To Fly or to Drive? Planning Your Next Holiday
When planning your next holiday you may decide you need to hire a car at the holiday destination. Thinking about the cost of car hire brings up the question, are you better off driving or flying on your next holiday?
There are various factors to consider which can help you weigh up each option, and it is more than just rate differences when you compare car hire companies. Read through these points to help you come to a conclusion that suits your situation best:
Time
Time is the first thing you need to consider. Is this a long holiday you are taking, and do you have plenty of annual leave from work saved up? Or are you getting away to attend a wedding over a weekend and need to be back in the office early the next week?
If you have a decent amount of time up your sleeve, then driving is a great option as the journey to the destination can form part of the overall holiday experience. But if you are in a rush, the added pressure of driving on a time limit may not make the getaway as enjoyable as it could be.
Money
You may think the money argument is simply one of fuel vs. airfare. While this is definitely a big factor in weighing up your finances, there are other points you will also need to consider when analysing the budget.
If you are driving your own car, you will need to make sure it is in good condition before taking it on a long road trip. Having a car service in Melbourne before heading off is necessary for safety reasons, but the cost of this may need to be considered as part of the holiday budget. There is also the cost of snacks and meals on the road, and whether or not you will need a hotel or motel overnight on the way.
As for flying, you need to take into account the cost of getting to and from the airport on both ends. Do you need to hire a car when you get to your holiday destination? Do you need to catch a taxi on either end? These costs need to be factored into the overall costs of flying.
With the airfare, be wary of taking the advertised ‘cheap airfare’ as being the final figure you will pay for tickets. There are always additional costs that are included when booking, such as paying for baggage, seat allocation and taxes in some cases. If you are planning a holiday just for you, or just for a couple, then plane tickets may be the cheaper alternative. But once you start to introduce kids into the equation suddenly a family of four will find it a much more expensive option to fly.
Environment
If you drive a relatively fuel-efficient car, then the greenhouse gas emissions that are generated are less than that of flying. However, this is based on one car vs. one airline passenger, so if you car-pool or have a whole family going on holidays, the carbon footprint per person is reduced even further for driving.
Of course taking a bus or train lowers the carbon footprint per person considerably more, so if your reason for driving is due to your concern for the environment, consider buying a bus or train ticket instead.
Peace of Mind
Flying with children, especially toddlers can sometimes be a parent’s worst nightmare. But ask yourself, is it worth flying with them for just a few hours to save you at least triple the time in a car? Being cooped up in a car isn’t much fun but the bonus is that you can stop when you need to and you don’t have to deal with the death stares from other passengers.
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