Some people could drive for hours at a time – 10, 11 hours… no problem. Others max out at four hours, or three hours… or two hours. Some people love to drive. Others hate to drive.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Americans spend 84 billion hours driving each year, which breaks down to about 18 straight days per person each year. That’s a lot of driving!
After you vote, leave a comment and tell us your ideal number of hours driving per day. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve spent driving in one day?
I drive from CA to MO to OK and back. Either direction it is 27 hrs gas, food to go, puppy breaks. I drive at night through the deserts due to heat and no scenery then save the beautiful mountains for day. The only time I get sleepy is Kansas. Same cow, same barn, same crop for miles and miles.
We shared the driving, so each did about 4 hours.
5 to 6 hours includes rest , fuel, and meal stops along the way.
Depends on how the drive conditions are. I HATE I-95, especially around DC, Baltimore and I NEVER go near New York and the GW bridge at any time of the day.
I moved from LI to northern NY. Drive over the GW bridge when I visit my family. Just have to avoid going at certain times. Otherwise, it’s a breeze. (been doing it for 30+ years)
I just returned from Pennsylvania last week and got stuck in DC smack at rush hour. It was a three-hour pain in the donkey.
After that was smooth as silk down 95…..until we got to South Carolina where the worst roads in the US are located.
For me there is a difference between preference and comfortable driving times. I prefer to drive no more than 4 hours to give us time to see sites and relax touring the route. As far as comfort I set my max at the 7 to 8 hours per day and only when necessary to escape bad weather or meet a self imposed deadline or distant destination.
I agree with the 4 hours. We are not in a hurry. To get anywhere. Like to get to our next stop set up and relax.
It depends on a lot of things. Weather, traffic, how much physical work I’ve recently done, and what I’m driving are all factors. Besides, I want to enjoy the journey as much as the destination so why rush to get there.
Well I have been disabled for many yrs now and I often cringe at a 1 hr trip! Esp if it’s a 2 way trip meanin an HR there and an hr back that makes 2! 2 hrs esp if I gotta drive that 2 hrs big ways means a 4 he trip! And I have damned sure had it at 4 hrs!!
But I do intend to travel across the US to see many things and I think going in one direction I could do 2to4 hrs at a time with a big rest and then maybe 2to4 more?? Had to do 6 st one time and it nearly killed me!!! So no way in hell I could do more than 4 alone with no one to take over and drive some!
I mean if ur traveling with more than 1 driver u can switch off! 1 drive a while while the other rest or naps etc.! But if ur the only driver and u got babies riding with u u gotta play the safe card! For me driving makes me sedated and sleepy! And my dogs get real upset if traveling very long also! So for me and them I think 4 hrs max with like an hr break for us all at 2 hrs!
NOOOOO WAYYYY IN HELL I COULD EVER ANYTHING MORE!!
We drive a 2019 2500HD, pulling a 30’ travel trailer 7000 lbs from central Florida to the Smokies straight through. 11/12 hours.
Several trips of 20 hours until the age of 82. After all it was only 1005 miles door to door.
Sounds like my son when he got out of the Marines almost 20 years ago. He drove from North Carolina to Florida to California to Seattle in three days. I think he was anxious to get home. 😆 Piece of cake, compared to fighting in Iraq. Have a good night. 🙂 -Diane aka Proud Mom (not because of his driving 😆 )
I am comfortable driving 10 to12 hours without towing a trailer. With my travel trailer we count by mileage and try to keep it between 200 and 300 miles. Some roads are more mentally taxing than others and require different concentration levels. So some days are 4 1/2 hours while others are 7.
Depending on the trip that we are embarking on, dictates the amount of driving that I will be doing for the day. My wife and I, do stop for meal breaks, bathroom breaks and of course, fuel breaks. We do travel 600 miles in a day a few times a year, when we travel to Kansas City for the Nascar races from our home in Denver. Most of our trips though, consist of 2-4 hrs of driving time to our destination.
We left Crawfordsville, Indiana one morning just before sunup and pulled up to our house a few minutes before midnight that night pulling our 24 ft toy hauler.
Where is your house, Mike? And I’m curious how many miles that was? Thanks. Have a good afternoon/evening. 🙂 –Diane
MJ, what in the world is in Crawfordsville In? Just kidding, I was born and lived there.
Some nice history there at the Lew Wallace Study. That’s where Ben Hur was written.
For the past two years we have been locked into our state with no crossing the border with our motorhome. Consequently, all camping has been accomplished in state! We live in Palmer, Alaska and have friends and family in Fairbanks which is about 325 miles from here. Travel time in motorhome takes between 5-7 hours depending on traffic and construction (which is a never ending story!) It is a beautiful drive no matter which route we take. And in the summer, we do not worry about driving in the dark as we usually do not get dark until August!!! But driving to Fairbanks is not an issue even with the long hours as we take several breaks! I doubt we could do the same in the lower 48 due to your traffic and driving in the dark!
I can drive 5-6 hours a day with breaks for lunch and bathroom breaks.
Life-long road salesman and used to put on as much as 750 miles in a day (not including work time!). THAT SHIP HAS SAILED!! 5-6 hours behind the wheel is now my maximum plan, giving plenty of sightseeing time and arriving at destination without being used up.
72 years old
Coachman Goal to class C diesel.
5-6 hours driving time. Then there are the potty breaks for all. Lunch stop as well. 300-350 miles a day average. That’s enough now years ago think of nothing to jump on the car and leave on Friday after work and drive Portsmouth NH to Pittsburgh PA and back just for the weekend. Those days are long gone.
A TOTAL of about 10 hours actual driving / day.
For me, two ~ three hours of driving works well. Then, I generally stop to stretch, relax a bit, use the rest room and set up bottled water, snacks and check the GPS for the next two ~ three hour driving leg. As for TOTAL driving time for any given day, I listen to my body. If I’m tired, I’ll stop at the next Rest Area, Truck Stop, Denny’s or Cracker Barrel etc. I’m a Solo so, I can stop or continue according to how I feel. My Super-C floor plan allows my rig to be 98% useable with BOTH slides IN. I can pretty much set my schedule any way I’d like and, if a nap is needed, I just need to find a safe place to park for a few hours. I don’t mind driving at night (I actually prefer it). My MAIN consideration is to BE SAFE. I’d rather arrive hours (or a day or two) late than to do something stupid which could prevent me from reaching my destination at all. In years past, I have done 14 ~ 17 hour driving days. I simply don’t do that anymore.
We prefer about 5 but will drive 7-8 occasionally when the roads or limited options on campsites requires a longer drive.
You must clarify the question. When I tow my RV, I max out at 3 to 4 hours per day. If I am driving and not towing anything, then I will do 5 to 6 hours. I answered as if the question pertained to towing only.
Chuck, is that your old VW camper bus ?