It might've been the last big math problem to solve before school let out: whether to fly or drive to that summer vacation.
It's a tricky equation, with many variables. Gas prices. Airfares. Are you going alone or with a spouse and kids? Stop at a motel or drive all night? Car rental?
Financially speaking, the most important figure is the number of travelers. Destinations that might make sense for a couple to fly to can become prohibitively expensive for a family of four or more.
If you're thinking about flying, remember that you'll pay for more than just the airfare. Unless you're flying Southwest Airlines or have elite frequent-flier status, there's a good chance you'll pay baggage fees. Even with one bag per person, a $15 bag fee would add $120 to the round-trip cost for a family of four. You'll also need transportation to the airport and possibly a rental car when you get where you're going.
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Of course, taking the family car isn't free either.
Gas prices have crept higher and averaged $2.67 a gallon this week, according to auto club AAA. A good way to figure the total gas cost is to use AAA's gas price calculator. It can figure the mileage between cities, factor in the model car you'll drive and then do the math based on today's gas price. It's about as specific a gas calculation as you can get.
Don't forget to plan on food and possibly a motel along the way. Those could tip the balance back in favor of a flight, for some trips.
What price peace of mind?
In addition to financial variables, there's also your sanity to consider, says Sally Black, who runs VacationKids.com, which caters to traveling families. Do you like long drives? Is there a DVD player in the minivan? Will you tell the kids to play the alphabet game off billboards?"Is it easier," she asks, "to spend four hours with kids in an airplane or 12 hours with kids in a minivan?"
She said she's seen the full range of traveling families, from penny-pinchers to the extravagant. Some try to sneak a 4-year-old on a flight as an infant to avoid buying a ticket. One family she knows paid to bring the au pair -- and the au pair's boyfriend.
Flying versus driving: What's your time worth?
| Family of four, Atlanta to Washington, D.C. | Two people, Minneapolis to Chicago |
|---|---|
Driving | Driving |
Time: 11 hours (629 miles) each way | Time: eight hours (403 miles) each way |
Fuel cost: $109 each way for a Dodge Caravan, $218 round trip | Fuel cost: $74 each way for a Dodge Caravan, $148 round trip |
Meals: $40 each way | Meals: $20 each way |
Total round-trip travel cost: $298 plus tolls | Total round-trip travel cost: $188 plus tolls |
Flying | Flying |
Time: one hour and 45 minutes flight time each way, plus parking and check-in | Time: one hour and 15 minutes flight time each way, plus parking and check-in |
Airfare: $900 round trip | Airfare: $256 round trip |
Baggage fees: $120 (four suitcases at $15 each way) | Baggage fees: $60 ($30 each way) |
Total round-trip travel cost: $1,020 | Total round-trip travel cost: $316 |
Robert Little, a financial adviser from Phoenix, wavers between driving or flying every time his family of four goes to Disneyland or on trips to Rocky Point, Mexico.
"For going to the beach we can load up umbrellas and chairs and coolers and lots of swimsuits and buckets and all kinds of stuff, so there's a huge advantage there," said Little, whose children are 8 and 12.
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Trouble-free travelScott McCartney of The Wall Street Journal shares some 'power travel' tips for avoiding trouble on your next vacation.
Driving also has its pitfalls, though. On a trip to Disneyland about four years ago, in the Arizona desert, 45 minutes from the nearest town, the family's Chevy Blazer blew a tire so violently that it damaged the wheel well.
"It was fairly dangerous, July or August, 120 degrees," he said. "It was a really unpleasant experience."
Little and his wife thought about flying the next time but stuck with driving, especially for trips under eight hours.
Continued: Less money, more time?
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