"Road trip" question for any Americans among us

[LavenderAskew]

One of my sons and I just went to see family who we've not seen for two years - it was just an over nighter but even so DS and I were (jokingly!!) referring to it as us going on a road trip. (Meaning as we see in the movies where the driving I'd shared and you see other passages sleeping etc)

It's just shy of 300km each way; every time I have ever made this journey bar once, coming and going I stop off half way to get food/drink and use the loo.

I know in reality it's not really a long journey. It's certainly one done in a time you could survive without eating anyway. I was laughing at us calling it a road trip because seeing the USA is massive I get the feeling 300km wouldn't be considered much of a journey (where as where I am it is a long car ride).

So that brings me to my question - how long does a trip need to be before it's a road trip?

Not American but to me a road trip is one which requires an overnight stop during the driving.

Otherwise it's just a long drive...

Well I did about 2700miles in the summer across 6 states. That’s a road trip to me

A road trip to me is a5 least two overnight stops and days of driving.

So 1000+?

I think a road trip is when the journey is the main part of the holiday rather than just a long journey to your holiday destination.

North Americans amaze me. I was once in Detroit (Ann Arbor) and mentioned it afterwards to a Canadian friend in Toronto who was furious I didn't give him the chance to drive down and see me!

Didn't compute with me at all.

Maybe it's the traffic and roadworks in England. Sometimes negotiating 150 miles takes about 7 hours.

Anyway, yeah a road trip involves restrooms, truck stops and nighttimes.

Longest one I ever did was a non-stop (except for food and gas) with a boyfriend from Houston to Calgary. 3412km. In winter. It was -24 degrees when we arrived 🥶

For me a road trip needs to be at least 20 hours or so of driving.

Call it a Rd Trp as a nod to the fact it's not an epic journey across seven states.

I would say two day's driving, about 9-10 hours per day including brief stops. Have done this - Chicago to Jackson Hole Wyoming. Also back again.

@mathanxiety

I would say two day's driving, about 9-10 hours per day including brief stops. Have done this - Chicago to Jackson Hole Wyoming. Also back again.

That is very rude of you. Jackson Hole Wyoming is second on my bucket list and i can Never Manage It. Is it lovely?

@CorianderBee

Not American but to me a road trip is one which requires an overnight stop during the driving.

Otherwise it's just a long drive...

Yes, that was 9ne reason we were laughing about it being a roadtrip because we were effectively doing two long journeys with an overnighter (ignoring the fact it was a return journey!!)

I'm not in the UK (in Ireland) so it wasn't a case of roadworks making it longer, what I imagined was that a journey of 300km wouldn't be considered a long journey in the USA - like a pp said it comes across that long distances don't come across as a probably in the US. If a person was a couple of hundred k away in the US it would cross someone's mind to go see them, unlike here were you'd not even consider it.

I'm going against the grain and say it's any journey where you have to prepare for the actual car ride home eg plan route, take snacks etc. We often do a journey of 400 miles in the uk and it feels like a road trip to me!