How far are willing to drive (yourself) for a day trip?

[Ginevra]

Just curious. 🙂 I recently went to a beautiful Christmas market, which was slightly more than three hours one way. I got to wondering if that is the upper limit for a one-day adventure. I think I might be willing to drive up to four hours one way for a really outstanding experience, but probably not more than that. 
 

*My question only pertains to you actually driving yourself in a car, with or without other passengers. I have gone more hours than that on a bus, for example, to NYC for the day. 

[fraidycat]

For a one day trip, 4 hours one-way is about the limit. After that, I'd need an overnight to make it not miserable.

[sassenach]

Two hours tops.

[itsheresomewhere]

3-4 hours each way is my max.  Otherwise, I will need a nap.  Lol

[Bootsie]

By myself--I have done about five hours drive one way.  With a passenger we have done about a six hour drive one way for a day trip.

[alisoncooks]

We drive 4 hours to do Thanksgiving day with my MIL. But I wouldn’t do that distance for just any old day. 1.5-2 hours is about my limit. 

[Annie G]

We routinely drive 3/5-4 hours one way to visit Dd and the grands for the day. Time depends on Atlanta traffic.

Every December we travel nearly 4 hours one way to attend the Wreaths Across America ceremony at the veteran’s cemetery where fil and mil are buried- they do a spectacular job there. 
 

Neither of the above trips are as exhausting as the 2.5 hour annual trip we used to take to the Chicago Christkindlmarket.  Traffic and crowds at an event are both factors for us. The traffic was nuts and the market was insane, but we did it every year because it was our kids’ favorite. We had no family closer than 900 miles away so ya do what you can to create traditions, even if it’s white knuckling it on snowy I-90. 

[regentrude]

We use as a rule of thumb that time at destination must be longer than time in the car. For day hikes, we are willing to drive up to 2.5 hours. Five hours in the car are worth it if we hike at least five hours and it's spectacular. I am not willing to drive more than that for just a day's outing.

Of course, exceptions would be the need to see a family member/deliver something important/take care of an errand.
DH has driven to pick up DD from college, 6.5 hours one-way, doing the 13 hour round trip in a single day.

[freesia]

I don’t like going further than 2 hours each way—but only twice a year. I prefer one hour. 
 

Because of Covid, I have done 5 1/2 hours each way several times to pick ds up from college. He helped with the driving. It was brutal. 

[whitestavern]

19 minutes ago, Quill said:

Just curious. 🙂 I recently went to a beautiful Christmas market, which was slightly more than three hours one way. I got to wondering if that is the upper limit for a one-day adventure. I think I might be willing to drive up to four hours one way for a really outstanding experience, but probably not more than that. 
 

*My question only pertains to you actually driving yourself in a car, with or without other passengers. I have gone more hours than that on a bus, for example, to NYC for the day. 

I agree, probably around 4 hours max. 

[DawnM]

4 hours would be my max for a day trip.

[Pawz4me]

I think the longest day trip DH and I have ever done was a six hour drive each way. We went for an event that lasted 2-3 hours. It was a long day but very do-able for our younger selves. Now I think four hours would be closer to our max.

[ScoutTN]

About 2-3 hours. Longer than 3 hours and I'd probably arrange to spend the night.

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by ScoutTN

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, Annie G said:

We routinely drive 3/5-4 hours one way to visit Dd and the grands for the day. Time depends on Atlanta traffic.

Every December we travel nearly 4 hours one way to attend the Wreaths Across America ceremony at the veteran’s cemetery where fil and mil are buried- they do a spectacular job there. 
 

Neither of the above trips are as exhausting as the 2.5 hour annual trip we used to take to the Chicago Christkindlmarket.  Traffic and crowds at an event are both factors for us. The traffic was nuts and the market was insane, but we did it every year because it was our kids’ favorite. We had no family closer than 900 miles away so ya do what you can to create traditions, even if it’s white knuckling it on snowy I-90. 

I agree that the traffic level and “insanity” level are big factors in my decision. It’s actually why I went to the particular Christkindle market I did because, though it was far, it was a fairly pleasant drive and free, available parking. 
 

They do one in the city, too, and that is much closer but I don’t want to drive down there and parking is awful. 

[Faith-manor]

I drive 12 hours in a single day to make it to our Alabama house without paying for hotels.

[Guest]

Just now, Faith-manor said:

I drive 12 hours in a single day to make it to our Alabama house without paying for hotels.

Wow! I really want a “wow” emoji but I have to go with trophy. 

[Selkie]

I hate sitting still for long periods and being in the car is one of my least favorite things. I'll say two hours each way, but I would still find that unpleasant.

[Grace Hopper]

I have driven lots of hours but what I really dislike is the feeling that I can’t just stop and explore along the way. So I guess for a day trip I’d want to be able to spend a minimum 4 hours at the main destination. I’d be willing to maybe go 3 normal hours each way to be able to just travel at a slower pace (making the actual time longer but not rushed).

As for overnights, I’ve reached a point where I’d like a two night minimum, otherwise I feel like days are cut in half by checkin-checkout timing (for me, mentally, anyway). I do enjoy traveling solo. 
 

ETA - Like others, I’ve driven long hours solo (in an emergency situation, as many as 15 in one day) due to having family spread out. Brutal is a good word for that, but it is something I’d do again if necessary. That’s not what I consider a “day trip” though. 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Grace Hopper

[Faith-manor]

1 minute ago, Quill said:

Wow! I really want a “wow” emoji but I have to go with trophy. 

Thanks.

I am used to it. Our youngest is at college 7 hours from us, and so it is not uncommon for me to do 7 up, move him into the dorms, and 7 back. 14 hours driving in a single day but broken up by the move in process. When I drive to Bama, the only breaking up of the 12 is bathroom/gas stops, and pulling over to eat the sandwich and veggies I brought so the day actually feels longer than the 14 hour day.

[mathnerd]

I have driven to Los Angeles and back on the same day from my home in NorCal for family events (births, memorial services, graduations, baby showers etc). It is 5-6 hours each way and it takes longer if I hit evening LA traffic. We used to take one break closer to LA where there are clean restrooms, but don't do that in Covid times and simply drive right through.

[Annie G]

8 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

I drive 12 hours in a single day to make it to our Alabama house without paying for hotels.

In 2019 we had two houses while we waited for the old one to sell. I made that 13 hour drive alone about every 2-3 weeks for about 8 months.  It was actually not too bad- I made really good time by myself and listened to a lot of podcasts and music on the drive.  Stopping to sleep wasn’t really worth it- I rarely sleep well in hotels. 
You have an incentive to drive straight through- seeing your Alabama family!  

[katilac]

I probably wouldn't go more than 2 hours if I'm the only driver, simply bc it's pretty likely that the drive there plus the even would have me pretty tired for the drive home. 

[1234]

For a day trip, meaning that I return home the same day, it’s about four hours max here. I’ve done road trips solo and with babies where I drove up to 14 hours in a single day. I was young though and don’t think I’d be up to doing that alone anymore. Much of it depends on the weather and time of year, too. We’re going to Chicago tomorrow, which is only four hours, but we’re staying the night because it’s winter. 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

Not really a day trip, but we drove from New York to Florida in a straight shot. Absolutely insane, but my mom was down there for cancer treatment and I was trying to get there before surgery.  I would have flown but it was June 2020 and I didn’t want the kids on an airplane.  
 

It took 21 hours with bathroom and eating stops.  DH and I took turns.  It. Was. Crazy.

[Annie G]

2 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

Not really a day trip, but we drove from New York to Florida in a straight shot. Absolutely insane, but my mom was down there for cancer treatment and I was trying to get there before surgery.  I would have flown but it was June 2020 and I didn’t want the kids on an airplane.  
 

It took 21 hours with bathroom and eating stops.  DH and I took turns.  It. Was. Crazy.

Holy cow, that’s impressive. Hats off to you. 

[Farrar]

I've done 10+ hours for a trip solo, but that's when there's a destination on the other end.

For a day trip... 2+ hours for most things. If it was a really extraordinary thing, I might maybe consider 4. More than that and you're not really getting much time there.

I would be more likely to do 4 hours if it was on the train or the Megabus. That would be like going to NYC for just the day. A little crazy, but not truly crazy.

[regentrude]

22 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

I drive 12 hours in a single day to make it to our Alabama house without paying for hotels.

Oh yes, for a long drive where we stay at the other end, we drive 16 hours straight through when we go out West. 

[athena1277]

The most I’ve done in a day trip is 3 hours each way for getting dd to or from college.  For a fun trip, I’d limit it to 2 hours each way.

[elegantlion]

One day trip? Probably 2-3 hours. I discovered this fall that I can longer drive in the dark, so that would dictate how far I could wander. My very recent eye exam showed that I have developing cataracts; I'm not surprised really. 

[Miss Tick]

I could happily be a passenger for hours and hours. I'm a very good passenger! As driver, and Chief Chauffer is one of my current hats, I grumble about trips longer than 20 minutes. It is part of my shtick, I'm sure everyone here finds it humorous.

My rule of thumb matches @regentrude, I want the time at destination to exceed the travel time. I use this for longer trips, too.

[rebcoola]

4 hours would probably be my max

[Indigo Blue]

Two hours for a day trip for me. 
 

 

[LifeLovePassion]

2-3 hours would be my max in order to have enough energy to do the driving and enjoy the destination. 

[Garga]

2-3 hours. That’s about how long it takes to get to DC once you factor in traffic. In fact, I’m taking a friend to DC in a few weeks, and I’ll be doing all the driving (she has medical issues.) That’s about my limit, though. 

(Actually…now that Omicron is getting just Out Of Control…I need to talk to my friend and maybe postpone that trip to DC…hmmm.)

Edited December 29, 2021 by Garga

[Rebel]

2-3 hours for a day trip if traveling alone.

[Spryte]

For a day trip, returning home that night, 2-3 hours. Maybe 3 and a half. For something spectacular I’d do 4, but really consider a hotel.

If driving to a destination other than home, I’d obviously spend more time in the car.

I used to drive cross country alone, and did much longer days in the car, but not these days.

[HS Mom in NC]

About 4 would be my max; more than that and it's an overnight trip with an Air BnB.

[mom2scouts]

I probably wouldn't go more than 2 hours away from home in one day. I've developed some driving anxiety which makes driving very stressful and exhausting and I don't like to drive after dark anymore either. I would want to have the energy to enjoy the destination and get home before I was too tired.

[YaelAldrich]

I use @regentrude's rule. But I can drive up to 12-13 hours to make it to my parent's house so I don't need a hotel. My DH hates to do that though. My kids are happy doing it. 

[City Mouse]

3-4 hours max if I am the only driver. When DH is driving and I can sleep along the way, we have done up to 5 hours one way.

[Corraleno]

Around 3 hours for a day trip. I used to do that fairly often to take DS to competitions, and I dreaded it because we had to be on the road by 4 AM and often wouldn't get home until 11 or even midnight, so that was a really long day. I've also done 6 hr round trips to see a relative, and to get same-day passports. I think 2 hours would probably be my limit for just a fun day out. 

For road trips, I've done anywhere from 12-16 hours a day by myself. I've driven from Salt Lake City to Portland in a snow storm, which took 16 hours and was seriously scary. I've made multiple one-day trips alone between Albuquerque and Los Angeles, which can take 14-15 hours depending on traffic. Due to flights being delayed and diverted, I once had to rent a car and drive from Kansas City to Memphis overnight so DS wouldn't miss a competition. I've also done a bunch of trips (as the sole driver) that were 12 hours/day for 2-3 days in a row, but I feel like I'm just way too old for that now! The last big road trip I did was bringing DS's car back from college when they shut everything down in March 2020 — that was 2400 miles in three days, and even with sharing the driving it really killed my back.

[Guest]

38 minutes ago, Garga said:

2-3 hours. That’s about how long it takes to get to DC once you factor in traffic. In fact, I’m taking a friend to DC in a few weeks, and I’ll be doing all the driving (she has medical issues.) That’s about my limit, though. 

(Actually…now that Omicron is getting just Out Of Control…I need to talk to my friend and maybe postpone that trip to DC…hmmm.)

Yeah for real though. It’s crazy at the moment. 

[Elizabeth86]

An hour. I am a country girls and getting away from home and driving in traffic make my anxiety through the roof.

[TechWife]

Two to three hours. 

[marbel]

If I am alone and it's an out-and-back same day trip, I'd probably drive up to 3 hours each way. But it would depend on what the trip was for - if it was to visit someone and I'd be sitting around the whole time, I wouldn't be able to drive back without getting sleepy. Also, roads - I'm not driving isolated mountain roads alone on a long drive home. Also if I had snacks to eat on the way home (popcorn is a great driving snack for me) and if I could reasonably expect to acquire coffee for the drive back.  

[Farrar]

1 hour ago, Garga said:

2-3 hours. That’s about how long it takes to get to DC once you factor in traffic. In fact, I’m taking a friend to DC in a few weeks, and I’ll be doing all the driving (she has medical issues.) That’s about my limit, though. 

(Actually…now that Omicron is getting just Out Of Control…I need to talk to my friend and maybe postpone that trip to DC…hmmm.)

I estimate that it's totally possible that 1 in 10 people in DC have had Covid in the last week (15k cases with underreporting because of home tests, undertesting because of the holiday, and cases so mild that people didn't know they had it... I think 4x as many people as officially reported is a totally reasonable guess, but that would be literally 1 in 10 DC residents). So... yeah.

[Melissa in Australia]

I can only drive 2 hours one way. After that I fall asleep while driving. To drive that far I have to carefully time drinking water to make sure towards the end I am busting to keep me awake.

 I tell people that I have a brain like a computer. Leave it alone too long and it goes into sleep mode.

[KungFuPanda]

I’d say two hours one way. Once you’re staring at more than 4 hours of driving it’s time to get a hotel for the night. I do particularly hate to drive so I may be a bit of a wimp. 

[Harriet Vane]

2 hours ago, fraidycat said:

For a one day trip, 4 hours one-way is about the limit. After that, I'd need an overnight to make it not miserable.

Same. Dd's school was a 4-hour drive. We found a day trip do-able particularly if we left early in the morning so that we would have a nice, long visit together.

Our former hometown is a six-hour drive that can sometimes stretch longer based on construction or road conditions (accidents, etc.). We absolutely cannot turn around and come right back--it feels agonizing. We usually want at least a *full* weekend stay to make the drive feel worthwhile. For example, we would arrive Friday night and then leave Sunday evening at the earliest.

[Garga]

1 hour ago, Quill said:

Yeah for real though. It’s crazy at the moment. 

 

36 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I estimate that it's totally possible that 1 in 10 people in DC have had Covid in the last week (15k cases with underreporting because of home tests, undertesting because of the holiday, and cases so mild that people didn't know they had it... I think 4x as many people as officially reported is a totally reasonable guess, but that would be literally 1 in 10 DC residents). So... yeah.

Yeah, I posted and then double checked the numbers in DC and saw they were even worse than I thought. So, I wrote to my friend and we decided to postpone. We’ll just wait it out a few months and re-assess.

Stoopid covid. 

Edited December 29, 2021 by Garga