Website Settles Flying vs. Driving Dilemma

Gabe Zaldivar
by Gabe Zaldivar
Last updated: 11:00 AM ET, Sat October 1, 2016

To drive or not to drive. That, my friends, is the true travel question.

You can obviously sit down and cover the coffee table with travel schematics and numeric possibilities, or you could just do a simple query on TravelMath.

Thanks to a keen eye from LifeHacker, we have discovered a nifty tool just lurking out there in the Internet ether.

As LifeHacker explains, you can break down a search with parameters that now even include time and money sacrificed from work when you decide on a road trip.

So often I find myself considering a trip to say, Las Vegas - a road trip that is about four hours from Los Angeles but just an hour or so from LAX.

Obviously, there are so many considerations outside of whether I really want to deal with the congestion around Los Angeles International Airport for such a short jaunt.

TravelMath is here to offer context to the dilemma.

[READMORE]READ MORE: China Is About To Build One Gigantic Train Station At The Great Wall [/READMORE]

What I found is that it's better to drive this short road trip than experience the journey by air, according to a cursory search on the website.

The parameters were set for one traveler, but the remarkable thing comes down to time you save.

Obviously, flying is faster in this regard, but you may not have considered how very little time you make up in total.

According to the returned search, flying would take up a minute over three hours, which includes flight time, commute to the airport, security check-in and travel to your hotel. All of that minutiae takes the joy away from that hour flight.

As for driving, you hop in your car and you are there, barring traffic, in about three hours and 54 minutes.

Obviously, LA teems with congestion, but on a clear day you save about an hour on a road trip filled with the optimism that is daydreaming about your winning numbers.

Now this is just one journey, but consider for a second any and all short flights you previously considered. Just maybe, you are missing out on a ridiculously cost effective road trip.


For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.

Topics From This Article to Explore

More From TravelPulse

Related Videos

Grow Your Travel Business With Certified Courses

Travel Agent Academy
Travel Agent Academy
Allianz Specialist ProgramProtect every journey with Allianz Partners Travel Insurance.
Travel Agent Academy
Travel Agent Academy
Los Cabos Specialist ProgramSell the magic of Los Cabos: luxury, adventure, and endless sunshine.
Travel Agent Academy
Travel Agent Academy
Majestic Resorts Specialist ProgramDiscover all-inclusive luxury at Majestic Resorts in paradise.
Travel Agent Academy
Travel Agent Academy
Allianz Specialist ProgramProtect every journey with Allianz Partners Travel Insurance.
Travel Agent Academy
Travel Agent Academy
Los Cabos Specialist ProgramSell the magic of Los Cabos: luxury, adventure, and endless sunshine.
Travel Agent Academy
Travel Agent Academy
Majestic Resorts Specialist ProgramDiscover all-inclusive luxury at Majestic Resorts in paradise.

Don't Miss These Travel Agent Events and Trainings

Watch Now!
Greenland Uncovered: Selling the Arctic's Best-Kept Secret with HXTuesday, September 15, 2026
2:00pm Eastern
Towering icebergs, colourful Inuit communities, the Midnight Sun, and a UNESCO-listed icefjord —...
Upcoming Webinar
The Next Generation Of Carnival FunWednesday, September 16, 2026
2:00pm Eastern
Get ready for an exciting webinar with Janet Wygert, Carnival’s Senior Vice President of Sales and...
Upcoming Webinar
Your New Era with TrafalgarThursday, September 17, 2026
2:00pm Eastern
Trafalgar’s new era is taking shape. Join us on September 17 to learn about "Your New Era" with...
Watch Now!
Greenland Uncovered: Selling the Arctic's Best-Kept Secret with HXTuesday, September 15, 2026
2:00pm Eastern
Towering icebergs, colourful Inuit communities, the Midnight Sun, and a UNESCO-listed icefjord —...
Upcoming Webinar
The Next Generation Of Carnival FunWednesday, September 16, 2026
2:00pm Eastern
Get ready for an exciting webinar with Janet Wygert, Carnival’s Senior Vice President of Sales and...
Upcoming Webinar
Your New Era with TrafalgarThursday, September 17, 2026
2:00pm Eastern
Trafalgar’s new era is taking shape. Join us on September 17 to learn about "Your New Era" with...