Driving versus Flying - A REAL Comparison

[susieq76]

We drive. Unless I get a ding like I got this year. But- WOW- this thread is just fun to watch

 

[consultant]

For the record. I got the speeding ticket 18 years ago when I was 20-years old driving back from the Rose Bowl with another friend. This wasn't on a recent family trip to Disneyland.

FYI - Federal regulations permit a truck driver to drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. And a truck driver is a professional driver.

I wish everyone on the road was an Ambulance driver.

 

[Dashzap]

So I'd even venture to say anyone driving straight for more than 15 hours even switching off drivers, that's not a wise decision from a safety standpoint.

I disagree. We have a minivan with a third row. The only things ever packed in that row are pillows and a blanket. When we switch drivers, someone goes back there and gets two solid hours of sleep. Serious Zzzzzs.

 

[MyGoofy26]

FYI - Federal regulations permit a truck driver to drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. And a truck driver is a professional driver.

I wish everyone on the road was an Ambulance driver.

There's a big difference between a truck driver and the average car/van/suv driver. For one, just the size of the vehicle and the extra work just to operate something that big. Then consider 11 hours a day, day in and day out, nearly every day of the year vs. one day of driving. . . then again a week later. . . then again a year later.

 

[azgal81]

Well, if you have unlimited funds, i agree.......... However, when you are watching your spending, to spend upwards of hundreds more.. it's not worth it.
Again, great for you if you don't have to care about money.. but, not all of us are that lucky.

That's not fair you can't say that just because I or anyone else prefer to fly it means we have unlimited funds and don't care about money. I personally have a vacation budget just like everyone else but I budget flying in to my budget and save an extra whatever more a month so I can fly. Doesn't mean I'm not on a budget as well!

 

[tedhowe]

I disagree. We have a minivan with a third row. The only things ever packed in that row are pillows and a blanket. When we switch drivers, someone goes back there and gets two solid hours of sleep. Serious Zzzzzs.

I don't agree with a lot of what Consultant has said in this thread, but I'll be he'll agree with me.

That doesn't sound very safe at all. All occupants of a vehicle moving at highway speed should be safely belted in. Cars and passenger vans are not designed to have someone laying down in them.

However, to the point of getting sleep in the car - my wife can certainly do it when the wants/needs to.

Sometimes I have to turn up the volume on the kids DVD so that they can hear it above her snoring.

Ted

 

[wdwfamilyinIL]

We too have to drive, we have flown the past two years but we just can't afford it this year. So far the cheapest tickets I have found were on airtran, leaving from INdy to Orlando would cost 193 a person. There are 7 total going, that would be 1351 in just plane tickets. Then there is another 100 to park the van for a week. We have four adults going, so we can rotate drivers without staying all night anywhere. We are leaving around 8 in the evening, so the kids will sleep most of the way. In case of no sleeping they can watch a movie, or they are getting gameboys. As far as the wear and tear on the vehicle, I don't know how anyone can live and still get the most money out of there vehicle. Just for us to go to my children's eye doctor is over 100 miles each way, and I make that trip several times. We live at least 30 minutes from town, so everytime I go to school/husband goes to work, add some more milage. Maybe we are wrong, but we just don't really care about the wear and tear. My husband does all the upkeep on the vehicle, so otherwise its taken care of. As far as food on the road, we are taking a cooler.....there is no stopping unless its a bathroom break.
Besides all the money we are saving most of all I am looking forward to quality family time with my children. So what if they whine, when they are grown up and out of the house, I will miss all of that whining....

 

[consultant]

I disagree. We have a minivan with a third row. The only things ever packed in that row are pillows and a blanket. When we switch drivers, someone goes back there and gets two solid hours of sleep. Serious Zzzzzs.

I would disagree too if I were you. Why would anyone do something they thought was unsafe, especially with your kids? Definitely switching drivers and gettings some Zzzzs is safer than one driver driving straight through. I'd safe the safest way would be to do a total of 10-12 hours driving a day switching off between drivers and then getting a good night's sleep in a motel if the drive was more than 12 hours.

Everything is relative. It typically takes one accident for people to think otherwise though and then they find a way to afford the flight. Odds are you'll make it safely to where you are going though. I don't want to sound like I am mischaracterizing driving as being on par with rock climbing without a rope or something. I'm a reasonable person.

But now we're getting off on a tangent. I think the main conclusions or observations I've made from this great discussion are:

1) Everyone's decision regarding flying versus driving involves a different set of circumstances and values that can vary greatly. But we can say with almost certainty most people (not all) who drive (that live far from the park), do it to save money.

2) Most people who drive, don't put a monetary value on vehicle depreciation, increased/decreased risk, and the cost of lost time otherwise spent doing a more enjoyable activity, into their equation (assuming they even bother to run any numbers at all.) This is just an observation. I'm not saying (here) if that is good or bad. Just an observation.

3) For families of four or more on a tight budget, driving almost always represents a significant cost savings as a percentage of the entire trip cost (with #2 above being a siginficant contributor to this outcome - otherwise the savings may be negligible depending on the value placed on less tangible costs as mentioned in #2.)

4) For families not on a tight budget (which appears most of the posters here do NOT fall into this category) who highly value the convenience of flying (whether it be time saved, not having to hear their children whine, fear of highway mishaps or some other facor or combination of factors), unless they are a large family of 5 or 6 living where airfares are higher than average, or live within a relatively short drive of the park (say 8 hours or less?), driving typically does not provide a big enough cost savings to justify the additional travel time, especially in the case of an airfare sale in which case driving can be more expensive, all things considered, especially if there isn't a need for a rental car and the car they would have driven has fairly low mileage (less than 40,000 miles). There are exceptions such as visiting relatives and doing a lot of sightseeing along the way.

4) Although flying is much safer, the risks associated with driving can be reduced by limiting the number of consecutive hours you spend on the highway, switching drivers, resting in a motel, etc. yet some people are still comfortable attempting a marathon straight-thru drive and have done it multiple times with no problems.

One note. On #3 there may be an urge to challenge that conclusion. So let me be more specific. When I say not on a tight budget, I'm talking about those that typically stay and eat at the Disney Resorts or something of close to the same caliber and cost. If you stay and eat at the Disney Resorts and live 800 or more miles away and still drive to save money, I'd love to here your story.

I know most of you are probably tired of reading now. I'll take a break from the marathon long posts.

 

[wdwfamilyinIL]

3) For families of four or more on a tight budget, driving almost always represents a significant cost savings as a percentage of the entire trip cost (with #2 above being a siginficant contributor to this outcome - otherwise the savings may be negligible depending on the value placed on less tangible costs as mentioned in #2.)

One note. On #3 there may be an urge to challenge that conclusion. So let me be more specific. When I say not on a tight budget, I'm talking about those that typically stay and eat at the Disney Resorts or something of close to the same caliber and cost. If you stay and eat at the Disney Resorts and live 800 or more miles away and still drive to save money, I'd love to here your story.

I know most of you are probably tired of reading now. I'll take a break from the marathon long posts.

I think we are one of the famillies you are referring too. We are going to stay at POP, have stayed onsite every trip. We do live more than 800 miles away, not exactly sure but a little over 1000 miles. We are from central IL, and yes we are driving to save money. Why you ask! It's very easy, we have a certain amount that we can spend on vacation without hurting us otherwise. We want to make the most out of our money. Let's say someone is allowing 2000.00 for vacation, why would you want to pay 3/4 for just plane tickets if you have another reasonable option? For us it's more important to stay on property, we like to do the ddp, and to allow the kids to have some spending money. We have flown, and while it gets you there quicker, for us it just isn't worth the money.

 

[disneysteve]

3) For families of four or more on a tight budget, driving almost always represents a significant cost savings.

It represents a savings whether you are on a tight budget or not. Driving costs the same amount for 4 people as it does for one (ok, slightly more due to food). Flying for 4 costs 4 times as much as flying for 1. So there is definitely an economy of scale issue.

Just to restate my earlier opinion, it is a largely personal issue that is based on many factors other than strictly dollars and cents. We feel it is much more convenient to drive. As long as we are able to do so, we will continue to do so.

 

[disneysteve]

On #3 there may be an urge to challenge that conclusion. So let me be more specific. When I say not on a tight budget, I'm talking about those that typically stay and eat at the Disney Resorts or something of close to the same caliber and cost. If you stay and eat at the Disney Resorts and live 800 or more miles away and still drive to save money, I'd love to here your story.

I'm not one of those people, but I don't think your point holds true. "Budget" means different things to different people. For us, our "budget" for our Disney trips is about $2,000. Meeting that involves driving down, staying offsite, eating breakfast in our room, drinking water, and various other things. Another family might have a budget of $4,000. Within that budget, they can stay onsite, get the DDP and do some other things that we can't do on our budget. However, they might not be able to include flying within that budget, so they might still need (or choose) to drive. We all have to prioritize how we spend our money, no matter how much money we have to spend.

 

[BillSears]

Here's another one of those situations where I think driving is going to be better for me. Usually flying is much better but maybe not with this.

I'm thinking about a non-Disney trip next year. I'll be staying off site at a time share. A car is needed because I'll be doing a few day trips and driving to Universal and Seaworld. It'll just be me.

Flying down:

$175.00 for airfare.
$350.00 for a rental car for the week. I might be able to get something cheaper but I'd like an intermediate size or larger car.
Total - $525.00

Driving down:
$200.00-gas. That's a real rouch estimate and it might be abit less.
$200.00-Hotel there and back, $100.00 each.
$100.00-Food on the road, this is probably high but maybe I'll eat something special.
$250.00-Depreciation on the car. It's a tough call since it's all highway miles but this is actually a low figure for milage allowence. On the other hand that milage allowance doesn't translate into true depreciation. The difference in sale price between a Toyota Solara with 160,000 miles or 162,000 miles on it isn't much at all. BTW getting rid of the depreciation would make driving cheaper.
Total-$750.00

So it's an extra $225.00 for me to drive down. But the big advantage for me driving down is that I have MY OWN CAR. As a wheelchair user who has hand controls on his car it's important to have a car that works well for me. I've rented cars before but they are almost always alot harder to get in and out of and the hand controls are often not set up the way I like them. In the end it might be worth $225.00 for me to drive and have a car I know I can use easily.

 

[MrsPete]

Gas
Insurance
Registeration
Oil changes
Depreciation
Tires
State inspection
and on and on.

Insurance, registration, and state inspection cost X amount whether you only drive the car to church on Sundays, or whether you drive it eight hours a day seven days a week. Oil, depreciation, and tires will add a little to the cost of your drive, but not much more than they'd cost if you only drove your car locally.

I think some people are trying so hard to prove that flying is ALWAYS a better deal that they're manipulating the data. Other people are trying so hard to prove that driving is ALWAYS a better deal that they're manipulating the data.

 

[consultant]

I'm curious. How many in your family? What city do you live in? How much do you expect to pay a night at Pop? How many miles on the car you would drive? Do you drive straight through or spend a night in a motel there and back and if so how much do you spend a night? Eat out while driving or bring your own food in the car?

I think we are one of the famillies you are referring too. We are going to stay at POP, have stayed onsite every trip. We do live more than 800 miles away, not exactly sure but a little over 1000 miles. We are from central IL, and yes we are driving to save money. Why you ask! It's very easy, we have a certain amount that we can spend on vacation without hurting us otherwise. We want to make the most out of our money. Let's say someone is allowing 2000.00 for vacation, why would you want to pay 3/4 for just plane tickets if you have another reasonable option? For us it's more important to stay on property, we like to do the ddp, and to allow the kids to have some spending money. We have flown, and while it gets you there quicker, for us it just isn't worth the money.

 

[consultant]

Bill,

Having your own car is clearly a very big benefit for you yet you still consider flying. While your situation is fairly unique, your numbers and assessment seem to be right on the money - very realistic estimates aside from the rental car. You can typically get a full size car in Orlando for under $250/week. Even for a savings of $300, I'd probably want the unique features of my own car in your case.

Here's another one of those situations where I think driving is going to be better for me. Usually flying is much better but maybe not with this.

I'm thinking about a non-Disney trip next year. I'll be staying off site at a time share. A car is needed because I'll be doing a few day trips and driving to Universal and Seaworld. It'll just be me.

Flying down:

$175.00 for airfare.
$350.00 for a rental car for the week. I might be able to get something cheaper but I'd like an intermediate size or larger car.
Total - $525.00

Driving down:
$200.00-gas. That's a real rouch estimate and it might be abit less.
$200.00-Hotel there and back, $100.00 each.
$100.00-Food on the road, this is probably high but maybe I'll eat something special.
$250.00-Depreciation on the car. It's a tough call since it's all highway miles but this is actually a low figure for milage allowence. On the other hand that milage allowance doesn't translate into true depreciation. The difference in sale price between a Toyota Solara with 160,000 miles or 162,000 miles on it isn't much at all. BTW getting rid of the depreciation would make driving cheaper.
Total-$750.00

So it's an extra $225.00 for me to drive down. But the big advantage for me driving down is that I have MY OWN CAR. As a wheelchair user who has hand controls on his car it's important to have a car that works well for me. I've rented cars before but they are almost always alot harder to get in and out of and the hand controls are often not set up the way I like them. In the end it might be worth $225.00 for me to drive and have a car I know I can use easily.

 

[wdwfamilyinIL]

I'm curious. How many in your family? What city do you live in? How much do you expect to pay a night at Pop? How many miles on the car you would drive? Do you drive straight through or spend a night in a motel there and back and if so how much do you spend a night? Eat out while driving or bring your own food in the car?

There are 7 of us going total, with 5 in my family. We live about 30 minutes from the IN line, central IL. Not really worried about what we are paying at POP, since we have the MYW package and that is already taken care of. Not sure of the exact miles, around 1000 or so. We are driving straight through. Bringing our own food, only stops are for bthroom. I did check the kelly blue book on our vehicle, and our trade in doesn't really change from what we have on the van right now to adding another 30000 miles.

 

[Becky2005]

It represents a savings whether you are on a tight budget or not. Driving costs the same amount for 4 people as it does for one (ok, slightly more due to food). Flying for 4 costs 4 times as much as flying for 1. So there is definitely an economy of scale issue.

I think that is a factor in there! With my family of 6, it costs us the exact same amount to put all of us in the car and drive than it would have to have a family of 4 in the car & drive. HOWEVER, to fly it would have added on 2 more plane tickets & we went before ME existed so would have had to have a larger vehicle to get us from the airport to the hotel & back. Plus seemed like so much less hassle to put the kids in the car and just drive them than trying to drag them around the airport, besides if they were going to have a fit at least in my car it's only annoying us, not everyone on the entire plane.

We are probably an unusual situation though as we not only stayed on-site we went with the Premium package which was not cheap for basically 3 adults/2 kids staying at the Contemporary. We did choose to drive to save the extra money it would have cost us to fly even though in the entire scheme of things it was probably a small % but this way we were able to bring a whole lot more stuff without paying extra to ship it down and we got the freedom of coming/going whenever we want.

As for the accident portion, I don't really factor that, I can get in a fatal accident here at home just as easily as I could driving on the Interstate (probably have more of a chance since there is more traffic to deal with here than we do when we drove to WDW, as we take some back roads to get to the Interstate that was more of a straight line path than the way the Interstate would have wound around.)

 

[Caitsmama]

That's not fair you can't say that just because I or anyone else prefer to fly it means we have unlimited funds and don't care about money. I personally have a vacation budget just like everyone else but I budget flying in to my budget and save an extra whatever more a month so I can fly. Doesn't mean I'm not on a budget as well!

That's fine.. I am just saying b/c in your other post you said:
"I don't care if it is more expensive to fly I can't imagine driving when I could fly!"

And, i am just saying for some people, flying might not be an option.. And that there is nothing wrong with that.. It just seemed like you were thinking we were crazy for driving anywhere.. But, i totally apologize if i read you wrong.. That's how i took the one line. And that was your whole statement, so i didn't know how to read it.. So, again, I aplogize.

Oh -- btw.. I always fly to WDW. But, if it meant going or not going due to saving money -- i would drive in a second!

 

[Caitsmama]

My DH's normal day-to-day schedule:

Up at 4:00 am and out the door to run at 4:30am. Come back, shower, shave, go to work. Come home, dinner, evening diversions/house, bedtime about 9:00pm.

My DH's normal driving schedule:

Up at 4:00 am and out the door at 4:30 am. Drive to FL. Get to our house at 9:00 pm. Have a beer and a bowl of ice cream (don't ask ), go to bed.

Sooo....

Anne

I understand where you are coming from....... As i am on a similar schedule - as i get up about 5am.. However, i think there is a big difference b/w day to day performance, and driving for the same period of time straight.. I think that long in the car just does something to ya! But, that is my personal view.. i just think it is very unsafe to drive that amount of time alone. But, if it works for him.........................

 

[NotUrsula]

There are all sorts of factors that influence this, and no one way to calculate it will do for everyone. Two of the big factors that influence us against driving:

1) Time is money. You bet your bippy we consider lost productivity. DH bills at $260/hr. An extra day off costs him a minimum of $2K. My days are not so expensive, but even so, there is a cost associated with using leave time vs. being at work.

2) Safety issues re: eyesight. Part of the natural aging process is a decline in the ability of the eye to make use of light. The decline starts in your early twenties. The older you get, the more light you need to have on your subject in order to see it clearly, and the longer your eyes take to adjust to changes in light intensity, such as happens when someone passes you with high-beams on. This phenomenon has a huge effect on one's ability to safely drive at night at highway speeds, especially for long periods, and starting out rested makes little difference. I used to easily drive overnight when I was in my 20's, but I don't consider it safe any longer to try it now that I'm in my mid-40's. It's not that I have bad eyesight in terms of acuity; my visual acuity is the same now as it was when I was 22. The problem is the light -- since I need more of it I have to make a greater effort to concentrate when it is dark, which means that my eyes tire more quickly when driving at night. Nowadays my eyes start to feel strained after about 90 minutes of night driving, and when your eyes are feeling strained, your vision is just not as sharp as it should be to drive safely. YMMV on how long it takes you specifically to experience eyestrain, but once you pass 40 I guarantee you that you have less than half the night-driving vision that a 20 yo with the same eyeglass Rx does.