Gas prices & driving.....

[Andrea]

Has gas prices changed anyone mind from driving to disney, to flying ? Gas is getting close to $3.00 a gallon now. We are still thinking about driving since we live in atlanta, and so we can still have our car....

 

[TikiHut33309]

Since you are that close, I would still take the car. It's alot easier and not as much to worrry about. I live in Ft. Lauderdale, we drive too.

 

[Poohs Pal]

WOW, Atlanta. I would be driving all the time . Susan

 

[HappyCamperToo]

From Atlanta? Definitely drive!
FYI: http://www.fuelcostcalculator.com/TripGasPrice.aspx

 

[HappyCamperToo]

Round trip fuel costs on the AAA site I posted above, using my car as an example, was about $95. How can two people fly round trip for that? Plus, with all that's involved in security, flying would probably be just as long a trip! Factor in the convenience of having your car, and the fact that you won't have to pack everything as carefully--its a no-brainer!

Unless your car is not reliable. In that case, I'd recommend renting a car at home and driving it to wdw.
Have fun!!!!!

 

[Andrea]

no we are driving, i was just wondering if anyone else had to change their plans.

we always drive

 

[crzy4dsny]

It just doesn't seem worth it for us to drive anymore. From New York we would stop overnight in Georgia on the way and drive straight thru on the way home. When you add in food, lodging, GAS, and tools, it is about the same as flying. We have gotten great deals on tickets. We are flying in May for $580 round trip for 5 people. It would cost us about the same to drive.
We will not be driving anymore. That is unless the price of airline tickets sky rockets. This morning gas was $2.99.

 

[FamilyGuy]

We have gotten great deals on tickets. We are flying in May for $580 round trip for 5 people. It would cost us about the same to drive.

Your comparison is slightly skewed because you did such a great job getting those airfares... WOW! Who would drive if airfare was always that affordable? Good Job!

 

[HugsForEeyore]

I had a smiliar dilemma. My car has become unreliable for a long trip (and it only has 201,000 miles on it!! ) so I was faced with flying or buying a new car. Guess what? I have a new car! I am not too kean on the idea of flying, as I get very sick on planes.

Though for me, the AutoTrain almost becomes a no-brainer, since gas is so high plus a decent hotel, it would be very close to the price of a coach ticket. And no extra wear and tear on your car if you take the train. If you are going against the snow birds, the AutoTrain may be a good deal. Going south this time of year is very reasonable on the AutoTrain.

I used to see the AutoTrain as a luxery, but now with gas prices continuing to rise, it is probably by far the better deal.

 

[Scutapipig]

Based on today's gas prices, estimated fuel cost for a 2,532 round trip to Orlando would cost me $269. If I add our lodging for one night on the way down and one night on the way back, as well as food for the four days of travel, I would still have approximately $200 to play with before I could match the lowest airfare for a family of four that I have ever found.

We'll be driving because a) it's still less expensive for us than flying, and b) the road trip there and back is just another part of the whole package of fun!

Everyone join me....ROAD TRIP!!!!

 

[tinkerrn]

I am for the first time actually look at air fares. I am terrified of flying but the cost of gas, plus the cost of renting a car, hotel there and on the way back, plus food....just doens't add up. It takes us around 13 hours to drive versus the 2 hour nonstop flight. The cheapest I can find nonstop is 300.00 per person. I am thinking we don't even need a car while we are there, we are staying at GF and most of our ADRS are at MK, GF or Poly. Well, see....I hate the thought of flying, but I am almost afraid we might have too.

 

[HappyCamperToo]

It takes us around 13 hours to drive versus the 2 hour nonstop flight.

Keep in mind that for some, it might be misleading just to think of it as a 2-hour non-stop flight. There's the trip to the airport (for us 1 hour, plus 1/2 hr to park long term and take the shuttle to the terminal), time spent checking in/going through security (we arrive 2 hours before flight time), time to pick up bags and rental car at mco (for us someimes almost 1 hr), and the 20-30 minute drive to the resort, adding 4 1/2 to 5 hours to the total flight time. A 2 hour flight becomes a 7 hour travel day.

 

[clkelley]

Keep in mind that for some, it might be misleading just to think of it as a 2-hour non-stop flight. There's the trip to the airport (for us 1 hour, plus 1/2 hr to park long term and take the shuttle to the terminal), time spent checking in/going through security (we arrive 2 hours before flight time), time to pick up bags and rental car at mco (for us someimes almost 1 hr), and the 20-30 minute drive to the resort, adding 4 1/2 to 5 hours to the total flight time. A 2 hour flight becomes a 7 hour travel day.

Yep, I agree. If I can get a direct 90 minute flight from my home airport, at a decent price, then I will fly, but if I have to connect, or drive to another city, then even our 11 hour drive is easier.

Then again, my hubby disagrees because since you don't have to be alert while flying (you can take a nap on the plane, you can't take a nap at the wheel),then you can take a late evening flight even if it does connect or depart from another city, so you can travel later in the evening. (Does that make sense??)

 

[dpayne1969]

I had debated about driving if Delta strikes but my truck has over 200,000 miles on it so i would have to rent a car-plus gas-hotel night on the way up & back plus feed a family of 4.Drive would take about 24 hrs.So if Delta strikes i will be searching for new tickets instead of driving.I can fly for about the cost of driving.Wish i lived closer.LOL

 

[manning]

We solved the gas price problem. At the top of the hill we shut off the engine and coast down, at the bottom we take turns pushing up the hill. Will have to look for another route. we are getting older and that hill outside Chattanooga is something else. We use the engine on level road. Found out there aren't many level spots. Wife finally said to trade this thing in and get a smaller one, however she won't go along with a motor scooter. I wish she would stop calling me cheap. After all we do stay on site in the best tent money can buy.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

We solved the gas price problem. At the top of the hill we shut off the engine and coast down, at the bottom we take turns pushing up the hill. Will have to look for another route. we are getting older and that hill outside Chattanooga is something else. We use the engine on level road. Found out there aren't many level spots. Wife finally said to trade this thing in and get a smaller one, however she won't go along with a motor scooter. I wish she would stop calling me cheap. After all we do stay on site in the best tent money can buy.

DH told DS11 yesterday that he was going so he could help push the truck when our budgeted gas money ran out. We have a Ford Expedition. This road trip is going to hurt, but I know it won't be as much as 5 RT tickets and therapy for me cuz I am so afraid to fly.

 

[luvchip]

We were planning on driving, but I booked airfare this week. We have always drove, but with gas prices about 1.20 higher than when we went two years ago it made us rethink. We usually do two nights down and back, my husband has a tendancy to get pretty sleepy when he drives long distances. Last trip the last day driving home my kids absolutely drove me crazy? They argued non-stop for 8 hours!! So when we figured it all out it would be about an extra $400.00 if we chose to fly. I checked airfare and got 5 tickets non-stop with Air Tran for 1000.00.
We wont have to pay for parking, my brother lives about 15 minutes from the airport and won't need to rent a car at WDW. This is a big step for me since I haven't flown in 8 years due to panic attacks, but I've just decided that I need to take the step sometime and if my kids are with me maybe I will focus on them and not the panic attacks. Now I need to put together a garage sale and collect spare change to make up the 400.00 difference.

 

[ducklite]

Let's say you've got a 2000 mile round trip. Your car gets 20 mpg. That's 100 gallons of gas for teh trip. Even if gas goes up $1.50 over what it was six months earlier, that's only $150.

Anyone who has a vacation budget so tight that $150 is going to be a deal breaker maybe should be thinking twice about going to begin with.

For the most part, flying isn't going to be less expensive either, because plane tickets are going way up as well.

Anne

 

[stahshee]

i just checked out the plane prices for us and it was 1,300 more than it is going to cost us for car rental and hotels. ok then i am over estamate the gas price for about 500 and I still save

 

[Andrea]

Let's say you've got a 2000 mile round trip. Your car gets 20 mpg. That's 100 gallons of gas for teh trip. Even if gas goes up $1.50 over what it was six months earlier, that's only $150.

Anyone who has a vacation budget so tight that $150 is going to be a deal breaker maybe should be thinking twice about going to begin with.

For the most part, flying isn't going to be less expensive either, because plane tickets are going way up as well.

Anne

oh no not you again. another thread i am not going to "fight" with you over. And please stop being so RUDE to me in all of your post directed toward me you have been flat out RUDE. I can afford $150.00 !!! I love to travel, and i cant help it that i travel alot. So like i said i am not going to fight with you in this thread also.