How many miles per day (or hours) do people budget to reach a destination?

[OscarMk]

I live in SE TX and while marshy, flat lands have their own appeal, I prefer areas where the highest peaks are not landfills or highway ramps. This quest means long drives to most destinations. I prefer non-interstate driving. There is so much more of the country to see than billboards and mile markers. So my question is... How many miles per day (or hours) do people budget to reach a destination?

 

[Boppa's Travels]

I live in SE TX and while marshy, flat lands have their own appeal, I prefer areas where the highest peaks are not landfills or highway ramps. This quest means long drives to most destinations. I prefer non-interstate driving. There is so much more of the country to see than billboards and mile markers. So my question is... How many miles per day (or hours) do people budget to reach a destination?

I'm in the east central part of Texas. Well it's long ways from east to west in Texas. I biggest problem is the heat in the summer. It is 9+ hours for me to hit elevations in New Mexico. So I general get up early and do the whole drive. If I pull my little trailer then I can stop along the way and stay somewhere with electricity so I can run my AC. If that is the case then I drive to towns around Lubbock. A lot of those small towns offer free camping with electricity and water. Some have restrooms some done. But mostly depends on how much time I have to get from point A to point B and back to point A. My last long drive was 14 hours and I felt it.

 

[grubworm]

I prefer areas where the highest peaks are not landfills or highway ramps.

stay out of louisiana....

yeah, i'm in the swamps and the nearest place that is decent for camping is 9 hrs away. (nothing in state besides swamps and mosquitoes) most of our trips are a MINIMUM of 12+ hours to get to location, going out west to arizona and colorado, etc is an easy 2 day drive.

 

[OscarMk]

I'm in the east central part of Texas. Well it's long ways from east to west in Texas. I biggest problem is the heat in the summer. It is 9+ hours for me to hit elevations in New Mexico. So I general get up early and do the whole drive. If I pull my little trailer then I can stop along the way and stay somewhere with electricity so I can run my AC. If that is the case then I drive to towns around Lubbock. A lot of those small towns offer free camping with electricity and water. Some have restrooms some done. But mostly depends on how much time I have to get from point A to point B and back to point A. My last long drive was 14 hours and I felt it.

I just did a straight 16 hours (1,000 miles) of all interstate driving and I was exhausted afterwards. I think that is the last time I will do that. I don't want to be dreading the trip back home so much that I don't enjoy the time I am away.

 

[Boppa's Travels]

I just did a straight 16 hours (1,000 miles) of all interstate driving and I was exhausted afterwards. I think that is the last time I will do that. I don't want to be dreading the trip back home so much that I don't enjoy the time I am away.

Yep doesn't make camping/exploring fun

 

[Alanymarce]

Well, it depends on the trip. If it's driving from Houston to Marfa, and we just want to get there, that's sensibly doable in a long day - changing driver every two hours, with a lunch break half way - leave at 0730h, arrive at dusk.

If I want to explore on the way, I'd break it up into 3 or 4 days.

For long trips we assume 170 Km (105 miles) per day. So if we're planning a 50,000 KM (30,000 mile) trip, it'll take about 295 days. This is based on our experience of three "big trips" on which we averaged 170 Km/day on all three.

If we know the road will be difficult, we ask advice from locals - perhaps our slowest average so far has been 109 Km (68 miles) in Eastern Uganda, which took 4 days...

At the other end of the scale (and not driving our 4x4) we've driven with a lot higher average in Europe. One day, travelling from Southern Germany to Belgium we covered the first 200 miles in exactly 2 hours. This was simply to get from A to B. A more leisurely trip was from Belgium to London via Scandinavia - 5000 Km (3000 miles) in 16 days, so more like 300 Km (190 miles) a day, staying in lots of places and visiting many more.

 

[trikebubble]

We are usually early risers and during travel days try to be on the road by 8. My plan is to be considering and researching a stop by no later than 1pm, and to be at that stop, set-up for the night and sipping on a beer at no later than 3pm. We do factor in all-day travel days in boring areas, or if we really need to make distance for a given reason, and we also factor in down days or multiple down days if we find a nice spot or interesting little town (ie: Dawson City) that calls to us to hang out and enjoy for a couple days.

 

[oneleglance]

I have 3 types of trips coming out of our Phoenix area...

1) Local exploration, take back road and try not to drive more than 3hrs before lunch and a couple hours after
2) Regional trips to border states...knock out the big chunk going and coming with an 8-10hr drive then start exploring with 4hrs each day
3) Cross Country....and that will be a big mix of 1 & 2 as we move through areas that are new and pass areas we know.

My wife really enjoys places vs time in the seat, therefore I try to find things along the way to get us out of the rig and places to stay that we can explore.

 

[rgallant]

Well for me that depends where I am going. If I stay largely coastal 3 hours of hi-way will get me to good area's to off road.

Worst case for me is getting to the Rockies about 10 hours, I can do it in less (8 hours) and have done so, but I take secondary hiways and stop when I want and sort of just ramble along. On those kinds of trip I plan hi way to the furthest point then amble my way back home, I took 7 days to get home from the Rockies one year.

But realistically I try to be on the road by 8:30/9:00 at the latest and in camp by 6:00 at the latest. And what ever distance I travel is good enough, for me it is all about the journey destinations are just directions to travel in.

 

[leeloo]

Of course it is nice to take the back roads and a slow pace. But not all people have like 60 days paid leave per year or afford to take 3 months trips. So If the place I want to visit is far I will drive like crazy, if I have access to a good highway network until the spot the Overlanding bit starts, like this I can spend more time to the actual place I want to visit . It is not pretty or easy.. but that is the only way... Since our vehicles are so specialized and you already sunk some money in it is not like you can fly there and get a rental..
When I drive like this I can cover with a bit of luck even 1600 km/day on a highway or about 1000 if there is none, and after 3 days it is getting exhausting.. but never had to do that more than 3 days in a row so far. And this is worth it only if you can spend at least another 2 weeks at the destination.

 

[USStrongman]

Being in Lubbock, when we go to NM, CO, or WY, I tend to drive straight through and recover part of the following day. Especially CO and WY. That's of course if I am by myself. I prefer to recover at the destination, explore, enjoy and take two days to come home. I have a CO trip coming up. I am driving straight through to Creede (9 hours) chillaxin for a day, exploring a few trails the next day and friends are meeting me that evening. We are doing Stony Pass with 1 night camping, 1 night in Lake City, Alpine Loo, 1 night in Silverton or Ouray and then to Montrose and the Rim Rocker for two nights camping and into Moab. I will stay a day, they are headed back early. I will then stay in ALBQ and then home.

In other words - Out there fast, chill, enjoy, take my time coming home.

 

[Lou Skannon]

The prairies of Manitoba are so flat that I can sit on the front porch for two days before the newly estranged wife and her suitcase get out of sight. Getting to some interesting scenery takes about the same time. My daily distance is governed by how much fuel I use; I hate filling the tank more than once a day.

 

[Billiebob]

How many miles per day (or hours) do people budget to reach a destination?

With a family across Canada, one of our commutes was 950 miles, in a day. Now our son, grandson are 300 miles away so a 6 hour drive is a regular. IF the goal is THERE, git 'er done. Today, retired the goal is still the goal. If the destination is 2 hours away, I budget 3 hours. My goals now are on the road about 8am, great lunch somewhere, beer and burger for dinner, parked on a beach before dusk and ENJOY the drive.

Museums and Loggers Days and Swim Meets alter the schedule.

 

[msg_1974]

For road trips, my wife enforces a limit of 5-6 hours of driving in a day, so we will break up longer drives with an overnight along the way. Although this approach takes away some time at the ultimate destination, we've stopped at some interesting places that we otherwise wouldn't have visited.

 

[DevilDodge]

I have to agree that the question needs to be more specific.

The reality is when can you leave and familiarity with the area.

A campground or trail I have been to...i do not mind showing up last minute. That said I also do not feel people appreciate it much when you roll in at quiet time.

Daylight arrivals allow for much more relaxed set up and relaxation.

Then you have to look at what you are planning on the drive. Are you going to a base camp and then future exploration. Or are you taking your time over an extended holiday to get to your base camp.

8 hrs is more than enough time behind the wheel in a day. That said if I can leave at 6 am I would drive til 7 pm to make a long haul.

If I was to be traveling campsite to campsite. I would want to stay as long as I could at the first one, arriving at the next 1.75 hours before dusk...not dark. So, like here. Dispersed sites are a noon checkout. Campground sites are a 1500 checkout. So on the dispersed sites...if unfamiliar I would be packed at 1130 and head on my way at 1155...which currently would give about 6hr travel time...from the campground I would be packed at 1430 and leave at 1455 giving me 3.5 drive hours.

That said...i could always leave earlier to drive further. But truth be told...2hrs is about all the more I want to put my self out in a day...4hrs being maximum. I like to get to base camp and then see the sights.

All kinds of answers...but at 8hrs...i am beat.

 

[Alanymarce]

Just for amusement, my longest travel in a day was 1800 Km - from Scotland to the South of France in 22 hours - I slept on the ferry crossing for a couple of hours. Absolutely silly, now that I think of it. Now we change every two hours, and avoid more than 8 hours unless it's really a case of A to B as efficiently as possible.

 

[dj_mccomas]

My wife and I just went from Kentucky to Arizona to pick up our camper. Total drive time in hours was 24 hours. We did it over 2 days, and about 5 hours drive time on the third day, about 10hrs drive time max in a given day seems to be the sweet spot for us. That is typically the first day, then a little less the second, then try to have the 3rd day at 5 or less driving time. Planning similar for our trip to Yellowstone next month.

 

[Iceman.Actual]

It depends on my destination and route. If it’s within a days reach for normal highway travel but I can take a more scenic route I’ll tack an extra 2-3 hours on a 4-5 hour trip. If I have to be somewhere fast for the most experience in that place, I’ll drive like a bat out of hell for upwards of 16 hours a day or around 1000 miles.

 

[Shakes355]

I've got an issue with drive time. I tend to get kinda stoic and burn through. A lot of it comes from the fact that I've never worked a job that gives more than 5 days/year vaca and that time is normally spent on one trip (flight) to see family.

So since I only get weekends and a few random unpaid days per year (plus holidays), I dont waste any time coming or going unless the travel is the destination. Road trips for the sake of road trips are different.

Depending on the trip, the most I'll drive solo is 800-1k miles a day (US) for highway and interstate trips or roughly 12-16 hrs/day of drive time.

For those long days, I'm normally on the road by 4am to beat traffic on the outset or otherwise plan to hit the nearest big city before rush hour.

Edit:

Obviously this is not a sustainable habit or a recommendation necessarily. For trips that have no particular destination or special timeframe, I'll budget a tank of gas a day or about 300 miles. It's still productive but give us plenty of time to explore stops along the way.

 

[Sparksalot]

To get to the area, just burning through miles, I like to limit myself to 500 miles a day. I’ve done 600 a few times, but that gets to be a beat down, especially if you do it back to back days.