Imagine you’re on your way to the perfect vacation. It’s one that you’ve been dreaming about forever. Now, what does that trip look like? You might be thinking of just the vacation itself, but how would you want to get there? Is it on the road, or maybe are you dreaming of traveling by plane? While either way you’ll get to your dream destination, which is better? This question could spark some debate between people, but either way, both ways have their perks.
Road Trips Crowd
Some may argue that planes are more practical when trying to get to a vacation spot. While yes, airplanes might be easier than cars, going by road to travel to places has its perks, like quality time with friends and family, sleeping comfortably, singing along to music and getting a wide variety of snacks of your choice at a gas station.
Besides a few stops and bumps on the roads, cars travel smoothly to their destination, unlike planes that have turbulence, on average every 10-15 minutes. Turbulence can get annoying and uncomfortable, and plane seats aren’t exactly comfortable, either. Cars have softer and overall more comfortable seats, as they were made for long-term use, with cushioning and lumbar support. So, when it comes to being comfortable, cars take the win. No one really wants to pay the extra money for first class every time they fly. If they don’t pay, they go to economy, which has uncomfortable and cramped seats. Road trips guarantee comfort and chill vibes, while plane rides can make people uncomfortable and anxious.
While comfort is good, road trips can also be tiring, considering you’re doing the manual labor to travel somewhere. Planes have people who do the traveling part for you, while you sit and try to relax. Mentally, these car rides can get boring and draining instead of being relaxed, especially without many scenery changes. It can get especially draining for the driver, who has to focus on the road the whole way there. They need to remain alert at all times, paying attention to street signs, other cars and potential hazards on the road. This could make the ride feel longer than it actually is, not to mention how car rides take longer than plane rides.
When flying, you could fall asleep, but beware, you might get a crick in your neck. Or maybe you could listen to music, but it isn’t really great to sing along on a plane full of strangers who are trying to relax. Snacks on airplanes are not of a wide range, so you might not even get something you like. On a plane, unless you get first class, you’re shoulder to shoulder with your family, or a stranger if you’re traveling solo, which makes the environment uncomfortable. When in a car with family, you can get way more comfortable than in a plane. You have more freedom and flexibility in a car, stopping whenever, leaving whenever and changing plans whenever.
While bonding time with family is essential and helpful for growing relationships, arguments with family are imminent. Of course, humans don’t always agree with each other, and anger rises when you’re with your family. Being in a car with the same people for hours, and maybe even days, can cause high tensions and lead to conflicts. Small things like music taste, the temperature settings, and maybe when to stop for specific people can cause irritation and turn into big arguments. Everyone could have different expectations on the car ride to the vacation and when those expectations aren’t met, people’s mood can lessen overall enjoyment.
Pro Flyers
In 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wright brothers invented one of the most significant and efficient forms of transportation. Airplanes are one of the greatest ways to travel, with their shorter travel times, expansive destinations and great movie selections on longer flights. Whether you enjoy flights or not, you have to admit, they’re more convenient than traveling by car.
For starters, being comfortable the whole time during long traveling, whether by car or plane, is rare. Eventually, your back will start to hurt, you will start to get claustrophobic and you will desperately want to reach your destination. However, on airplanes, you have the luxury of being able to stand up and walk around without having to stop the whole vehicle. You can freely go to the bathroom, talk to whomever without everyone hearing your conversation and simply pace the plane to get your steps in. On that note, you don’t stop for anything. You don’t have to stop for gas (and pay $60), food, or, as previously stated, bathroom breaks.
Additionally, flights are significantly shorter. An eight hour drive is equivalent to a one and a half hour flight. For people who don’t want to spend hours just to drive to a border state, flying is perfect. It’s one thing if a road trip takes three hours or less, but at some point during a long road trip, time will drag on and you start counting down the minutes until you reach your destination. When the highways start to seem endless, the trees get sparser, and exits have a longer distance between them, you know you’ve hit that point where everyone is no longer singing and enjoying themselves.
Road trips are convenient for everyone but the driver. Unless the driver loves driving for long periods straight, the road trip can get very exhausting after a while. The constant need to entertain passenger princesses, the loud songs and the people who drink too many fluids knowing that they will be on the road will irritate most people. People in the passenger and backseat can simply go to sleep and wake up six hours later, just in time to reach the destination. However, drivers must actually get full hours of sleep, eat to avoid a headache, drink coffee throughout the road trip and engage with someone to avoid highway hypnosis, which can lead to car accidents due to a lack of alertness. Even if it’s a passenger, the constant noise annoys certain people. On flights, besides the occasional baby crying, people for the most part are quiet and respectful of others’ space and peace.
Admittedly, a benefit to road trips is the memories made. Not everything will go according to plan, but it is easy to make the journey fun. You can’t stop for Buc-ees or sing road songs on a plane. However, you could always make those memories elsewhere. For example, the family could take a road trip to Buc-ee’s or a distant area, store or landmark. That way, no one is sacrificing their peace for an eight hour drive that no one truly wants to go on.
