66% of Americans Favor Road Trips Over Flights. Here Are 3 Benefits of Hitting the Road

It pays to consider taking a trip by car.

Even though inflation has been making life more expensive this year, many Americans are still eager to get out and travel. And in a recent Wells Fargo report, 66% of travelers say they prefer to take a road trip over flying to their destination.

If you've never taken a road trip before, you may be wondering what the buzz is all about. After all, the idea of spending hours each day in a vehicle may not seem all that appealing. 

But actually, there are multiple benefits to taking a road trip. Here are a few you should know about.

1. You can save money

Airfare has gotten very expensive these days. And while the price of gas isn't cheap, the upside of taking a road trip is that you can split your expenses with your fellow travelers. When you travel by plane, you each need your own ticket. Plus, if you use a credit card with generous cash back at the pump to keep filling your car, you may be surprised at how much savings you can eke out.

2. You can get off the beaten path

When you travel from one big city or metro area to another by airplane, you don't really get a chance to explore small towns or parks along the way. And that could mean missing out on great restaurants, fun festivals, and glorious scenery. When you take a road trip, you get more opportunities to explore hidden parts of the country. And you get the flexibility to stick around when you discover a place you really enjoy.

3. You can avoid the stress of flight cancellations and delays

The summer of 2022 could easily have been dubbed the summer of cancellations. So many travelers had their flights canceled on them this year due to staffing issues at airports, among other things. When you travel by car, you don't need to worry about your flight getting canceled or extensively delayed. And you also don't have to deal with the sub-par customer service so many air travelers have been subjected to in recent months. 

Plus, when you take a road trip, you don't have to stress about things like lost or delayed luggage (something many travelers experienced this summer as well). And nothing ruins a trip like having to re-wear your underwear because your bag won't be arriving for several days.

Should you hit the road for your next trip?

The one challenge in taking a road trip is that you generally need a fair amount of vacation time to pull one off. If you're only able to get away for a long weekend, it may not be the ideal time to hit the road. 

But if you have two weeks of accrued vacation time to use up, it pays to round up some friends and map out an itinerary that lets you explore new parts of the country. You may find that it's an eye-opening experience -- one that's far more enjoyable and less stressful than boarding a plane to a single destination.