road trip or plane? decisions, decisions...

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

DeathBrewer

Maniacally Malty
HBT Supporter
Joined
Apr 9, 2007
Messages
21,787
Reaction score
320
Location
Oakland, CA
ok, so i'm going on a men's fishing trip with my dad and uncles and cousins at the beginning of october. Ticket prices are as low as $480.00 and the plane ride is about 3.5 hours each way. here's the kicker...if i do that, i have to rent a car and it's another 6 hour drive to the resort. plus i'm going to ship beer.

so i was thinking i would just drive there in my new truck i have AAA, it's still under warranty, it's a new truck, blah blah blah, so i don't have to worry about the drive much. plus i could bring everything i need with me and be comfortable, go at my own pace, stop when i'd like.

here's the breakdown:

Flying

Pros:
Short commute/flight/drive time (total of estimated 12 hours each way)

Cons:
Flight cost of $480.00+
Rental cost of $260.00+ (estimated)
Cost of Shipping Beer = $100.00+
Total Cost: $840+

Driving

Pros:
1950 miles / 22mpg (i should get 24+) * 2 ways * $4/gallon = $710.00
i could bring 2 kegs instead of paying to ship cases of bottles
Total Cost: $810+ with hotel rooms

Cons:
i put 4000 miles on my truck
2+ days of driving each way (total of 30 hours each way)
paying for a hotel room

i figure i could leave work early on friday, then drive through reno and have dinner, then stay the night in winnemucca ($20 hotel rooms)

then i could leave early the next day and drive through yellowstone (haven't been through there since i was a kid.)

drive as long as i can and stop in some cheap hotel somewhere. i calculated i could make it to the montana border by nightfall. i could always sleep in the truck, too, if i come to a reststop.

then leave the next day and make it to the resort by the afternoon. i pack light, so i'd be ready to roll as soon as i got there.

what do you think? anything i'm not taking into consideration here?

either way should be a fun time. i haven't been out to this resort since i was about 16

:rockin:
 
No surprise I'm in the minority. I used to drive a lot. Now that I do a lot of flying for work, I'm all for getting there quicker.

Maybe I need to take a sabbatical to do some driving around the country.
 
Fly. You forgot to put a financial estimate on your time. Quite valuable, if you ask me.

true, although i am taking the same amount of time off of work no matter what. it would just be less time spent with my family, which is kinda weak. however, seeing as a live with a roommate, i could use a few days alone.

it's been over 6 years since i had a road trip. the last time i drove to iowa from sacramento and back, each taking only two days. don't know if my body would take it the same way now, tho :D

i'm really undecided here. flying would be very costly and a PITA, but driving would take FOREVER. i'm trying to make it into a road trip with some sights to see, but yellowstone is about the only thing worthwhile between here and MN :(

EDIT: Looks like the common consensus is to drive! any idea what else i should hit up on the way? maybe i could get some family to come with me on the way back :D
 
...any idea what else i should hit up on the way? maybe i could get some family to come with me on the way back :D

Load up on some books on tape.

Pack your GPS with sight seeing things along the way.

Even if you don't have time to stop and visit, viewing the trip as an excursion with adventures along the way will make it more enjoyable than approaching it as a point-A to point-B endeavor.
 
good idea...definitely need to have some good metal (i don't have many cds so i'll have to burn some) and books on tape is an idea...i'll try to find something interesting...maybe some beer stuff :D i've already listened to most of the jamil show, tho.

don't have gps, but i definitely could do some searches before i head out. anybody been along this route that could give some input? this would be my basic route:

oakland, winnemucca, yellowstone, stop to sleep, park rapids, mn
 
I did that same route, in the other direction, between Yellowstone and Oakland, when I drove from NYC to SF. Nice drive. Though I would stay out of Elko... cops there will nab you for speeding no matter what if you have out of state plates.

If i was you, I would push further into Wyoming. Such a beautiful state. Go through Buffalo, WY and stay at the Occidental Hotel. It is one of the coolest hotels I have ever stayed at. Very historic. They have a great bar and restaurant too. And before my wife and I left in the morning, I had the best biscuits, gravy and eggs I have ever had.
 
i'll keep that in mind. it looks like it's partially en route if i hit it up just after yellowstone. stop for a few beers, stay the night and do that last push the next day...

EDIT: I think i got a ticket in Elko once. i'll remember to drive safe there...
 
+1 on driving. The Nevada section is not all that interesting, but Yellowstone will make up for that by far. This is the best time of year for Yellowstone too-- less tourists, not as hot, and the bison and elk are rutting. It's slow going through that area though (you'll want to stop and look around, and the roads are narrower). Bozeman is a cool town too. I've done this drive, but in sections. You probably can expect it to take at least 3 days, especially if you plan on stopping to look around at all.
 
i plan to drive about 12 hours each of the 2nd days, so far it looks like:

first day (friday): leave work early, eat in reno, stay in winnemucca
2nd day (saturday): go through yellowstone and stay in buffalo
3rd day (sunday): drive the whole day and arrive at my destination

still pretty rough without company. i would probably leave friday and do pretty much the same thing on the way back, so i would spend 9 days out and only be at the resort for four full days...hmm...
 
on the other hand...if i bought a plane ticket, i could leave on the red eye and arrive the same night, taking two days off my trip.

damnit, this sucks. plane tickets are so expensive but so is gas. i could use some airline miles and make it cheaper, but i was planning to save those for a euro trip next year

:mad:

i guess i'll call some family and see what the word is with them
 
Just based on the numbers you gave, I don't see how you come to the conclusion that driving is any cheaper. It could be a little cheaper, it could be a little more expensive depending on where gas prices are when you go. You can't ignore completely the implicit cost of putting the miles on your car, you're depreciating it a bit and you're that much closer to whatever maintence you have to do next, tires wearing down a bit, etc. So, I'd call the financials close enough to a wash to not be the driving factor (no pun intended).

Do you REALLY want to spend what, five days total, in the car?

You're also a lot more likely to get in an accident if you're driving, and there's a real fatigue factor if you're doing all those miles by yourself. I love driving, we usually drive on our summer trips, but this is about twice as far as I would consider driving when I *do* have someone to keep me company.
 
I saw a roundtrip ticket to Omaha on Southwest leaving on Friday the 3rd and coming back on a Sunday (I think) for $310ish including taxes ... you'd still have a 500 mile drive, though ... 7 hours according to Google, which sounds close to what you originally said.

I love the freedom of driving and being able to change plans, but that's a long time in the car.
 
well, my truck only has 15,000 miles on it. it's not like bumping it to 20,000 is going to be a big deal, and i plan to have this thing for another 10 years anyway. and the idea of the road trip was just that. it's been a long time and i could use some open road. i've flown everywhere the last few years and it sucks.

BUT i was just comparing ticket prices online and it's actually cheaper to fly directly into my hometown.

it costs $313 to fly from SFO to SUX (Sioux City, IA) through MSP (Minneapolis) but it costs $500 to fly from SFO directly to MSP. how the hell does that make any sense???

oh well, i guess i'm flying into my hometown and then riding up with family. i'll spend more time with family and some on the road, won't need to rent a car, total trip cost will only be $500, but i will need to take an extra day off work and i won't be able to rest up before returning to work.

despite lacking the freedom of my own vehicle and the work issues, saved money and more family = win. i'll have to do a road trip another time.

thanks for all the input.
:mug:
 
I saw a roundtrip ticket to Omaha on Southwest leaving on Friday the 3rd and coming back on a Sunday (I think) for $310ish including taxes ... you'd still have a 500 mile drive, though ... 7 hours according to Google, which sounds close to what you originally said.

I love the freedom of driving and being able to change plans, but that's a long time in the car.

i try to only fly with northwest airlines. i have tons of miles built up and it's the only airline that flies directly into my hometown, so i use it often.

not a big fan of SWA anyway...they're cheap for a reason...
 
+1 on flying to save money.

+1 on driving to see some beautiful sights.

When we considered holiday to Florida last year, cost of gas and added time driving from Michigan made flying make real good sense.

However, I've been jonesing to see some Wyoming and out west for a long time, so I'd probably consider driving out there. Probably going to Wash DC next summer for family vacation. The wife is a big fan of history and goverment (wtf?) well she is, what can I say.
 
I don't see the benefit of driving if you've already made the same drive before. If not, then seeing the sights is certainly a plus. If so, I vote again for flying.
 
i'm flying. i bought tickets to fly directly into my hometown THROUGH minneapolis and they came up $200 cheaper...wtf? anyway, i'm taking a longer vacation (7 days of work!! ahh!!) and going early so i can hang out with me mum, then driving with my cousin and my dad up to minnesota and back. craziness.

now i've gotta mail some beer. maybe i can mail a keg...
 
I don't see any mention of food and tolls if you drove. Also in the long run there are other considerations to driving. Wear and tear on the truck and you.Anything can happen on the road blowouts ,accidents breakdowns etc. I have done a 3 day 1950+ trip (NY to Sturgis SD) and I tell you it took a day just to get myself relaxed and rested.

I would take the plane in your case.You will get there more relaxed in one day and spend more time with family. Isn't that why your going in the first place? Reason being I'm sure there are plenty of places to fish that are close to where you live


just saw that you bought the tickets .. nevermind
 
I flat out refuse to fly now that the TSA doesn't allow selectee screenings.

That said, you're quoting California gas prices and while it's always better to be cautious, gas prices here are between $3.40 and $3.70 so I think the "driving" side tips even a bit more in favor.

The choice for me is clear, I'd be driving!
 
there are some places around here where gas is ~$3.70...just not in oakland. i estimated high.

anyway, this way i get to see my mom and my nephew and a couple of friends for a day. i'll still be driving a bit, too, but with family. the trip is longer (i really shouldn't be taking that much time off work, oh well) but i get alot more relaxation time.

i'll take a road trip across the country when i quit my job in a few years. that'll work. i win, shecky :p
 
Once a trip involves more than a day of driving and as much as I hate all the hassles of flying these days, I'd fly. I'll drive to the SF Bay area (12 hours), but LA or San Diego, it's fly. If there were two people, driving would win.

The gripping hand, my van functions as a steel tent, so if time isn't a consideration the vote swings back to driving. I can also take the greys with me if I drive.
 
Back
Top