its as good as our last two.

 

[samh004]

Yep, trying to convince her that its a better option than the event that triggered her interest ... but alas the dates do not currently align.

Luckily LRE is the kind of pace you can keep going back to... or at least I have been doing so

 

[Limewood]

Just moved from Cairns to Gold Coast approx. 2000kms, by the time we paid 3 nights accom. plus the fuel, then the stress of driving on that highway its was same price to have car shipped and flight, arrived in 2 hours.

 

[kermatu]

If it is somewhere new and/or stopping regularly is for sightseeing or has something other than rest-break value - then I am fine. But if it is the same old route and boring highways as per the OP - then count me out.

 

[amaroo]

This country has some amazing scenery and country towns can be stunning. Road trip is the best way to see it.

 

[Orange Freeway Exit 2]

I have never contemplated driving between capital cities in Australia due to the tyranny of distance and the availability of cheap airfares. Therefore I can only answer in relation to my travels around the USA.

I have done a lot of travel around the States over the years, and usually opt for air travel. The times when I have opted to drive instead are when the 2 cities I am travelling between are only a 2 to 6 hour drive apart. I have driven between LA and San Diego on multiple occasions, many times doing a day trip down south to catch a Padres or Chargers game.

I also opt to drive when travelling between LA and Las Vegas, as well as around Florida (between Miami, Orlando and Tampa-St Pete) and Texas (Dallas - Houston). When visiting the North East I often travel between the big cities by train (between DC, Baltimore, Philly, New York and Boston).

 

[ajd]

I appreciate the occasional roadtrip, particularly if it's somewhere nice and scenic, but I do find driving rather tiring - forget "every 2 hours, stop revive survive", I'm lucky if I make 60-90 minutes...

I'm quite happy not owning a car - it means I use more environmentally-friendly and space-efficient public transport when travelling locally, and I don't have to worry about driving when I'm taking the train or (somewhat less environmentally-friendly!) plane over longer distances.

(Also, when I'm travelling for work, I expect it to be by air unless there's a good reason not to. I'm currently trying to get a work travel approval for a conference in Sydney - a couple of my colleagues are quite happy to take the bus if it means the travel budget is smaller and have said as much to our management, but for me it's flying or it's not happening. My employer owns enough of my life as is, and I contribute enough of my own time and money for professional development as is, that I'm not wasting any more hours than I have to on travel time.)