<p>at what point to do you drive instead of fly or vice versa?
with the newest delays going on in air travel (up to four hours) the radius in which you should drive instead of fly is now much greater in size. skipping the lines at the airport and the tsa stuff is just an added bonus. so I think if someone from indianapolis attending school in the suburbs of philly were to go home for even a short stay it is quicker and less hassle to drive then to fly. with the extra added bonus of leaving at the time you are ready. am I wrong?</p>
<p>Depends. In the wintertime even a 4-5 hour drive could be dicey and I’d rather fly.</p>
<p>I don’t think the guaranteed day’s drive it would take each way from Indianapolis to Philly would be worth it compared to just hopping on a two hour flight. For a family it might be worth it in the cost savings, but for someone going alone I’d rather fly. Especially if it’s only going to be for a few days; you just need a carry-on and won’t have to worry about your baggage being lost.</p>
<p>There are so many factors. We’re having this debate right now, only with a 28 hour drive. Our factors include 3 people, expensive airfares, excessive and large baggage/carry-ons, the ability to stop and see family members on the way, condition of our vehicle, cost of gas, and time. Weather shouldn’t be a factor, as it’s in Aug for college move-in. I suspect we’ll end up flying.</p>
<p>I’d say a car ride of 8-10 hours. Over 10 then fly. I figure (where we live) it’s an hour to the airport, you have to be there an hour early, the flight, baggage claim, and then transportation from destination airport to actual destination… You’ve already got at least 5 hours or more into the plane flight plus you still need a car at the end. I’d rather come and go when I want and pack whatever I want to cram in the car.</p>
<p>There are lots of other things to consider: Do you need a rental car at the destination? Do you have to pay high hotel parking fee? Is driving in the destination city easy? Time?</p>
<p>I enjoy driving but I also consider the above factors.</p>
<p>I think it depends on the situation. I’ve driven 1500 miles each way trips several tines when I had people to split the driving with. This was straight through with only stopping for gas and food. However I’ve flown for 600 mile trips because I didn’t want to do the ten hour drive myself.</p>
<p>This is probably opposite of what normal people do.</p>
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<p>I usually drive anything under about 700 miles each way, and often will drive more than that. This is especially true when I am not going to a major city with public transit.</p>
<p>For 1 person? I’d fly that distance (before sequestration cuts into air traffic controllers–I think everybody’s only guessing how that’s going to play out). Driving Indianapolis to Philadelphia is most of a day each way.</p>
<p>When we’re traveling as a family, my driving radius expands. It costs four times as much for four people to fly as for one, but it costs basically the same for four to drive as for one. How far does my radius expand? It depends on the price of air fare.</p>
<p>ETA: Oh, yeah, and a lot depends on luggage. I have a teenager who has trouble envisioning a trip for which she might not need every shoe she owns.</p>
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<p>Depends on the situation, where you’re going and for how long, how many people, etc. WE drive whenever possible because air travel has become so darn annoying. You have to be at the airport too far in advance, then stand in lines forever, are limited in what you can take with you, get annoyed by people taking carryons that are too large and that fill the overhead bins too quickly, small seats with limited legroom, bad food (if you get food at all!), crazy delays, fewer non-stop flights, smaller planes than in the past, possibility of lost luggage (has happened to everyone in our family in the past two years), and then when you arrive at your destination, having to arrange for a rental car that isn’t as nice as the car we own! If we drive, we can leave when we want and are not tied to an airline’s schedule (which they rarely keep anyway!)</p>
<p>Nope, flying isn’t for us, unless we’re flying coast to coast, or here to the UK to visit one D, or to other places in Europe for vacation.</p>
<p>I was figuring 45 minute drive to airport, you need to be there two hours early, flight/getting off plane/baggage claim/car rental and drive from airport to destination 6-7 hours. if you have to change planes add at least 2-3 hours more ( increased chance of a flight delay) with the faa cuts up to 4 hours extra.
money, airport hassles and everything else aside. I think driving wins. plus you leave when you are ready (added bonus)</p>
<p>I heard that yesterday with the air traffic slow down, some people taking the NYC/DC shuttle flights would have gotten to their destinations sooner had they taken the train.</p>
<p>If I’m going solo, I now take train or bus for anything under a 10 hour drive. That way, I can work/sleep/read/space out while someone else drives and takes all that risk and stress off my head.
If I’m going with other people, we drive and share costs, since the many air tickets always make it cost-effective to drive. </p>
<p>On any solo drive more than 9 -10 hours, I break it up into two parts and stay in a roadside motel. If you can drive without fatigue for hours on end, that is not necessary for you, but for me it is 
Also I knew a young person who drove too long across half the country, fell asleep at the wheel and was killed when nearly home. That forever changed how I assess risks/costs relative to staying in overnight lodging rather than pushing on.</p>
<p>On some trains from the Midwest, you can even buy an overnight “roomette” instead of a coach seat. Then you sleep and work in privacy, with your own bathroom. ETA: Those need many weeks advance booking, as they sell out.</p>
<p>I book a simple coach seat, but friends of mine prefer upgrading to business class seat. Either way, we arrive well rested with some work accomplished, rather than just driving, driving, driving. Train lets you walk around more than a bus, obviously.</p>
<p>I see that from Indianapolis to Philadelphia is 15 or 20 hours by those means. (I looked at Trailways and Amtrak). </p>
<p>I agree that flights have become so irritating that when I see I’m going on a “puddle jumper” commuter flight under 600 miles, I prefer train or bus for cost as well as ease on my nerves. Your distances are greater here, however (Indi to Phila) and you are younger, so all of these are factors.</p>
<p>I appreciate when people consider alternatives to the air industry. Maybe they will notice.</p>
<p>I’m in the “it depends” camp. A lot of it depends on the final cost but also time. If we have time to drive, we generally do, if not, we fly. We almost always rent a car for long car trips so needing a rental car is a non-factor. Each trip is different though. Our kids will most likely fly to/from school for shorter trips home-Thanksgiving, but drive home at Christmas, etc. They have a week off at Thanksgiving so they aren’t stuck flying on Wednesday. We plan to have them fly back on Saturday–their school will accommodate them for that.</p>
<p>Depends on how long you will be staying, etc. But generally, we drive if it is 5-8 hours from home. Fly otherwise. But we live in Texas and there is not that much within 5-8 hours.</p>
<p>I’m with the 5-8 hours. 8 is pushing it. It’s just so exhausting to drive for so long and your chance of an accident is higher the longer you drive and more tired you get.</p>
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<p>That wouldn’t be new. Flying from Washington or Baltimore to New York has never made sense–at least, not if your destination is in Manhattan. Penn Station is in Manhattan, but the airports are in Queens or Newark. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, the train from DC to NYC costs as much as flying. I’ve done the math many times, and the break-even point for rail vs. driving is ONE. If you have more than one person going, it costs less to buy the gas, pay the tolls, wear down the tires and park than it does to take the train.</p>
<p>Some of the places we go the drive is 7-8 hours but a plane isn’t an option ( & wouldn’t make it shorter anyway)</p>
<p>Its awful though especially since it is in the winter, unless you have someone to switch off driving. I try & take the train instead if I can so I can get up & walk around.</p>
<p>I like traveling slower though, more time to process that I am going from one place to another. The journey can be part of the trip.</p>
<p>I don’t think the shuttle from DC to NYC has made much sense for years. It used to be that it was almost like a bus–you’d just get on it and go. I always take the train now.</p>
<p>I almost always fly and rent a car. I have grown very tired of long car trips over the years and will only drive to Austin, San Antonio or Dallas from H-town but beyond that like even NOLA or Santa Fe, NM - FLYING!!! Frankly, even the Dallas trip is on the edge for me these days!</p>