Gr8LakesCamper: Top 10 Reasons I’d Rather Drive an RV than Fly in a Airplane
As if we RVers needed any more fuel for our pro-RV fire, here’s a “Top 10
Reasons I’d Rather RV than Fly” list. (With my comments thrown in here and there.)
Note: I came across this great list – slightly modified for RVers – from Dave Hunter, author of “Along Interstate-75,” an award-winning book which helps people enjoy driving this major freeway between the Midwest and the Georgia/Florida border.
1. Before you get into your RV, you don’t have to wait in long lines or wait for your seat row to be called for boarding. (Although I’m tempted to try this with the family next time we go camping.)
2. No embarrassing X-ray or pat down. (Tempted to try this, too.)
3. Your luggage always arrives at the same time you do and never costs extra. (Luggage? What’s luggage?)
4. No need to arrive at your RV two hours ahead of departure time – it will wait for you.
5. You can bring as many bottles of water into the RV as you wish.
6. The bathroom in your RV, or the restrooms at roadside rest areas, do not have line-ups in the aisle.
7. The air you breath is “family” — you know how healthy they are. (Granted, this may or may not be a positive.)
8. No need to surrender your favorite knitting needles or other sharp objects.
9. Stiff legs? No need to wait until you arrive — you are 2 feet off the ground and can stop for exercise whenever you want.
10. And there’s no need to rent a car when you arrive – you are already sitting in the vehicle of your choice, with no insurance waivers to sign!
A quick side note: My parents are about to fly to New York City to visit my brother and his family. When pricing airfare, ticket prices were $2,500 each (not including taxes, fees and luggage). They switched their schedule from Wednesday-Sunday to Sunday-Wednesday and the prices dropped to less than $500 each.
Obligatory “About the Author” information:
Since 1992, Dave Hunter (and his wife and travel partner, Kathy) have acquired hundreds of friends and travel industry contacts along the I-75 corridor, who share their “local knowledge” of roadside secrets, local restaurants and ways to save money. “Along Interstate-75″ is published by Mile Oak Publishing, Inc. and is available in bookstores, at AAA in OH, by phone at 800-431-1579, online and at www.i75online.com.
From the personal blog: I recently posted some great information for traveling to southern Indiana for the holidays, and I continue to add many more regional travel ideas as I come across them.
UPDATE: I have also posted on my personal blog about our recent trip to New York City, where we saw the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade (cross that one off the bucket list) as well as my brother’s Broadway debut! (We drove there, by the way.) Click here to read all about it.
Gr8LakesCamper celebrates the world of RV Camping in the Midwest. Gather around the campfire and share tips, ideas and stories on RVing, camping and travel destinations. Follow Gr8LakesCamper on Twitter, Facebook and the personal blog.
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Enjoy reading your column.
Interesting way to compare flying vs. rv’ing.
I am curious about where you parked and what that wa like when you visited NYC.
Thanks,
JOe
You had me going with “Dave Hunter (and his wife and travel partner, Kathy)”. I was wondering how Dave was able to swing that and did his wife not mind having Kathy along. On re-reading, I understand now that Kathy is the wife and there was just the two of them and not three. LOL
How about when you get to your RV destination, you are where you want to be. When you get to the airport. you still some travelling to do and you are usually not in charge of how well that leg of the travelling goes either.
I won’t miss never getting on a plane again.
Barry
Love the “Ten Reasons”!
Next time I feel weary about breaking camp or setting up.. I will remember how tough is is for the non-RVers.
Great fun.
Bob
Enjoyed the blog, and the reasons are all sound ones. But why not have a choice? We have a 38′ Travel Supreme DP and enjoy it very much, but sometimes you just want to get somewhere in a day and don’t want to fight the traffic. So we fly…ourselves….anyplace we want. No security lines, no luggage restrictions, no arriving at an airport 2-3 hours before the flight to check in, none of that. Okay, I’ll admit the bathroom facilities are, well, nonexistent. And no, we’re not rich. Having a 4-seat airplane is like having a mid-price SUV. More of us who enjoy travel should become pilots, something that is in a serious decline. Which is too bad, because it’s another option for comfortable travel! Just an idea…
Another item to add to the list of why RVing is better than flying would be that you already have your “rent car” towed behind your motor home or pulling your trailer for the excursions to explore the area you have set up the motor home or trailer in.
While on the subject of towed vehicles, what vehicle makes & models make good tow companions for a motor home?
Here’s #11 : No need to worry about bed bugs or “mystery hair” because you know who has been sleeping in your bed!
You added a group of people to your list quite by accident, those who own the not ground bound RV. These RV’s are airplanes, build it yourself airplanes designed by Richard Vangruensven of North Plains Oregon. They have many of the same pluses you listed such as no security checks to board and a much more flexible schedule but will admit that the commercial flights have much better restrooms. Since we live in the Portland Oregon area our trips this time of the year are limited to Eugene on the south and BC to the north once the passes get the snow cover. Our “A” is sitting in the driveway under cover quietly sulking and feeling ignored.
How about looking out of the windows and seeing something other than the tops of clouds? The food is a lot better and less expensive in the RV. Cocktails are really a deal ! Nobody in front of you is going to lower the back of their seat into your face. You know the pilot and his/her experience. Movies are free ( almost). A sudden stop in the RV may result in a few items flying around, but in a plane????? Guess I could go on and on, but it’s the RV for me, unless of course you have to cross WATER!
Great comments everyone! I think this list needs to be upgraded to a Top 15 or even a Top 20 by the time we’re done!
Love this and I’m not even an RV person. How about this — the annoying person next to you who won’t stop talking is most likely is your spouse or child instead of some stranger .