Should this be added to the driving cost

[joedplumber]

Driving to DW in April and I calculated the cost to drive as follows:

Hotels
Food
Gas

I did not include any wear & tear as the car is a lease and even with the trip we will still be under the mileage allowance when we turn it in. Also, tire rotations and oil changes are included in the lease.

I guess there is some cost in the monthly lease payment that could be allocated to the trip but for budget purposes and comparing the cost to flying I left the wear and tear out.

Does this sound right? Just want to make sure I didn't miss something and my budget is wrong.

I just can't wrap my head around a savings of $1,700+ when comparing driving to a direct flight for 4 people. I figure I must be calculating something wrong.

 

[Sandi]

I include the value of time in my calculation. If we drive, I essentially lose 2-3 days of vacation. I do not consider driving straight through to anywhere "vacation" time. If driving is part of the vacation -- think ocean coasts, mountains, etc. -- that's okay, but for going to WDW, nope.

This is a pretty decent website for comparing the cost of driving versus flying:

http://www.travelmath.com/cost/

YMMV

 

[Jimsig]

Don't think you need to count any part of the lease cost as you would be paying for that regardless. Even if you flew and left the car at the airport you still are paying for the car.

Don't forget any tolls if applicable.

 

[Jimsig]

Just saw you are from CT, so there will be some tolls and they could add up depending on your route.

 

[Day-Day]

Maybe not too much for food costs since it is more than likely that you would eat every day whether at home, on the road, or at WDW. You can pack some food and eat at reasonable restaurants maybe free breakfast at the hotel. If you are talking about money you may need to have with you then it fits in that budget but it is really not an additional expense in most cases.

 

[nacho113]

I include the value of time in my calculation. If we drive, I essentially lose 2-3 days of vacation. I do not consider driving straight through to anywhere "vacation" time.

Got to agree with you on that one.
They say time is money and it is absolutely true in the case of vacation time. You need to look at the balance that you have between vacation time , travel time and the actual amount of time that you will get to "vacation" between the drive vs fly vacations to see if its actually worth the money savings of driving or the extra vacation time and enjoyment that the extra cost of flying would give you.
If you have a long drive down to WDW, the anticipation keeps your interests peaked and your adrenaline pumping for awhile.
If the long drive turns to long arduous hour after hour of drudgery because of bad weather or cranky kiddies, then this can put a damper on your vacation time.
Not to mention the actual time, many hours or even days, to travel from home to your vacation spot.
And when you vacation comes to an all too soon end because it's time to turn around and make that long, LONG, LONGGGGGG drive back home, the monetary savings may then seem to be outweighed by the need for a more relaxing or perhaps longer vacation.
Ultimately it is going to be up to you, your budget, how far you have to drive, and the actual amount of time you have available.

For example, if you have a 2 day drive from home to WDW each way and you are on a 2 week vacation, you could possibly look at shortening your vacation to 7-9 days ( maybe Friday-Sunday). And If you can get decent flights (say morning departures, evening returns), then you will arrive at your vacation destination after only a 2-4 hour flight, well rested and ready to take on the vacation that you've been dreaming of.
The actual time at your vacation destination will be almost the same as if you had driven.
Factor in the cost savings on food, hotels and fuel to drive and you may find that the gap between cost of flying vs driving gets closer.
Factor in the saving of your sanity if travelling with little ones ... PRICELESS!

Been there, done that, got the mental scars to prove it

 

[taitai]

Do you need to take extra vacation days in order to do the drive? If so, what is the cost to you for each of those days? So, what is your salary per day for those days? By taking the days now, for the drive, you lose the opportunity to use those days for other vacations or getting the value of those unused vacation days as cash when you leave your job. So, they have value and need to be part of the calculation.

 

[monorailsilver]

Just saw you are from CT, so there will be some tolls and they could add up depending on your route.

We drove from CT last year & we paid $65 in tolls RT-I am looking at my EZpass statement now to update/add money.

 

[joedplumber]

Using an extra day of vacation for the drive. I get 4 weeks a year and it is a use it or lose it system. Last year I lost 3 days. I find it difficult to use 4 weeks, since when I take a day I usually end up spending money lol. I don't enjoy taking a day to just sit around the house. Lol

 

[joedplumber]

We drove from CT last year & we paid $65 in tolls RT-I am looking at my EZpass statement now to update/add money.

Wow, that is cheaper then I thought. Already have an EZpass so I am good there.

 

[monorailsilver]

Wow, that is cheaper then I thought. Already have an EZpass so I am good there.

Once we paid our last toll in Maryland, I think, we were done.

We hit 2 different tunnels in Baltimore, one northbound and one southbound so I don't know if there was a price difference.

We also took the Merritt to the deegan to the GW on the way down and since that's the way I like an my Dh doesn't, on the way back we took 9A or whatever it is called and that added a small toll.

We are headed down again this April but we are taking the autotrain.

 

[shafke]

We are headed down again this April but we are taking the autotrain.

We are doing train in August. Unfortunately you won't save anything on tolls since once you are south of Baltimore there are no more tolls.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

I include the value of time in my calculation. If we drive, I essentially lose 2-3 days of vacation. I do not consider driving straight through to anywhere "vacation" time. If driving is part of the vacation -- think ocean coasts, mountains, etc. -- that's okay, but for going to WDW, nope.

This is a pretty decent website for comparing the cost of driving versus flying:

http://www.travelmath.com/cost/

YMMV

That's what I calculate. I
Don't want to lose more Disney time because of driving. But, if I can justify the time away as 8-9 days then I suck it up because of the savings. But it has to be more that $750-$800 in savings.

 

[joedplumber]

That's what I calculate. I Don't want to lose more Disney time because of driving. But, if I can justify the time away as 8-9 days then I suck it up because of the savings. But it has to be more that $750-$800 in savings.

Agreed! I'm losing vacation days that I may or may not use during the year at work. I wouldn't shorten my WDW time for driving. No way. But when flights are going to cost $1,800+ It becomes drive or don't go at all.

 

[dioxide45]

I would agree with others. No need to include cost of the lease, wear and tear, or mileage costs in to your calculations. If you were to use a flat out IRS per mile allowance in to the calculation, then you would probably exude gas too.

I would include the following:
Gas
Hotel
Tolls

I would not include food because you will probably eat cheaper on the road than you would if you got to WDW sooner end also cheaper than eating in the airport.

Time also has to be considered. This is where the cost savings is figured in. If you are only saving $200 and you are spending 12 hours on the road, is it worth it? If you are saving $800 over flying for the same 12 hours, it may just be. The cost savings over the additional time spent driving is really the deciding factor.

 

[monorailsilver]

We are doing train in August. Unfortunately you won't save anything on tolls since once you are south of Baltimore there are no more tolls.

Yeah I know.

That's OK. The train (and tolls) will save my sanity and my kids from driving thru VA, the Carolina's and GA again. Those were some LONG and boring states!

 

[joedplumber]

So I was able to calculate the cost of the drive (real money only):

Tolls: 75.00
Lodging: 250.00
Gas: 359.00

Total: $684.00

Gas assumes 100 gallons at $3.59 per gallon.

Flight for 4 (Direct): $2,743.92

Savings $2,059.92

Side Notes:
1) Time in Florida will be Saturday to Saturday regardless of Driving or Flying
2) Spending 2 days with family in the Tampa area so additional costs would be incurred if flying for car rental (not is savings number)
3) I'm sure the flights could have been cheaper if the trip wasn't last minute.
4) Cheapest flight was with Delta and cost does not include baggage fees.

I think now I realize why we are driving. lol