# Fly or drive??



## funsearcher! (Jul 8, 2022)

How do you make the decision to fly or drive for vacation of late??


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## Bella (Jul 8, 2022)

I'd love to take a vacation, but right now, I don't want to do either. Flying is a nightmare. The airports are insane. Unless I absolutely have to be somewhere for some reason, I'm not getting on a plane. Planes and airports are crowded, and COVID is still happening. It's too stressful. I just don't want to deal with it. Ga$ prices are through the roof and climbing. So, I won't be driving any great distances. The only thing I've considered doing at this point is driving to the beach and staying for a few days. Other than that, I have no interest in traveling at this time.

Bella


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## Pinky (Jul 8, 2022)

My flying days are over .. however, I wouldn't go near an airport right now.


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## funsearcher! (Jul 8, 2022)

Not really excited about a 12 hour drive, so had booked a cheap flight back in January. Then it was changed to have a 5 hour layover at an airport, so paid more to change the return to  a day earlier. Then I got Covid and couldn't go anywhere for a few weeks. Now the airports are crazy. I have a year to use that plane ticket, but may just drive and stay overnight on the way and wait til next spring to use the flight.


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## DebraMae (Jul 8, 2022)

I have been making reservations to go to New Mexico mountains where it is cooler.  I will drive.  It is twelve hours from where I live but possible to do all at once which is what I usually do.  This will be my first outing since Covid started but figure I can't stay at home forever.


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## hollydolly (Jul 8, 2022)

Being a small Island there's only so far you can drive in this country before you end up in the Sea...


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## Alligatorob (Jul 8, 2022)

If I have the time I drive.  Flown too much in my life, saving it for really long trips now.


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## Nosy Bee-54 (Jul 8, 2022)

For me, driving is the pits! I hate road trips! I don't care how hectic airports are, I love to fly. When it come to vacations, going abroad are the only ones that excite me.


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## Don M. (Jul 8, 2022)

This is not a good time to be traveling.  Gas prices are ridiculous, if you drive, and the airlines and airports are a total mess.  But, many people are getting tired of staying home as a result of Covid, so they are willing to put up with the costs and hassles.  I expect these conditions to last at least another year.


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## officerripley (Jul 8, 2022)

Neither; huzz hates to fly and I no longer drive nor do I even like riding in cars anymore.


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## Packerjohn (Jul 8, 2022)

I am o8,n day 31 of my trip to The Yukon and Alaska.  I have driven over 8,000 km and I am still 10 days away from home.  No masks and no air lines for me.  Thank you!


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## Geezerette (Jul 9, 2022)

DebraMae said:


> I have been making reservations to go to New Mexico mountains where it is cooler.  I will drive.  It is twelve hours from where I live but possible to do all at once which is what I usually do.  This will be my first outing since Covid started but figure I can't stay at home forever.


I live in NM, & it is cooler in the Mountains, especially RedRiver, but check to be sure your intended destination hasn’t been affected by fires or the subsequent run off/flooding from recent rains. And wherever you park and lock your car in NM, DONT EVER leave  anything in it that you hope to see ever again.


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## JustBonee (Jul 9, 2022)

No flying  .... no driving.   ..Home looks pretty good.


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## DebraMae (Jul 9, 2022)

Geezerette said:


> I live in NM, & it is cooler in the Mountains, especially RedRiver, but check to be sure your intended destination hasn’t been affected by fires or the subsequent run off/flooding from recent rains. And wherever you park and lock your car in NM, DONT EVER leave  anything in it that you hope to see ever again.


Thanks for the advice.  Actually I have been going since I was a teen.  I remember some boys wanting me to go to the dump with them to shoot bears with bows and arrows.  Of course my parents did not allow that, but the memory has remained.  I plan to spend some time in Taos and do the high road from Santa Fe to Taos one day.  I have never driven it.


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## JustDave (Jul 9, 2022)

Airplanes and airports are out of the question for me.  I was sick of flying even before the pandemic.


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## Alligatorob (Jul 9, 2022)

Tomorrow we are leaving for Port Hardy, BC.  About 20 hours of driving according to Google.  Plan to take 3 days going up, and 2 days to get home.

We never really considered the flying option.  Maybe we will regret it, we'll see.


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## Gary O' (Jul 9, 2022)

funsearcher! said:


> How do you make the decision to fly or drive for vacation of late??


Always been for the drive
You have the option of deviating to another adventure midtrip 

I did a poster on it


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## Marie5656 (Jul 9, 2022)

*As I am a white knuckle flyer, I do not make that choice unless I HAVE to.  I took a train once, and enjoyed that and would do it again. 
I would consider driving if it were simply a few hours to my destination.*


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## MarkinPhx (Jul 9, 2022)

I will be going to San Diego from Phoenix in a couple of weeks. It is about a six hour drive. Before 9/11 I often flew on the trip there but post 9/11  I find it easier just to make the 6 hour drive instead of dealing with the airports in Phoenix and San Diego.


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## Alligatorob (Jul 9, 2022)

MarkinPhx said:


> I will be going to San Diego from Phoenix in a couple of weeks. It is about a six hour drive.


Did that drive once, opposite direction, San Diego to Phoenix.

I choose a really bad traffic time and it took more like 10 hours.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Jul 9, 2022)

I stopped flying in 1984.Flew one more time in Dec.2020 because my girls begged me to fly to Idaho with them,which was how we ended up moving here. Now I/we have made at least 8 trips back and forth from here to California (a couple I made alone)-a 10 hour drive. Lots of it is long,boring flat roads-sometimes we take the longer route just because it`s a little more scenic. I love road trips. I can`t envision ever wanting to fly.

All that being said,when I went to get my Idaho driver`s license a few months ago,the clerk told me that if I had one more piece of identification with me(I did),she could issue me a RealID at no extra cost. I said no thanks,since I have no intention of flying ever again. But since then I have thought about it and will probably get one.If there was ever a problem with the kids or grands in California,I would want to get there ASAP. Although flying might not even get me there faster as I would still have a 3 hour drive from the airport...


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## officerripley (Jul 9, 2022)

Marie5656 said:


> *As I am a white knuckle flyer, I do not make that choice unless I HAVE to.  I took a train once, and enjoyed that and would do it again.
> I would consider driving if it were simply a few hours to my destination.*


Same here, the little bit that I've traveled by train I enjoyed it. My huzz, however hates trains; we took a train trip in the mountains that I really enjoyed, they served you a really nice dinner in this fancy, old-fashioned-looking dinner car, there was an open-air car where you could look at the pretty scenery, really nice I thought but he's never stopped complaining about it since that it was so boring, etc. (His thing is if he's moving, he wants it to be him and only him whose foot is on the gas pedal. So he also hated the tour bus trip we took to the horseraces once.)


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## MarkinPhx (Jul 9, 2022)

Alligatorob said:


> Did that drive once, opposite direction, San Diego to Phoenix.
> 
> I choose a really bad traffic time and it took more like 10 hours.


Traffic can get really bad in both areas if you choose the wrong time ! What is amazing to me is driving to LA. Once outside of Palm Springs it feels as though you are in LA even though it is still 100 miles or so away.


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## Been There (Jul 10, 2022)

I fly anywhere if the drive is longer than 6 hours. Airports are busy, but you have to just relax and go with the flow leaving yourself plenty of time to make sure you don't need to rush through security. I have nothing left but time now that I am retired.


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## Tish (Jul 10, 2022)

Drive.


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## oldman (Jul 10, 2022)

I remember reading in one of our union trade journal’s that older people prefer to drive than fly. After I read that, I began looking around the airports and came to the conclusion that the article was correct. I noticed very few older people in the terminal. I also read that older men prefer to drive and will drive twice as many miles as an older woman.

I think older people just prefer not to put up with the confusion at airports. I don’t blame them. I get irritated myself at times, but I just go with the flow.


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## JustDave (Jul 10, 2022)

That's right.  It seems like it's a younger crowd at airports.  Of course everyone is younger than me nowdays, but still, seniors seem under-represented at airports.  There are probably a combination of reasons for this.


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## funsearcher! (Jul 21, 2022)

Well, I drove about 1200 miles. Had a car accident the 1st night but car was still drivable. Road construction, no parking in towns. Gas over $5 per gallon, gas pumps which didn't work, restaurants closed or short staffed so no inside seating. 45 min wait for restaurant with broken air conditioning. $262 a night for hotel which advertised brkft which was a granola bar and coffee.  Then a deluge  of rain in freeway traffic for 20 minutes on the way home.

I am done with traveling for while.


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## oldman (Jul 21, 2022)

funsearcher! said:


> Well, I drove about 1200 miles. Had a car accident the 1st night but car was still drivable. Road construction, no parking in towns. Gas over $5 per gallon, gas pumps which didn't work, restaurants closed or short staffed so no inside seating. 45 min wait for restaurant with broken air conditioning. $262 a night for hotel which advertised brkft which was a granola bar and coffee.  Then a deluge  of rain in freeway traffic for 20 minutes on the way home.
> 
> I am done with traveling for while.


Sounds like you had a grand old time. After that trip, I don’t blame you for wanting to stay at home.


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## Knight (Jul 21, 2022)

Flying somewhere to tour might not be as great as anticipated if watching this documentary on hulu is viewed

‘The Last Tourist’ on Hulu, A Doc Promoting Responsible Tourism Over The Excess And Ignorance Of Travel Today
https://decider.com/2022/06/06/the-last-tourist-hulu-review-stream-it-or-skip-it/

That web site has a trailer that barely includes the cruelty to animals or the depth of poverty caused by "tourism"

With that in mind flying to some tourist attraction not going to happen. 

Not going to travel to any off shore locations for a variety of reason so driving for us is the way to go. Keeping in mind what the documentary explained, if we travel we will be more conscious of what we do.


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## funsearcher! (Jul 23, 2022)

Just heard about a family who went on a cruise together for a week--3 of the 9 came down with Covid, though vaxed and boosted=all 3 over 65


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## Lewkat (Jul 23, 2022)

Fly.  I love flying and since I cannot stand the hassle of road travel, it suits me.  I also like trains, so If that's an option, I'll choose that.


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## horseless carriage (Jul 23, 2022)

funsearcher! said:


> How do you make the decision to fly or drive for vacation of late??


Fly or drive? This how we went on a very special wedding anniversary. 

We arrived at London's Waterloo Station, among many onlookers.

Our train awaits, what a magnificent looking machine it is.

Difficult to get a clear photo, so many want to see it, up close.

Our Pullman Carriage, they are all named, our's being, "Vera."

Happy anniversary darling.

This is the way to travel. We must do this more often.


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## palides2021 (Jul 23, 2022)

horseless carriage said:


> Fly or drive? This how we went on a very special wedding anniversary.
> 
> We arrived at London's Waterloo Station, among many onlookers.
> View attachment 230762
> ...


Thank you for sharing your special trip with us! You both looked fabulous!


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## horseless carriage (Jul 23, 2022)

palides2021 said:


> Thank you for sharing your special trip with us! You both looked fabulous!


Such a kind compliment, thank you.


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## HoneyNut (Jul 23, 2022)

funsearcher! said:


> How do you make the decision to fly or drive for vacation of late??


Although I would rather fly, since I'm traveling with my cat and all my belongings, it is more convenient to have a car.  Also the car makes it possible to go to stores and to parking places to catch commuter trains etc. 

But, I really don't like driving -- long or high bridges scare me, long tunnels scare me, other drivers scare me.  I don't even like driving on roads that don't have shoulders.  Left exits appall me, even just forks in the highway where I need to be in the left lanes stress me.


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## PamfromTx (Jul 23, 2022)

For now, we'll just stay put.


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## Been There (Aug 27, 2022)

Fastest mode of transportation between two points…………………


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## Packerjohn (Aug 27, 2022)

I can't stand the dictatorship at the airports so when I travel I drive.  Not going to Europe either.  It's too expensive, too hot and too many forest fires.  Home, right now, is a lot better.  You can keep your tourist traps!


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## Capt Lightning (Aug 28, 2022)

Packerjohn said:


> I can't stand the dictatorship at the airports so when I travel I drive.  Not going to Europe either.  It's too expensive, too hot and too many forest fires.  Home, right now, is a lot better.  You can keep your tourist traps!


That's quite a generalisation.  Not including dependencies, there are 44 countries in Europe not all of which are too hot, too expensive or have forest fires.  Canada, on the other hand, would appear to be very expensive with cost of flights, taxes etc...  I think I'll give it a miss.


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## Mr. Ed (Aug 28, 2022)

My health prevents me from driving long distances. September 12, flying round trip to Georgia to visit brothers. Had a nasty and expensive experience going through Priceline for reservations. I cancelled original flight because I thought the flight departure was in the AM, turned out it was in the PM so cancelled and rescheduled. Started calling a week later about my refund, Priceline deliberately delayed actions on refunding the cost of reservations until after 6 weeks had passed. When I sought assistance from credit card fraud services investigation into the refund had passed time limit for reporting fraud, so I lost nearly $800.00 because Priceline kept stringing along that my refund was processing. In the future should this happen again I will immediately report issues to credit card fraud services.


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## NorthernLight (Aug 28, 2022)

Planes are okay, but airports can be a nightmare. And depending on the distance, time spent getting to and from the airport, and being in the airport, can make it not worthwhile.

I love driving long distances, although I've developed a fear of winding mountain roads with a sheer dropoff. Where the speed limit is 60 mi/100 km per hour and there's a big truck or RV right behind me.


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## Packerjohn (Aug 28, 2022)

Capt Lightning said:


> That's quite a generalisation.  Not including dependencies, there are 44 countries in Europe not all of which are too hot, too expensive or have forest fires.  Canada, on the other hand, would appear to be very expensive with cost of flights, taxes etc...  I think I'll give it a miss.


Canada has always been an expensive country to visit due to it's great size.  In addition, right now the largest airport in Canada, Pearson International in Toronto, has been given the "honour" of being upgraded from the world's worst airport to the world's 2nd worst airport due to the constant flight delays and flight cancellations.  What an honour, not!


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## Jack Frost (Aug 28, 2022)

Driving from Maine to Miami FL via I-95: boring, scary, congested, expensive and takes min 2 sometimes 3 days. Hop a plan and white knuckles for a few hours and it's sun 'n sand. All aboard!!


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## 911 (Aug 28, 2022)

I want to get to where I am going, so I will fly.


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## 911 (Aug 28, 2022)

Been There said:


> View attachment 236481
> 
> Fastest mode of transportation between two points…………………


Where do I get a ticket?


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## funsearcher! (Aug 28, 2022)

Staying put until next spring. Just hangin here and doing local things for this fall and then winter will bring knee surgery.


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## Jack Frost (Aug 28, 2022)

funsearcher! said:


> Staying put until next spring. Just hangin here and doing local things for this fall and then winter will bring knee surgery.


Best of luck!


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## Jack Frost (Aug 28, 2022)

Been There said:


> View attachment 236481
> 
> Fastest mode of transportation between two points…………………


Love the Sidewinder missile, had them on mine also, back in the day!


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## Teacher Terry (Aug 28, 2022)

_Went to Ireland in June and luckily my flights were fine but I was worried. I had to get to the Dublin airport 6 hours in advance because it was such a mess. _


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## Jules (Aug 28, 2022)

Fly.  I don’t enjoy long road trips.


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