3 Reasons I Prefer Road Trips Over Traveling by Plane
The Grand Canyon is truly epic.
1. More Sightseeing Opportunities
When going on road trips, I love that I can see little things on the way that I wouldn’t see otherwise. It’s true that it takes a lot longer to get to the final destination when driving, but that’s not usually the point. I definitely want to get to my final destination, but I love seeing all the little things along the way.
For example, driving from San Francisco to Los Angeles takes about six to eight hours. However, if you fly to Los Angeles, it only takes one hour. By flying, you get to Los Angeles as soon as possible, but you miss out on all the places to see in between.
As a child, I loved driving down Highway 99, which goes through Central California. It takes a bit longer than Highway 5, but I like how Highway 99 passes through small cities and there are things to see there. I love passing through the cities of Fresno and Bakersfield and going to the shopping malls there. The trip becomes less about just getting to Los Angeles ASAP and more about enjoying the entire trip.
Packing for a road trip is way easier than packing for a flight.
2. More Freedom
The other reason I prefer taking a road trip to traveling by plane is that you have more freedom when driving. When you’re taking a car, you’re not limited to just two bags and you can bring whatever you might need during your trip. I don’t need to stress about the policy on liquids and stuffing everything I need into one small carry-on bag.
Also, you don’t need to stress about going to the airport and getting there on time. When you’re traveling by car on a road trip, there’s somewhat of a schedule to keep, but you have a lot more flexibility. I love that I don’t need to feel stressed about having to get to the airport two hours early to go through security and find my gate to board my flight. I love that the car is there with you so you can just get in and go where you want.
A road trip is a fantastic chance to spend some really quality time with a friend or loved one.
3. More Opportunities for Bonding
When going on a road trip, you should always go with someone you really enjoy spending time with because you will be stuck in a car with them for 80% of your trip. When it’s someone you really like, it can be very fun spending all that time and seeing all the sights together.
Road trips are a great way to bond more with someone because road trips are long and there will be a lot of time to just talk. Also, when you’re having fun together, it creates amazing memories.
When you’re traveling by plane, most people just sleep or watch movies, and then you’re there, so it’s not the same as being stuck in a car together for many days.
Ama Dablam Mountain, Nepal
I Have a Strong Fear of Flying
I have an irrational fear of planes, so I don’t like flying much. I definitely prefer traveling by cruise when possible, but for places cruises don’t go, I prefer traveling by car.
I love taking road trips and I enjoy them so much more than when I’m flying. I know that things can also happen in a car and I can also die in a car crash, but I still feel a lot less anxiety in a car. Since moving to Florida, I have been involved in three car accidents and we’ve had many near misses because people in Florida are awful drivers. However, I still prefer to take a road trip over traveling by plane.
My Dream: A Cross-Country Road Trip
I’ve always wanted to travel by car from California to Florida because I want to see all the sights along the way. My dream is to drive through all 50 states of the United States, so that would get me a lot closer to my dream.
I’d love to see all the different states along the way from California to Florida. I’ve been to Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Georgia already by car, but none of the other states in the middle of the United States. I would like to see Texas most because it’s a huge state and I’d like to visit the big cities like Houston, Dallas, and Austin. I’ve also been to Louisiana, but I traveled there by plane, so I couldn’t really explore Louisiana much.
I also really want to do the Route 66 road trip. This is a really long road trip, but I want to see everything that is along the route. This is an example of something that can’t be done when you’re traveling by plane.
© 2022 Sarah Wong
