The end of December is the peak travel season for most of the world. Students are rewarded for a semester of hard work with weeks off school and adults cash in on prized vacation days to escape for the holidays. This leads to much debate about the best means of transportation for a vacation. The U.S. suffers from a sorry lack of train travel, meaning the two best options are reduced to plane or car. According to Woodward Community Media, 73% of Americans prefer the latter.
The cost effectiveness of a road trip fluctuates based on a number of factors (length of the trip, damage to the car, etc.). NerdWallet uses the example of a trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco and from Los Angeles to New York: the driving cost of the former trip is approximated at $92 and the flying cost at $103, and the driving cost of the latter trip is approximated at $670 and the flying cost at $257.
People often prefer to fly the longer distances and drive the shorter ones not only for the financial benefit, but also because of the “cost” of their time; a traveler can save hours by utilizing a jet stream instead of a highway. However, one of the greatest benefits of a road trip comes in the form of those hours on the road. Opting for air travel means sacrificing hours of cross-country scenery and time spent with those in the car.
The selection of co-passengers is yet another benefit of road trips. Flying means spending hours in a crowded airport surrounded by strangers, and then another several hours sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with two of those strangers on a plane. Even if a person is flying with a friend or family member, the ability to choose his or her seat comes with an additional cost on most airlines.
On a road trip, a person can ride with passengers of his or her own choosing, often those friends and family members who they would have to pay to sit next to on a commercial flight. The hours on the road then become full of games and singalongs, or with the addition of a good pair of headphones, endless minutes of solitary meditation and staring out the window lost in thought.
Additionally, bringing extra luggage on a flight is one of the sneakiest financial traps. Most airlines will provide a free personal item for each flyer, but any additional luggage incurs an additional expense often on par with the plane ticket itself. Depending on the amount of trunk space, taking a car means as many free bags as the driver allows.
Finally, an increasingly important factor in choosing a mode of transportation is the environmental factor. Much like the cost effectiveness of a trip, the environmental impact varies based on a number of factors (type of vehicle, distance, etc.). In addition to changing the solar energy makeup of the atmosphere while in the air, planes contribute more to greenhouse gas emissions than automobiles. According to an environmental impact comparison by Environment.co, one gallon of gas produced 19.37 pounds of carbon dioxide, while one gallon of jet fuel produces 21.50 pounds.
Choosing between air and car travel is influenced by a number of different elements, and no two trips will have the same right answer in terms of convenience or efficiency. However, when it comes down to which mode of transportation is preferable overall, a road trip takes the cake every time.
Sophia Rooksberry is a junior studying journalism. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Sophia know by tweeting her @sophiarooks_.
