Pros & Cons of an American Road Trip

A look into the highs and lows of traveling by car

The great American road trip. When I was a kid, this was the only type of trip we took. As a family of 5, with one income and only one car at parts of my childhood, my parents had to budget.

When we lived in New York, we vacationed in Florida. When we moved to Florida, we vacationed in New York.

I remember when we’d drive north in our minivan. My parents would take the middle seat out, so we could lay on the floor or play without having to be buckled in all the time. (This was the 90’s calm down).

The moment we hit 95 North in Virginia, my dad would demand for the rest of the trip we stayed buckled in. This is a true representation of driving Interstate 95 Virginia and up.

Road tripping stopped for me for a long time. Travel did to be honest. As I have talked about before, I did not really travel much until I started dating my husband in late 2010.

In 2012, we took a road trip that spanned 27 states and took 54 days. It was insanity. But I still can recite that trip to you stop by stop and relay moments of pure joy on that trip.

With those memories still in tow, we have eventually driven through (and visited every state but Hawaii) and even have driven through Canada, Ireland, N. Ireland, Scotland, Wales & England.

All of that experience has made me realize there are some serious pros and cons to the great American road trip.

Pros:

1- The interstate system:

America did not focus on railroads as it continued to grow. America developed an extensive interstate system. Planning for the interstate system began in the early 1900s and some will say it did not feel complete until the 1990s.

What’s lovely about the interstate system is the accessibility to the whole country. For example, you can 75 here in Florida all the way up to Michigan. We can also take 95 to Maine. 80 goes from NYC to San Fransisco.

2- Scenery change:

America has every type of scenic view you want. Beaches? Hit up the east coast of North Carolina? Then head west through the Great Smoky Mountains. Keep making your way west and you’ll find yourself seeing mountains that look completely different than the Smokies.

With over 50 national parks, you can find yourself visiting the desert one day, large rock formations the next, and even go as far as the Pacific Northwest to visit a rainforest.

The choices are endless!

3- Having a car allows freedom:

When you have access to a car, you can go pretty much anywhere you want. If you travel strictly by public transit, you are definitely on more of a schedule.

But with a car, you can jump in and head to that lighthouse someone recommended or make some random stop in the middle of the desert to see Billy the Kid’s grave just to see it caged up and tipped over! (True story!)

Road trips truly let you customize your trip in dozens of different ways.

Cons

1- The interstate system:

Yup. It is definitely a pro and a con. To do a road trip in America, you are limited on public transportation options. Which leaves you to take interstates everywhere (for the most part).

But you’re not the only person on the interstate. America is a country that runs on cars and the primary transportation method. People use the interstates to get to and from work each day. Which means multiple times a day, you are driving through rush hour.

The interstate system can save time, but it can also cost you time if there is an accident or construction delays.

2- The actual driving:

One of my favorite parts of train travel is the ability to sit down, put my headphones on, and gaze out the windows. The only thing I have to pay attention to is which stop we are approaching.

When you are road tripping, you have to pay attention 100% of the time. Because you are not the only person on the road.

And half the cars on the road are sadly starting at their cell phones. I can honestly say when driving for 20 days in England, we could count on one hand how many people we saw on their phones while driving. Americans cannot seem to peel themselves away even when driving. To be honest, it can be downright scary.

Conclusion

Just like with every type of travel, you will find pros and cons. I hate airports due to people walking into an airport and it’s like all common sense has left their brain, but love to fly. I love train travel, but loathe tight train connections.

And even with the cons, I think everyone who can should go on one American road trip. Our country offers so many wonderful experiences and as we begin planning our possible 2024 US/Canadian road trip — first since 2021 — I see my Google Maps filling up with destinations and ideas!

Interested in US travel? Check out my article on 3 underrated National Parks in the States. This is one of what will probably wind up being a three part series!