What is More Cost Efficient, Driving or Flying to Vacation Destination (Summer Blog Series)

Check out more of the summer blog series here.

Both airline ticket and gas prices are skyrocketing at present. If you are planning for your next vacation, it would be hard to tell whether flying or driving would be a better value. Driving cost estimates include the gas prices, the required overnight stops, the driving time etc. 

On the other hand, flying estimates take into account the airport transfers, airfare, and other associated costs and times. There are several other things that you need to keep in mind while deciding whether you want to fly or drive to your destination. For example, what if your wife suffers from motion sickness, and how your kids behave while traveling in a car. If driving is going to take more time than flying, what will be your professional losses? 


Here, we are trying to find out what is more cost efficient, driving or flying.

Your car’s gas mileage: You already have an idea of what gas mileage your vehicle provides. But in order to be really precise and estimate the cost of a long drive, get it tested from a good resource and have exact miles-per-gallon estimate for both highway and city driving.

Gas prices: Determine how much it will cost to fill up your fuel tank. Find a source where you can find gas rates in different states across your country. Compare the costs, and fill your tank in the place where you can get cheapest fuel. If it is cheapest in your city, then make sure to fill your tank to full, and carry an extra cylinder too.

Cost of hotels and tolls: Do not forget the total amount of money you would be paying as toll taxes. If you are driving a long distance, you may need to halt over, and pay for foods, teas, snacks and even room rents. Consider the number of tolls between your city and your destination. Some routes have many, while others have none. If there is another route, try to take the one that has minimum tolls. But make sure that you do not end up spending more on gas prices.

Number of people traveling: The number of people traveling plays a great role in determining the cost of your trip. If you are a couple traveling alone, then traveling by road may cost more than air tickets for only two. But if you have an entire family or group of friends traveling, then traveling by air may cost too much. In that case, it would be more cost-effective to travel by road.

 

Check the airfare and compare: Before making your final decision, check the cost of airfare between your city and your destination, and compare the related costs. If you are searching fares online, keep in mind that not every airline shares its data and airfare over the Internet through online travel agencies. So, you may have to visit their company website or check their airfare individually to have an idea of the estimates.

Finally, do not forget the cost of buses and trains that take you to your destination by road too. These may provide some really affordable options. If you are going for a vacation, find out which option will be more cost efficient, driving or flying. All these points will help you decide which way you should travel to your dream destination, by air or by road.

 

How do you like to travel, driving or flying?