Traveling in the U.S.A: your own car, Greyhound, Amtrak or one of the airlines?

[Odd Rödney]

Hey folks!

I just wanted to take a look at how we travel. I usually travel a lot each year but not this year, for obvious reasons. When I do travel I drive if I don't have to go too far and I've personally flown all over the place and there have been some negative experiences but not many so overall I prefer to fly if the distance/time is too ridiculous to drive. It costs a bit but it's safer IMHO than Greyhound and where I live Amtrak is basically non-existent. Do you travel? If so, how? And what kind of experiences have you had?

Thanks,
-Odd Rödney.

[GOLGO 13]

My own car. I detest the airlines with a passion. Have not been on a plane since the Shithead Nazi became president. Bus? Not since high school my good man.

[Nschornhorst]

When I was employed, I would vacation at Disney World or Universal. I didn't have a car, so Greyhound was the best bet in terms of time and money. I never had any troubles.

[Joker]

I really enjoy traveling by train. I have almost no practical use for it, though. It's time consuming, and cost prohibitive for big trips, but it's a lovely way to travel if those two things aren't an issue for you.

[Gray Lensman]

Depends on the distance. Car for short trips (one day drive or less) and plane for anything further. If I visit my in-laws that would be a 4-5 day drive in each direction, and I don't have the vacation time for that. Plus, factoring in hotel stays overnight it becomes cheaper just to buy the plane tickets (depending on the season) anyways.

[Kirby101]

I really wish we had a train system comparable to what they have in Europe.

[Gray Lensman]

I really wish we had a train system comparable to what they have in Europe.

We got an interstate system instead. That really killed rail. Building new high speed rail is nearly impossible due to a toxic combo of nimbyism and speculators on the other side - the guys who will buy a critical piece of land in the path and jack the price up knowing it MUST be had in order to complete the project, and they tend to have depth enough pockets to ensure that the government WILL pay that price, in legal costs if nothing else. Over regulation doesn't help either - California was demanding more space for safety than Japan, despite Japan not having had any fatal accidents of that type in forever, and that's with their trains running faster than the California train will be allowed to run at - if it is ever completed, that is.

[The no face guy]

I traveled down to the States a lot before COVID.

If I'm going to Seattle or Portland I usually drive, but there is a regular train from Vancouver to Seattle and back that I would like to take.

My friend went down to Seattle and traveled across the US to South Carolina using the Greyhound....Ugh, just the thought of that makes me nauseous.

Otherwise I fly, flights to L.A and San Fran are super cheap, so there is no point in driving unless I want to drive down along the coast.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Depends on the destination. The furthest I've ever driven was from Philly to Norfolk when I was in the Navy, otherwise, I'm not much for being in the car for lengthy periods. Amtrak is good for travel to places like New York or Washington while flying is best for longer distances.

[DanMad1977]

In a Dodge Ram. Wonderful.

[From The Shadows]

I prefer air travel, I've taken grey hounds, and they are cheaper, but its usually a long and miserable time and the places you stop dont usually ave any refreshments so if you run out of your bottled water it pretty much sucks. And when you get off the bus you will feel pretty sore by then, and try sleeping on one. If you don't have the almost disposable income then its an alternative thats at least there.

[CaptCleghorn]

My son and I have taken yearly road trips around the northeastern US by car and have enjoyed it. Going by car allows you a closer look that you don't get with a bus, train, or plane. There's a magic to roadside truck-stop diners and breakfast all day establishments. Obviously the car road trip doesn't allow for a more upscale experience, but experiencing the flavor of different cities can be wonderful.

[MyriVerse]

I don't like to travel, but when I do, it's usually by car to somewhere along the Gulf coast (from Houston to Pensacola, somewhere). I really don't get any pleasure from it, so I save it for when a hurricane threatens. Last time I left New Orleans was for Hurricane Gustav in 2008.

I'm not afraid of flying. It's being boxed in with all of those people that bugs me. Last time I flew was around 2007.

I haven't bused since college (in the 80s). I don't find it as objectionable as flying, but it's still a box.

I've never taken a train. It feels like a very inefficient way to travel. I probably would not enjoy being boxed in for the length of time.

Oh, and I took a cruise once. Hated every bloody second of it, except the food.

[SJNeal]

I detest driving. More accurately, I detest other drivers (sorry!). While airports and airlines can indeed be a nightmare, for a domestic trip there's no other way to travel for me. I'm only 40 mins south of San Francisco - where I do a lot of eating/drinking - and if it were possible to fly there I would.

My friends all love Los Angeles, and like to drive down there for long holiday weekends. I don't see any point in spending 4-6 hours (depending on the god forsaken traffic) in a car when you can be there in just over 1 hour by air. It eats into your weekend/vacation and creates unnecessary wear & tear on your car. Many times I'll fly down and by the time they show up I've already had half the day to sight-see (or get drunk!).

[MyriVerse]

I'm a "weirdo" that actually loves traffic. More traffic means more time I can just zone out and listen to the radio. I'm never in a hurry to get anywhere, anyway.

The exception to this was the standstill traffic during hurricane evac. 90-odd-degree heat and standing still caused my car to overheat. Most unfun 2 hours of my life.