There's a little bit of give and take when it comes to expenses for vacationing. After all, traveling can be costly. But with a little planning and comparing, those costs can be reduced, especially in the biggest part of the trip which is getting from Point A to Point B. Let's face it, when it comes to traveling nothing is more convenient then flying. Instead of countless hours on the road, eating terrible fast-food and making pit stops every time someone needs to use the restroom, you can simply drive to the airport, board your flight and a couple of hours later, you've landed at your final destination. If all goes as planned, it's quick and easy. However, the price of an airline ticket has continued to rise, regardless of oil rates and flying has really turned itself into a luxury. Sometimes, a good old fashion road-trip can be the most feasible mode of transportation. Today, we wanted to share our top 5 reasons road-trips can be the best way to travel.
1. Affordability Sure, if you happen to live in NYC, Miami, or LA, airfare can be a great option for you. You have all the major airlines in your backyard and the prices tend to be less but if you have to puddle jump from airport to airport, prices can be much more costly. At times, a round trip ticket can cost you $600 and that might be during the off season. The best part of driving, everyone rides for the same price. The bigger your group the more you save. Or at the very least, drive to the closest major airport that has better airfare rates. We've actually done this several times, especially during the holiday seasons. We spent $60 on gas but in the end we saved ourselves a few hundred dollars. 2. Scenery If you've ever talked to your grandparents about traveling, most of them will whip out some story about driving to Niagara falls or the Grand Canyon and all the things they saw along the way. All the amazing sights, random pit stops, and glorious scenery they were able to take in first hand. Traveling isn't just about the destination, sometimes, it's about all the things we get to experience along the way. And certainly things we didn't plan on experiencing but they lead to some of the greatest memories we keep. Things that get overlooked when we're flying 30,000 feet above the ground. 3. Extra space Having a trunk only leads to overpacking in the most magical way! Not needing to restrict yourself to a suitcase allows you to bring anything you might need. As well as the freedom to buy things without the thought of how you'll have to rearrange your bags to get it all to fit. Especially if your trip requires large and cumbersome luggage, like snowboards, strollers or kayaks, driving makes hauling these across the world all the easier. The best part about having extra space is the option to bring a small cooler that can be loaded up with food and drinks to avoid the fast-food hell that's inevitable to road-trips. You'll feel better not being bloated on Micky D's french fries and you'll save some extra cash by trading in fast-food pit stops for healthy snack alternatives. 4. Freedom Not just freedom on the open road but freedom to go at your own pace. If you want to take a break or check out that random historical marker, you can! If you want to crank up the radio and rock out to your favorite Paramore song, go for it! One reason we fell in love with road-trips was because we could set our own schedule and break it. If we wanted to drive all night, to get somewhere sooner, we could if we wanted. The other reason we love driving is because we have our car with us the whole time. The freedom to drive instead of rely on a cities public transit is always nice, unless you're in New York or Chicago... Use their transportation! 5. Stressless Yes, of course driving can be stressful! Road rage, lack of good sleep, it can all build up and create a stressful end to a trip. But most of the stresses that arise while driving are self-inflicted and can be controlled. When you fly, things are out of your control the moment you book the airfare. Weather and cancelled flights can't be controlled. Not checking in early enough can cause you to be bumped from the flight. All of a sudden you feel trapped at the airport without a way to get out... You're just stuck. Let’s just say, no one has had to sit in their car for an hour while maintenance fixed a seat, changed a bulb, or reattached landing gear (that last one sounded important!). We really prefer flying specifically for the convenience and quickness but road-trips are something not to be missed. We greatly enjoyed our road-trip out west a few years ago and we can't wait to take our California 101 road-trip here in the near future. As always, if you prefer driving over flying, or visa versa sound off in the comments below! Until Next Time, C + D
2 Comments
Wilma
3/3/2015 12:39:46 am
Road trips, oh the joy! I've taken many and have to admit even through the stress, l usually have a great time in the end. Stuffing the trunk of the car with suitcases, pillows, blankets and other items we couldn't live without for a few days! One such item was taking a huge sheet cake for Grandmothers birthday. We drove 490 miles with that cake in the trunk! I fondly remember her surprised face! Trips from In to Mississippi, blowing a tire & driving on the rim for way too long! Boy was my husband mad! Driving into New York City and instantly getting side swiped in the brand new rental car! Moving my Daughter across the country in a pick up with her car on a dolly, almost running out of gas, hitting a rabbit and having no idea where we were in the middle of the night! But with all the stress we spent hours together laughing and talking, yes and even some crying in there. I wouldn't trade one of those trips. The wonderful memories of family make it all worth while. I know my kids probably didn't enjoy the trips as much as I did but hopefully as the grow older they'll see the treasure of time together and fondly remember them.
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Danielle Baumgartner
3/3/2015 02:07:11 pm
Awesome!! Thanks for the comment, mom! Road-trips were always filled with tons of memories - even if they were eventful!
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