It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no… it’s Superman!
I wish teleporting was a thing. It would save so much time and money on traveling. If you asked a group, some people would rather fly, or drive. Others would rather take the train if they could. So how do you get around this? Your main deciding factors would come down to time and money.
Let’s talk about how big your group is — is it better for all of you to fly or take cars? What does the price differential look like? Who goes in which car? Who is the designated driver? And how long will that affect your trip? Do you need a car at your destination – is it more efficient to rent or drive your car? How does taking a train fit into all this?
City Trips:
If your vacation destination is another city — I recommend trains or planes. Driving to a city can get you there cheaply — but where are you going to park? Valet parking can add up — and if you aren’t going to use your car as your main mode of transportation, perhaps just leave it at home and use the public transit system or ride-sharing
Cross Country Trips:
So this can go three ways — Train, Car & Plane. This depends on your intentions. Do you want to drive from NY to Cali and have multiple stops in between and enjoy the journey? Or are you looking to go from NY to LA and enjoy just the final destination? If the latter everyone should fly in on their own, and meet at a certain location by a certain time. If the former, then you better figure out driving schedules/train schedules and match them with your itinerary. Cross country trips are long trips — and require well thought out plans. I hope to do one someday 🙂
Nature trips
If you plan on going camping within a 5-hour radius — drive. Have all your packing equipment ready to go, and figure it out from there, where you will stop, where you can set up camp, and what the rules for cooking onsite looks like. If you plan on doing scenic drives, hiking, swimming, kayaking, it’s better that you have a car with you rather than just ordering an Uber/Lyft. You can always pack extra clothes, first aid kits, deodorant, bug spray, water, etc in the trunk of the car. Anything can go wrong (or right?) when it comes to nature trips. Perhaps a bird pooped on your shirt, or your sock gets soaked… or you try to stand on a rock, and you FALL and cut your hands (seen it happen before). Whatever it may be, cars are just always better to have. You might be thinking, I don’t want to drive to California to go visit the red forest. Nope, me either. Fly and then rent a car. But just have a car with you.
Your mode of transportation should enhance your trip experience. Evaluate the purpose of your trip, the convenience of your mode of transportation, and figure out how to make the most of your transportation — free meals, good views, the excellent company? Whatever it may be — use the moment to start your relaxation and fun! Happy Traveling!
Simply Prepared 