Driving vs Flying

[passporterfan13]

Which would be cheaper? Driving from Totonto or Flying from Toronto (Pearson)? I'm thinking Flying because driving would add 2 days (hotel, food, GAS )But I'm not sure

 

[runner26.2]

Drive to Buffalo and fly. The air fare is sooo much cheaper, the airport is easy to get through and you don't have to worry about long customs lineups at the airport, you simply drive across at Fort Erie and the line up is usually much less than at an airport.

Southwest & Airtran are both excellent airlines, kid friendly and you can usually get flights for $50-$100 each way US$. Our family of 5 just returned flying Southwest. Our total cost for flights $603USD. Same flights from Toronto would have been 1500-2000. I don't think we could drive with 3 children to Orlando for less than the $600 and save 4 days of travel.

 

[passporterfan13]

yeah I've heard that. Unfortunately only one of us can drive (legally ) and she doesn't have a car.

 

[digskat]

Driving is much cheaper. We have driven twice, and are driving again in 2 weeks. We spent $225 for gas 2 years ago, and $300 last year. Hotels cost us $80 each way, and another $80 for meals. Total cost for driving was approximately $600. To fly out of TO, was going to be 3-4x that much. Bonus is also having your own vehicle at Disney.

Last year, we left at 4am and had breakfast on route. We drove to Dalton, Georgia, got a room, and bought supper. We paid $75 USD for a room at the Comfort Inn, and ate up the street at Wendys ($20 for 4 of us). The hotel provided a decent free breakfast. We had a late lunch ($30), and arrived at Disney in the early afternoon. The return trip, we left at 8am, and drove as far as Corbin, Kentucky. Lunch and supper cost us $60 total, and we spent $110 for a kids suite at the Holiday Inn Express. We left at 8am, and were home at 4pm, eating the free breakfast, and buying lunch ($25). Gas was expensive last year (close to ($3/gallon), so it was $300, but that also included driving around the resorts, and into Kissimmee. Add about $5 for tolls, and driving was $625.
Travelocity gives us a best price offer of $297/person for our trip this year ($1188). We have pre-booked our hotels, and are paying $89/night. Gas is $0.95/gallon cheaper this year, so I am planning on $225. Unless we spend $700 on food, we are saving a ton by driving.

 

[digskat]

Out of Buffalo, it was $800 USD for the 4 of us. Unfortunately, it was an 8am flight, with a 4 hour drive to the airport, a border crossing, and pre-flight prep time, we would either have to leave by 2:30 am, or get a hotel in Buffalo (and meals). Flying is faster and easier, but driving is cheaper.

 

[Questforthemouse]

Which would be cheaper? Driving from Totonto or Flying from Toronto (Pearson)? I'm thinking Flying because driving would add 2 days (hotel, food, GAS )But I'm not sure

Hi Passporterfan13,

If you can answer the following questions for me I'll try and give you some accurate information...

How many will be travelling in your party? How far in advance are you able to book your flight (a couple months or a year)? Depending on time of year you travel and the route you take it will take 21 - 25 hours to drive...would you plan to stop for one or two nights each way?

 

[FrenchSnowWhite]

Its our 3rd trip in 2 years next month. And we are leaving from Montreal, so to fly it would be 2500-3000$ for our family of 5.

We drive the 24hrs drive and its around 600$, to eat/sleep/gas. We couldn't go to disney if we'd fly...

 

[madonna31]

We LOVE driving to WDW!

Like others have said, it cost about $600 and it's nice because it extends your vacation by a few days.

Last but not least, I don't care how great Disney's transportation is; it's ALWAYS better (and easier) when you want to visit a resort just for dinner and you have your own vehicle.

 

[canron]

fly out of buffalo on southwest.your there in 2and a half hours .we do it 3 to 4 times a years its so cheap we usually pay $130.00 to $150.00 canadian roundtrip nonstop sign up for ding on southwest home page its well worth it

 

[F4disneyfan]

Which would be cheaper? Driving from Totonto or Flying from Toronto (Pearson)? I'm thinking Flying because driving would add 2 days (hotel, food, GAS )But I'm not sure

Driving is by far cheaper than flying we have a room booked for 1 night for a family of 5 in Valdosta GA for Sat Dec 2nd for 48.69 for the night tax included. Our gas cost is going to about 225.00 US and that is on the high end even with gas prices how they are and that is total for the drive down and back. I can't fly a family to Florida even with cheap flights from Buffalo for that little.

 

[wee-haggis]

I'm a big fan of flying and its more than just a $ thing.

IMHO....we all (well...most of us) crave more vacation time from work and I'm not prepared to give up (what could amount to 3 or 4 days) of my time.This is aside from the fact that I hate driving anywhere (i can't understand why folk think driving mile after mile and hour after hour is fun.. ).....oh well...maybe its just me !
Now....lets put aside my personal preferences and look at some other facts.
It not entirely accurate to say that it costs X number of $ to drive down (based on fuel and hotel stay).You also have the incalculable wear and tear on your engine after driving several hundred kilometers as well as the wear and tear on your brain (if your the only driver) because if you drive all night ....your zonked for the following day.
Sure.....there is no doubt that the drive down is probably in the $600 range......but I cant put a dollar value to my time and peace of mind.
If I can get a DING,drive and park in Buffalo,rent a car using one of the codes available (all for about just over a $1000).....the extra $400 I've spent is worth every penny to get a 10 day holiday instead of 6 or 7.
Jusy my humble opinion.

 

[passporterfan13]

One of us CAN drive possibly, just doesn't want to leave the car in Buffalo.

 

[digskat]

Wear and tear? Mileage? Selling a vehicle with 45000km or 35000km, there is no difference in value. You may have to get an extra oil change.....$40.

The question was "what is cheaper?" If you have 4 in the vehicle, if you plan on renting a vehicle in Florida, especially if flying out of Toronto.........the answer is driving. Flights will cost you $1200-1500, passports another $320, rental car another $500 including insurance. I'll take the $600.

As far as the fun of the drive...my parents vacation was a drive to and around the east coast each year, and my kids enjoy the experience as well. Michigan and Ohio are far from scenic, but Kentucky and Tennessee are beautiful, especially in the Smokey Mountains. I do all of the driving, and have yet to struggle with fatigue, once I reach WDW. We consider the 1.5 day drive, each way, an extension of the vacation, we are together, away from work, and away from every day distractions. Flying is convenient, you leave in the morning, and are at WDW that afternoon, while I don't get there until lunch the next day. I'll take the extra $700-1000, and spend extra days there.

 

[F4disneyfan]

I'm a big fan of flying and its more than just a $ thing.

IMHO....we all (well...most of us) crave more vacation time from work and I'm not prepared to give up (what could amount to 3 or 4 days) of my time.This is aside from the fact that I hate driving anywhere (i can't understand why folk think driving mile after mile and hour after hour is fun.. ).....oh well...maybe its just me !
Now....lets put aside my personal preferences and look at some other facts.
It not entirely accurate to say that it costs X number of $ to drive down (based on fuel and hotel stay).You also have the incalculable wear and tear on your engine after driving several hundred kilometers as well as the wear and tear on your brain (if your the only driver) because if you drive all night ....your zonked for the following day.
Sure.....there is no doubt that the drive down is probably in the $600 range......but I cant put a dollar value to my time and peace of mind.
If I can get a DING,drive and park in Buffalo,rent a car using one of the codes available (all for about just over a $1000).....the extra $400 I've spent is worth every penny to get a 10 day holiday instead of 6 or 7.
Jusy my humble opinion.

We travel down I 75 and do not include wear and tear. The van is a lease and the lease runs out when the warranty runs out so wear and tear is of no cost in our factoring as it is a moot point after the 3 year lease runs out. Plus the drive is all part of the fun for our family our kids would die if we flew they love the drive and so do the wife and I. We offered to fly them down this Dec and it was unani(mouse) LOL play on words they all wanted to drive so we are driving.

Digskat I completely agree with you Tenn and Kentucky are beautiful to see mind you we usually pass through them in the middle of the night LOL but on the way home it is in the day and the kids love it. Our trip last May we stopped at the GA welcome centre and there were a couple small deer roaming around the grounds and the kids loved it and took some pics of them and talked about it all the way to Valdosta you can't put a price on that at all. Flying nope our family will take the drive every time and we stay at Disney 12-14 days each trip.

 

[Wazzo]

Last but not least, I don't care how great Disney's transportation is; it's ALWAYS better (and easier) when you want to visit a resort just for dinner and you have your own vehicle.

Do you have to pay to park at your own resort as well as the different resorts you visit?

 

[madonna31]

Do you have to pay to park at your own resort as well as the different resorts you visit?

Nope, not at all.

If you are staying at a WDW resort, they give you a piece of paper at check in, which you place on your windshield that allows you to park for FREE everywhere in the world.

One of my fondest childhood memories is of driving to WDW with my parents, sister, aunt, uncle and cousin when I was 5. Of course back then we played games that you didn't plug in and conversed with one another in the car. Oh the horror.

 

[Diamondintheruff]

Like Madonna31 some of my fondest childhood memmories are driving down to florida each March. Funny places we would stop at, arguments with my brother, conversing with the truckers using a CB, playing silly car games. They all became family rituals that I have in turn continued with my own children. The question of flying or driving is really MORE than just a financial question.

 

[wee-haggis]

Wear and tear? Mileage? Selling a vehicle with 45000km or 35000km, there is no difference in value. You may have to get an extra oil change.....$40.

The question was "what is cheaper?" If you have 4 in the vehicle, if you plan on renting a vehicle in Florida, especially if flying out of Toronto.........the answer is driving. Flights will cost you $1200-1500, passports another $320, rental car another $500 including insurance. I'll take the $600.

As far as the fun of the drive...my parents vacation was a drive to and around the east coast each year, and my kids enjoy the experience as well. Michigan and Ohio are far from scenic, but Kentucky and Tennessee are beautiful, especially in the Smokey Mountains. I do all of the driving, and have yet to struggle with fatigue, once I reach WDW. We consider the 1.5 day drive, each way, an extension of the vacation, we are together, away from work, and away from every day distractions. Flying is convenient, you leave in the morning, and are at WDW that afternoon, while I don't get there until lunch the next day. I'll take the extra $700-1000, and spend extra days there.

Yes indeed the original question was what is cheaper...you will never get an argument from me that driving is less $. But.....further replies to the thread starting taking about preferences and I just chipped in my 2 cents.
As I say its just my personal preference. If you like to drive..I'm pleased for you,thats great....If you don't get tired after driving all night...thats a bonus(I'm assuming you don't do an all-nighter?).

 

[madonna31]

The question of flying or driving is really MORE than just a financial question.

I couldn't agree with that statement more!!!

 

[F4disneyfan]

I couldn't agree with that statement more!!!

I agree and for us I know our son wouldn't like the plane as he hates the loud noises from them even if we are passing by the airport. Plus they would all be heartbroken if we didn't take our annual drive to see Mickey that to our family is one of the best parts of our journey.