to think that 2 hours isn't that far?

[SkylarkMA]

An old friend thinks that 2 hours is a long way to drive to meet up for the day (it would be 2 hours back as well).

I don't think 2 hours is bad if it's only very occasionally and if this is a half way point between us.

Would you drive 2 hours to meet an old friend a couple of times a year? Or AIBU?

I do this once a week. But I drive 2 hours on Sunday and 2 on Monday - not 4 on one day so slightly different.

I agree with several others.. in my view (not necessarily theirs) people in the UK and Ireland are quite peculiar about driving!

The longest I’ve driven to see friends is 9-10 hours, I can’t imagine a friend not driving 2 hours but I know this is very culturally driven (haha).

Not far imo. I often drive 1.5-2 hours to visit attractions so would do it for a friend.

I prefer to leave early and meet 9am ish. Then leave at 3/4 to avoid rush hour and get at a decent time.

I wouldn't want to do it. 4 hours driving (depending on traffic could be longer) on top of a day out is long. I'd rather drive and stay over and then return the next day. That way I can relax more, have a glass of wine etc and travel at less busy times.

I’m quite surprised with how divisive this subject is!
I don’t see a problem with driving 2hrs each way for a day trip!

My uni friends are scattered around the south/midlands, we all have children now, so it’s much harder to sort out a weekend away together like we did in the past. We now meet at a nature park with indoor facilities (in case of bad weather) a few times a year. Our journeys range from 50mins to 2.5 hrs. The person with the longest drive has never complained and is happy to travel that far. We have visited a location nearer to the furthest friend, but we all preferred the other location better.

I have family in rural Oz, a 2hr drive is pretty much the norm for them to get to anywhere- even the “local” town centre for shopping!

I drive two hours each way for work at least half the week sometimes every day so no I don't think it's too far. My limit for day out and for work is three hours each way but I get not everyone likes driving or has kids that travel well so in those circumstances it may well feel too far.

PIL are 2 hours from us and we do it a few times a year. It's really not that far

I think the real point is that your friend wants you to put in all the effort and for her to make minimal herself. For her it is a great arrangement that you travel the four hours there and you have all the bother of the travel and staying overnight, while she just stays at home and waits for you to turn up. Some people just aren't willing to put in any effort themselves.

I don't think it's far, Ive done it a few times, but then I quite like driving.
I'm the sort of person that will drive hours to a different airport to save money on flights ( after checking how much I'll save)..

I agree sonja, which is why I wouldn't bother with her. Invite her to yours to travel and stay over. If she says no she does not want to, then why does she think you would want to?

And we drive 4 hours ea ch way every fortnight to visit a dying relative.

We've just done it. A little far but it was worth it. We also drove 3 1/2 hours to see my mil just for lunch and back.
My Mum for example wouldn't drive as she gets nervous.

I'd say it's borderline. And because travel times are so unpredictable, I probably wouldn't, because what's a 2-hour trip on an incident-free day easily becomes 4 hours as soon as there's a problem on our congested roads.

I regularly used to drive 1.5-2 hours to visit a friend for the day, but wouldn't go to my parents (2.5 hours minimum) without staying overnight. Having said that, the journey to/from my parents took over 5 hours on occasions, so I have good cause (thank you, M1/M25/M23).

The pedant in me feels obliged to point out that 2 hours can't be too far, as hours are a measurement of time, not distance. I get absurdly riled if I ask someone "How far ..." and get an answer that is in units of time. If I wanted to know the duration of a journey, my question would start "How long ...". Sorry!

It's one of the things that makes DP claim I have Asperger's, but he's a twat.

Interesting that some think it's too far, I wonder if those posters have families and friends who all live in the place they grew up.

It's not that, but as I've got older I find that after 2 hours in the car, I need to stop to stretch my legs and (often) have a wee. If we travel in the motorhome, the cab is really roomy and has loads of legroom, so I can happily do 4 hours without a break, and the onboard lav has often been used while we're on the move. Stopping at a services seems to add 15 minutes to a journey, for some reason.

Well just stop after 2 hours. I travelled 4 hours each way in the car yesterday. We stopped after 2 hours each way for a wee and to stretch legs as one of our party gets arthritis and gets stiff after 2 hours and got a coffee. No big deal.

I don't think it's far at all, but I love driving and don't see it as a chore.

I drive DD that distance to some of her sports matches, for a 90 minute match.

I think two hours is too far. I have been driving 10 years but find it a chore, especially on unfamiliar roads. I would get the train for two hours to see a friend though.

What solution have you reached with your friend?

My daily commute is not much less than that and I do that sort if distance for a competition towing a horse trailer.
I did have a friend who wouldn't sign up for an evening class she wanted to do because it was the other side of the not very large town that she lived in, so far too far away - all of a 10 minute drive in the evening🙄

linziepie So you find it a chore. So would you expect a friend to drive 4 hours and stay over because it is too much hassle for you?

I think the 'kids or not' and 'regular driver or not' factors are large in this.

I was perfectly happy to do the 4 hour round trip to meet up with other family members for a pre-Christmas meeting, but other family members with children didn't want to do it.

My commuting drive is an hour each way, and I drive during the working day too - so I'm a confident driver, and quite enjoy driving. Different if you are anxious or unused to driving much.

2 hours is probably a bit 'cuspy' anyway - if I were thinking of visiting somewhere 2 hours away, I'd be looking at an overnight stay to do some more sightseeing to make the most of it, and be able to have a glass of wine. But if the budget didn't allow for that (it didn't at Christmas), then I'd do the drive.

For friends living 2+ hours away, we've usually done alternating overnight stays at eachother's houses.

I wouldn't have thought twice about it back in the day and have indeed done similar, but I have health problems now that mean this would be too much for me to manage in one day.

I drive about once a week and will drive 4 hours at once if I need to. I think this is about how much you want to see a friend. And no way would I pay for a hotel because someone did not want to drive 2 hours there and back in a day. Fine if you are very well off maybe.

The truth is some people are not prepared to make much of an effort for friends.

My family live 2.5 hours away - I find it’s a bit too far to do there and back in 1 day.

We usually stay at least overnight, but we have gone up for the day a couple of times and it’s knackering

Also, depends on the traffic. On a good day we can do it in 2 1/2 hours, one memorable day it took 6!

2 hours each way is an overnight in this household. Can you not meet up halfway?

2 hours is halfway. It is 4 hours.