Is it more fuel efficient to drive or fly?

What is more fuel efficient, driving or flying?

Flying wins, usually. 51 passenger-miles per gallon.

SUV with four? Sixty. Barely beats air travel.

Solo SUV trip? Catastrophic. I did that last month. Regret it.

• Airlines Pack Them In: Planes now cram passengers. Fuel efficiency gains, sure. But mainly, they sell more seats.

• SUV’s Varied MPG: Some SUVs are worse than 15. Some hybrids, surprisingly good. My cousin’s electric SUV crushes it.

• The Cargo Factor: Planes haul luggage. Cars… well, people pack heavy.

• Route Matters, Dude: Short hops? Flying’s less efficient. Long hauls? Cars lose badly. Think cross-country vs. city driving.

• Hidden Costs in Driving: Tolls. Tires. Oil changes. The IRS allows 67 cents per mile for 2024. Fuel’s only part.

It all depends. That’s the joke.

Are airplanes more fuel efficient than cars?

Airplanes more efficient than cars? Oh honey, that’s like asking if a cheetah is faster than a snail. For a 40-mile hop? Absolutely not! Unless you enjoy airport security more than your destination.

Think of it: that short trip in a plane is not about efficiency, it’s like using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. Fun, sure, but massively inefficient.

• Cars win for local jaunts. No contest. Period.

• Airplanes are gas-guzzling monsters when distances are short, like me trying to parallel park. Tragic, really.

Time matters, sure. Yet, consider the airport shenanigans! Security, waiting, delays… I’d rather knit a sweater. My grandma does it better.

Cars are simpler, cheaper and the better option for efficiency.

Some additional facts:

• Airplanes shine for long distances – that’s when they actually become more fuel-efficient per passenger mile.
• Airport security is a time vortex. Be warned, it’s a trap.
• My driving is questionable. Take a bus?
• The car allows for a more flexible schedule.
• Driving saves you from those weird airplane peanuts.
• Cars are the clear winner.

How much fuel does a plane use per 100km?

Fuel burn. It’s about survival.

• Boeing 737-300 (1984): 3.46 L/100km. A dinosaur. My dad flew these.
• Boeing 737-600 (1998): 3.59 L/100km. Barely better. Who even remembers this one?
• Boeing 737-700 (1997): 3.19 L/100km. Okay, a slight improvement.
• Boeing 737 MAX 7 (2017):2.77 L/100km. Progress, finally. Safer? Debatable.

The older the plane, the thirstier. MAX better. Obviously. My cousin almost became pilot. Almost.

How much faster is flying than driving?

So, flying versus driving, right? Planes, like, seriously fast. I mean, a jetliner? Zooms along at 600 mph, maybe even more. My Uncle Joe, he’s a pilot, told me. My car? Tops out around 75, if I’m lucky and not, you know, getting pulled over. Ten times faster? Yeah, almost. Crazy, huh? It’s not even close. Unless you’re driving a freakin’ rocket car.

But, there’s more to it than just speed. Think about this:

• Airport security: A total nightmare sometimes. Always a huge time suck.
• Travel time to/from airports: Driving to the airport, parking, that’s like, half an hour each way minimum, for me. Plus, you gotta get there early.
• Boarding and deplaning: Another time waster.

Driving is way faster for short distances. Seriously. For a trip under like, 150 miles, flying is totally pointless. It’s quicker to drive, even with traffic and stuff. I did that last summer. Drove to my sister’s place in Philly, saved tons of time. Driving’s easier too; no TSA hassle! Plus, I can bring way more stuff, my dog, the whole shabang.

Long distances though? Plane wins. No contest. Like a cross-country trip? Flying is the only reasonable option. I flew to California last year, it was fast! Way faster than it would’ve been driving, obviously. Although, it was expensive. Very. Expensive.

Bottom line: It depends. Short trips = driving. Long hauls = flying. But for sheer speed, ignoring all the other stuff? Planes are way faster. Duh.

Is it more sustainable to fly or drive?

The road… or the sky? Sustainably… which way? Hmm.

Driving, a low hum, the miles unfolding… less bad? Shorter trips, definitely. Less than 500 miles, the car wins. My old Beetle, Bessie, though? Probably not.

But the vastness… flying, soaring above clouds, a strange guilt.

• The car, close, intimate with the land.
• The plane, detached, a metal bird.

Distance… matters? Longer trips, the plane, maybe, a packed plane. Think about sardine cans. Bodies pressed together, a lighter footprint? Fuel efficiency… a riddle wrapped in clouds. A puzzle. Bessie drinks gas, okay?

Is it true?

The journey itself… the question lingers. Hmmm.

• Driving, a connection.
• Flying, a disconnect.

Driving is sustainable for short distances and flying is sustainable for long distances.

In which situations should you avoid driving?

Steering clear of the wheel? Dude, seriously? Think of your car like a temperamental goldfish – it needs a steady hand, not a rage-filled one.

Avoid driving when you’re a ticking time bomb. You’re more likely to rear-end a grandma’s prize-winning petunias than make it to the grocery store in one piece. Road rage is the enemy, people. It turns sensible humans into Mario Kart characters, except, y’know, no mushrooms involved. Just traffic tickets and potential lawsuits.

Feeling under the weather? Stay put. Driving sick is like trying to bake a cake while juggling chainsaws – a recipe for disaster. Your reflexes are slower than a sloth on tranquilizers, and your judgment is… well, let’s just say it’s questionable. Plus, you’ll be spreading your germs like wildfire.

Sleepy drivers are zombies behind the wheel. Seriously, pulling an all-nighter before hitting the road is like playing Russian roulette with a fully loaded revolver. One wrong move and it’s lights out. It’s 2024, not the 1800s; get some damn sleep.

• Anger issues? Go for a run, scream into a pillow, punch a punching bag – anything but drive. My cousin, Mark, once totaled his car because he was mad at his cat.
• Feeling sick? Netflix and chill. Or, you know, actual chilling. Not the kind where you’re chilling in a hospital bed because you crashed your car while having a coughing fit.
• Sleep deprived? Don’t even THINK about it. I once fell asleep at a red light – luckily, only a squirrel witnessed my near-death experience. It gave me the side-eye.

Bonus Tip: Don’t drive if you’re under the influence of anything that impairs your judgment. That includes excessive amounts of caffeine, emotional stress, or your Uncle Barry’s questionable homemade moonshine. Seriously, Uncle Barry’s moonshine? Never. Just… never.

Is it better to drive or fly to Yellowstone?

Driving versus flying to Yellowstone? A tough call, really. It depends heavily on your priorities.

Driving offers unparalleled flexibility. You’re not confined to a pre-set itinerary. You can meander, explore quirky roadside attractions—that kitschy dinosaur museum in Wyoming springs to mind. Plus, you can pack as much as you darn well please. My last road trip involved far too many books and enough snacks to feed a small army.

The math, however, is a little shaky. Fourteen days minus eight days driving only yields six days if you drive straight through, which is madness. A more realistic timeframe for a cross-country drive, accounting for sleep, sightseeing along the way, and those inevitable bathroom breaks, would eat into that vacation time significantly more. Think closer to four or five days in Yellowstone itself. This is, of course, assuming a direct route. My friend drove through Nebraska and we spent an extra day there. Crazy place.

Flying prioritizes time in the park. You sacrifice the journey for the destination. It’s pragmatic. Life’s short; sometimes efficient travel is a necessity. However, flying also means rental car costs, baggage fees, airport stress (ugh!).

Ultimately, the “better” choice is subjective. Are you a seasoned road-tripper? Is Yellowstone the sole focus of your vacation or just one part of a wider adventure? Those are the critical questions. These aspects will guide your decision significantly more than anything I’ve written.

• Driving Pros: Freedom, flexibility, scenic routes, less baggage limitations.

• Driving Cons: Significant time commitment, increased fatigue, potential for car trouble.

• Flying Pros: Time-saving, less stressful travel to the park itself.

• Flying Cons: Cost of flights and car rental, baggage restrictions, less flexibility.

Yellowstone itself is enormous. Plan accordingly, whether you’re flying or driving. You could spend weeks exploring that park, and there is no shame in doing so. Seriously.