To Fly or to Drive? That Is the Question.
As you plan your 2026 travel, picking your destination is only part of the process. There’s also your mode of transportation — by plane or by car? We're weighing in! Image: iStock
It’s not too early to start planning your spring and summer travel for 2026, and picking your dates and destination is only part of the process. There’s also your mode of transportation — should you go by plane or hit the road?
Cost Versus Quality
Many factors go into the “drive or fly” decision, and some of them revolve around money while others are “quality of life” issues. As a frequent solo traveler, flying is often more cost-effective and convenient for me than driving. Though if you have two or more passengers, including someone to share the driving, that changes the economics.
But what if you don’t need a car at your destination, or parking costs are prohibitive? I think that’s why I’ll drive eight or nine hours to 30A, Charleston, or New Orleans at the drop of a hat, but I never think to drive to Chicago, which is even closer to my hometown of Nashville.
I know that once I land at either Midway or O’Hare, I’m probably only one or two CTA train rides away from wherever I’m staying. Additionally, public transportation and rideshares make it easy to navigate the vast city.
When it comes to flying, pets and kids are also a big consideration for many of us. And eight hours in a car with toddlers is no picnic. Clearly, you’re not going to drive to Europe or the Caribbean, but there are definitely a lot of possibilities to consider when it comes to regional travel. An incident on a recent trip prompted me to think long and hard about how to make these kinds of decisions.
When Algorithms Get You in Trouble
I’ve often joked that I trust Waze so much that if the app told me the fastest route someplace was over a cliff, I’d take it. On a recent trip to rural Virginia, I nearly got the chance to do exactly that.
The algorithm guided me off the main highway and onto a tiny, winding mountain road that climbed up a ridge with no shoulders and sheer drops on both sides. Treacherous blind switchbacks filled the windshield with glare from the low-setting fall sun, leaving me to hope I was still on the road — and at the mercy of any log truck barreling toward me from the opposite direction.
Sure, I might have saved fifteen minutes on the eight-hour drive, but the hour I spent white-knuckling the steering wheel probably took a couple of years off my lifespan.
As I checked in at my destination and asked if that was how everyone drove to the resort, the helpful front desk employee commiserated, saying, “Oh no, you didn’t try to come up Sulfur Valley Road, did you?! We never tell anyone to come that way, and we’ve been trying for a long time to get Waze to stop suggesting it!”
When Driving Seems Like the Sensible Choice
From the moment I heard I was invited to visit The Omni Homestead Resort, I started mulling whether driving was worth the effort. Before booking the trip, I did some research that led me to drive instead of flying.
Since it was a rural area, I would’ve had to take two flights followed by a two-hour rideshare to get there. I even used an online calculator to run the numbers, and then I still didn’t take the site’s advice to fly. I can be stubborn that way.
Beyond the price of gas versus the cost of a plane ticket, what are other factors to consider? Traveling with family or pets definitely tips the scales in favor of driving, since each additional passenger in a car is essentially free, rather than multiplying travel costs.
Flying also incurs hidden costs, such as airport transportation, baggage fees, and parking. And be sure to feed your brood in advance if you’re flying, because the price of a meal for a family of five at an airport restaurant can rival a night out at a high-end steakhouse!
We’ve all seen the news about how crazy some airports have been over the past six months, with some traffic-trapped travelers even jumping out of their Ubers and walking down the side of the interstate to avoid missing flights. Please don’t do that! Arriving super early for your flight can significantly reduce stress during travel, and opting for direct flights instead of connections can minimize the chances of vacation snafus.
The True Time Cost of Air Travel
Suddenly, flying sounds like it might take a little longer than you first thought, right? Even with an average cruising speed of 500 mph compared to the 70 mph interstate speed limit, that travel calculator I consulted indicated that flying to Virginia would take seven minutes longer than driving. Really!
Not to mention, the carbon footprint of flying almost 1300 miles just to take advantage of a cheaper flight through St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport wasn’t something I wanted to do.
As far as the pros and cons of driving, a lot depends on your individual travel style. Do you enjoy driving down scenic roads and making spontaneous stops along the way? You can’t do that from 30,000 feet. Is the trip as important as the destination when it comes to enjoying a vacation? Then pack up the Family Truckster and start driving!
The Costs You Don’t See Until Later
Be sure to consider the total costs of auto travel when making your final decision. Just as air travel can have hidden fees, road trip costs are more than simply the distance to and from your destination divided by your car’s gas mileage, times the price of a gallon of fuel.
According to AAA’s 2025 Driving Cost Calculator, it costs between $.55 and $.98 to operate a car, depending on the fuel efficiency and age of the vehicle. This total cost factors in depreciation, finance charges on auto loans, fuel costs, insurance, taxes, licensing and registration costs, tires, maintenance, and repairs. Those can definitely add up.
Lastly, your final consideration is the cost of your time. Everyone should set a personal rate for what their time is worth. It’s helpful to keep that in mind when making decisions, such as how to travel, whether cleaning your own gutters is the best and safest use of your time, or even whether to say yes to that person who constantly wants to “pick your brain over a cup of coffee.”
What’s most important is whether the joy you get from how you allocate your precious time is worth it to you.
Happy travels!
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Chris Chamberlain
A rare Nashville native, Chris Chamberlain has been writing professionally for over 16 years. Chris loves to write about food, bourbon, and quirky history — especially in the South. Find more of Chris's work at the Nashville Scene, Resy, Fodor's, Tennessee Visitors Guide, Bourbon Plus, NFocus, Thrillist, and Eat This, Not That.