Should You Fly or Drive?

by Tim Smithson
(Nashville TN)

When planning a trip, you may find yourself wondering “what’s the cheapest way to get to my destination, driving or flying?” Each trip is different of course, and a lot of factors should be considered before you decide whether you’re going to hit the open highway or head off into the wild blue yonder.

Photo credit: Greg and Mellina - Flickr

Obviously the further your trip, the more attractive flying becomes since it’s proportionately faster than driving. Those medium-sized trips though can present quite a quandary. Your first step in the decision process should be to find out how much it’s going to cost to fly. As your departure date gets closer, prices go up, so it’s important to check as soon as you know you’re going.

Whether you use a travel site or the airlines own website, you’ll get a pretty good idea of what the flight is going to cost. Try nearby airports in addition to your local one, as prices can vary quite a bit. Once you find a decent price, checkout that airport’s parking situation, as well as how far it is from your house. If you need some extra money until payday, try cash payday loans.

As far as driving goes, determine how far your destination is, and how long it will take to get there. AAA has a fuel cost calculator, as does Mapquest. Remember, the number of people doesn’t have much of an impact on the price of driving, as it only takes a little more gas to add passengers. If you’re flying, everybody needs a ticket.

Mobility, once you get to your destination, is another thing to consider. Will you want or need to drive around once you get there? If so, and you’re leaning towards flying, factor in the cost of a rental car.

Weigh the time it’s going to take to drive to your destination versus the time to fly. To the flying part, add how long it will take to get to the airport you’re flying out of, as well as the airport to which you’re flying. Consider check-in time and security on the outbound leg, and baggage claim on the inbound side. Factoring in all of the time you’ll spend at the airport, as well as the time it takes to get there and park, you may find driving more attractive.

Another factor you might want to consider is safety. Flying is much safer, statistically speaking, than driving, and for many that’s all the reason they need to take to the skies.