drive or fly

[boxiedryluvsdisney]

still can't decide to fly or drive from boston. there are four of us going so flying would be about 900.00 to drive cost would be 500.00. what should we do any suggestions thanks

 

[duffy]

It depends on who is in your group. At one extreme, is it all adults, able to amuse themselves and take turns driving? Then I'd say drive.

Or, on the other extreme, one adult and three children under the age of 3? Then I'd say, fly!!

 

[sam_gordon]

To me there are other factors...

*How reliable is the transportation (if you're taking a 15 year old vehicle that goes through a quart of oil every 1K miles vs. a 2 year old minivan)?
*How comfortable is the transportation?
*What's the weather during the transportation time? Yes, I know flights have been cancelled with bad weather recently, but there can also be issues of shutdown interstates.
*How long will that drive take? According to Google maps, that's a 22 hour drive. That's at least two days of driving one way. Can you sacrifice four days of the vacation just for transportation?

If it was me, I'd fly.

 

[capecoddisneyfamily]

still can't decide to fly or drive from boston. there are four of us going so flying would be about 900.00 to drive cost would be 500.00. what should we do any suggestions thanks

$500????? are you driving a prius, and driving straight through. We did it last year in a minivan and it cost $900 which included everything from gas, tolls, hotel, and food. I think $900 for 4 is a great price and would jump on it.

 

[duffy]

$500????? are you driving a prius, and driving straight through. We did it last year in a minivan and it cost $900 which included everything from gas, tolls, hotel, and food. I think $900 for 4 is a great price and would jump on it.

I don't know about the original poster, but we drove in 2008, from Johnstown, Pa. It took us 17 hours, and gas was about $3/gallon. (I just googled gas prices in Feb. 2008.) We drove a Hyundai Sonata.

On the way down, we drove to our daughter's home in the Maryland suburbs of DC-3 hours from home-stayed overnight, and drove 14 hours straight down from there.

On the way home, we drove directly back to our daughter's home again, and stayed overnight, then drove the 3 hours from her place to home.

If we had not stayed at her place, we would have driven straight through, or if we'd stayed at hotels, we would have spent no more than $100/night.

So, we didn't have to pay for hotels. We did pay for food, but, we would have eaten anyhow. If we'd flown, we would have eaten our meals in Disney World, instead of on the road, that's the only difference.

It cost us somewhere between $200 and $300 for transportation. We would have paid ~$800 to fly, for 4 people.

 

[ToddyLu]

I would fly. Heck we live about 9 hours drive from WDW. Yet we drive 2 hours to New Orleans, wait about 1 1/2 hours for a direct flight that take 1:45minutes. So we could in essence just get in the car and it would take us just as long.

But the last ime I drove down with DH, we stopped over night in Lake City around 12mn after working all day. He was up at 3 a.m. saying "Mickey is waiting, Mickey is waiting!!". Yep, a 40 year old firefighter, fully dressed, ready to go at 3 a.m., standing over me nervously pacing back and forth. He survived that morning buy the hair of his chiny chin chin. We now get him 6 Ativan tablets which he takes for both flights and head to New Orleans.

 

[capecoddisneyfamily]

I don't know about the original poster, but we drove in 2008, from Johnstown, Pa. It took us 17 hours, and gas was about $3/gallon. (I just googled gas prices in Feb. 2008.) We drove a Hyundai Sonata.

On the way down, we drove to our daughter's home in the Maryland suburbs of DC-3 hours from home-stayed overnight, and drove 14 hours straight down from there.

On the way home, we drove directly back to our daughter's home again, and stayed overnight, then drove the 3 hours from her place to home.

If we had not stayed at her place, we would have driven straight through, or if we'd stayed at hotels, we would have spent no more than $100/night.

So, we didn't have to pay for hotels. We did pay for food, but, we would have eaten anyhow. If we'd flown, we would have eaten our meals in Disney World, instead of on the road, that's the only difference.

It cost us somewhere between $200 and $300 for transportation. We would have paid ~$800 to fly, for 4 people.

We kept a log of every penny spent to see what the real cost would be. 4 hotel rooms (2 each way) food, gas, tolls (which are not cheap there are a few bridges which I believe I paid for). Go on AAA gas calculator and enter your info it will give you a close estimate (gas only). Ours would be $456 right now.

 

[Reddy]

add in how much stuff you are taking - will you need the extra luggage (coming or going)
snack food - rental car while there??
if you drive can you take enough clothes to not do laundry that you would while there.

We drive (austic boys & planes for us don't mix - oldest hates crowds & small rooms)

 

[duffy]

We kept a log of every penny spent to see what the real cost would be. 4 hotel rooms (2 each way) food, gas, tolls (which are not cheap there are a few bridges which I believe I paid for). Go on AAA gas calculator and enter your info it will give you a close estimate (gas only). Ours would be $456 right now.

Oh, I don't doubt you for a minute. You just seemed astonished that it could cost $500 to drive, as evidenced by the 5 question marks.

I used the AAA calculator just now, and it estimates our gas costs to be $249.56, from Pittsburgh. Our drive is 17 hours, and I realize yours would be more like 24 hours.

On our 2008 trip, we didn't have to pay for hotels. If we did, we would MAYBE stay one night on the road down, and perhaps one on the way back. We would certainly not need 4 nights in hotel rooms.

Spending-at most-2 nights on the road, one on the way down and one on the way home, would add another $200 (approximately) to the trip. I'd hate to spend 4 nights total on the road. We would power through!!

$250 (gas) + $200 (2 hotel nights) = $450. I would not count food on the way. If we flew, we'd still have to eat, so it shouldn't be a factor. Tolls would add a bit, but it would still be under $500-for us.

Neither of us are estimating wear and tear on our cars, and that's fine with me! Who can calculate that?? My head hurts too much to think about wear and tear.

So, yeah, 17-hour trip would most likely still be around $300 for our family. We'd probably drive straight through.

 

[clkelley]

Another thing you have to look at driving versus flying is the actual air schedule.

If you drive, you can probably be all packed and ready to go ahead of time and hit the road as soon as you are sprung from work or school.

You may not be able to catch a flight that soon.

I know I can't. I would have to wait until noon the next day to get a direct flight to MCO.

By getting several hours under my belt the night before, then driving some more the next morning, I can actually get to WDW BEFORE a flight could get me there.

 

[OKW Lover]

Flying would be much safer than driving.

Safety aside, how much of your vacation time do you want to spend getting to/from your vacation destination? If you drive, you're looking at shaving 2 days off of each end of your vacation just doing the driving.

 

[Christine9125]

We are going thru the same thing here, there are 5 of us. To Drive it will be about $700 and about 14 hours, to fly it is $1202 with parking and luggage fees and we would be there about the same time as if we drove and not be wore out and not have the wear on the van.

 

[duffy]

Another nice thing about driving is that you're only limited by how much stuff will fit in your vehicle. No worries about what will or will not be allowed on a plane!! And if we wanted, heck, we could have brought a microwave, etc.

 

[JoeCathyAngelina]

My wife hates to fly.
The first time we went to Walt Disney World, April 2004 with my 3 year old daughter We decided to go to WDW a couple of months before we went with little planning. We rented some points off the DIS forum, checked the airfares a couple of times and picked up a trip tick from AAA.

We drove from my office in downtown Boston to WDW Old Key West stopping only for gas and bathroom breaks.

After the first 3-4 hours in the car driving the rest of the way to WDW isn't that bad; more like a series of short trips.

Our Trip to WDW started Friday, 3/26/04 at 1 pm: Miles, Stopped, Time

Leaving, Boston to Walt Disney World: Friday, 3/26/04, 1:00pm
1, Boston to New Jersey 212 212 6:00pm
2, N J to Aberdeen MD 183 395 9:07 pm
3, MD to Rocky Mt NC 266 661 1:36 AM
4, NC to Florence SC 209 870 4:40 am
5, SC to S Newport GA 210 1,080 7:58 am
Arrived, GA to WDW 251 1,331 12:00 PM

Started, Friday, 3/26 0 1:00pm
Finished, Saturday, 3/27 1331 12:00pm
A 23 hr trip with 5 stops along the way down
76 gallons of gas, $131 for the gas, 17.78 mpg 58mph
Driving around WDW 21

The Trip Home started Friday, April 2nd 11 AM: Miles Stopped Time

Leaving Walt Disney World to Boston:Friday, April 2nd 11:00 am
1, WDW to St Augustine FL 116 116 12:44 PM
2, FL to Savanah GA 178 294 3:55 PM
3, GA to Florence SC 174 468 6:22 pm
4, SC to Battleboro NC 181 649 9:30 pm
5, NC to Aberdeen MD 295 944 2:17 am
6, MD to Bloomfield NJ 181 1,125 5:30 AM
Arrived, NJ to Boston, MA 237 1,362 9:30 am

Started, Friday, 4/02 11:00 am 0
Finished, Sat, 4/03 9:30 am 1362
A 22 1/2 hr trip with 6 stops on the way home
81 gallons of gas $126 for the gas 17.58 mpg 60.5mph
Driving around WDW 62

157 gallons, $257 for the gas, $44 tolls, 17.68 mpg, 59.2mph 2776


The traffic was a mess from Hartford through Delaware on the way down.
It rained from North Carolina to Boston, Mass. on the way home

Me and my wife alternated turns driving our Nissan Xterra when we stopped for gas. My 3 year old held out a lot better than I thought she would on the way down and on the way back to Boston, WITHOUT, tapes, DVDs, video games, just a lot of singing and sleeping.

It's not that Bad!!!

April 2005 we caught a break in fares and flew down and back out of Logan on a non-stop with American Airlines , $504 round trip total for the 3 of us.

April 2006 we caught a break in fares so we flew down and back out of Logan on a non-stop with Song/Delta , $496 round trip total for the 3 of us.

The 2007 story and stops are pretty much the same as 2004.

We drove from my office in downtown Boston to WDW, Orange Lake Country Club, stopping only for gas and bathroom breaks.

After the first 3-4 hours in the car driving the rest of the way to WDW isn't that bad; more like a series of short trips.

Our Trip to WDW started Friday the 13th of April 2007, at 3:45 pm:

Destination, Miles, Total Miles from Boston, Time

Leaving, Boston to Walt Disney World: Friday, 4/13/07, 3:45pm
1, Boston to New Jersey 208 208 7:49 PM
2, N J to Laurel MD 219 427 11:44 PM
3, MD to Rocky Mt NC 250 677 3:36 AM
4, NC to Manning SC 219 896 7:00 AM
5, SC to Kingsland GA 226 1,122 10:30 AM
Arrived, GA to WDW 203 1,325 2:00 PM

Started, Friday, 4/13/07 3:45 PM
Finished, Saturday, 4/14/07 2:00 pm
A 22 hr trip with 5 stops along the way down
63 gallons of gas, $175 for the gas, 21 mpg


The Trip Home started at 9:45 AM, Saturday, April 21,2007
Destination, Miles, Total Miles from WDW, Time

Leaving Walt Disney World to Boston: Saturday, April 21st 9:45 AM
1, WDW to Kingsland Ga 194 194 12:44 PM
2, GA to Manning SC 226 420 4:16 PM
3, SC to Rocky Mt. NC 218 638 7:42 PM
4, NC to Aberdeen MD 292 930 12:26 AM
5, MD to Newark NJ 170 1,100 3:27 AM
Arrived, NJ to Boston, MA 246 1,346 7:30 AM

Started, Saturday, 4/21 9:45 AM 0 Miles
Finished, Sunday, 4/22 7:30 AM 1346 miles
A 22 hr trip with 5 stops on the way home
62 gallons of gas $175 for the gas 21 mpg

Total miles 2,671, about 21 mpg, about 70 mph
Total gas 125gallons $350
Total Tolls $50

April 2008 we caught a break in fares so we flew down and back out of Logan to Tampa, 4/19-4/26, on a non-stop with AirTran , $753 round trip total for the 3 of us.

April 2009 we caught a break in fares so we flew down and back out of Logan to MCO, 4/18-4/25, on a non-stop with Delta , $627 round trip total for the 3 of us.

April 2010 we caught a break in fares so we're flying down and back out of Logan to Tampa, 4/17-4/24, on a non-stop with Delta , $717 round trip total for the 3 of us.

April 2011...for our 4/16/11 - 4/23/11 trip we booked a 2 bedroom at the Silver Lake Resort. We caught an airfare break with the Direct Air/friends and family promotion out of Worchester Ma; Round trip non stop for the 3 of us $449 total.


Lord be willing,
If all goes well,
The creek don't rise,
and there ain't no melt down,
We'll do it all again next year.

Good Luck all,
Joe


As the story goes;
I always compare the cost and time of flying with the cost of driving.
If flying cost more than twice the cost of driving and it's not a non-stop round trip flight then we drive.
This year, back in May, when the April 2010 spring break fares and schedules came out we caught a break with a Delta non-stop, round trip Boston to Tampa flight, $717 total for the 3 of us.
Driving for us, gas and tolls cost about $400 round trip.
Along for the ride we take a couple bags of snacks, a big cooler and a small cooler filled with sandwiches and drinks.
We stop for gas, breaks and to switch drivers every 200 miles, 3-4 hours, that takes about 10-15 minutes. That's all we need unless we decide to grab something to eat at one of the mall/trip centers where we stop for gas, that usually takes an extra half hour.
We don't take our time and we don't try to hurry it up, we just do what we have to or want to do.
It's really not that big a deal, it's Just bunch of short 3-4 hour trips, not a long 22 hour drive.
Good luck all,
Joe

 

[juliebean]

We had about the same cost difference - maybe a little more, we have to pay about $100 for parking at the airport and we are renting a car ($250). We have driven it (16-18 hrs) and it's not bad - but we have limited time this year and we'd rther spend it at the parks. I'd also prefer to not put another 3000 miles on my minivan...getting close to the end of the warranty!