Miles per day

[MBrawley]

Planning a trip from Minden, Nevada to San Antonio, Tx, Sebring, Fla, Birmingham, Al, Pittsburgh, Pa and back home. 7000+ miles. Web planning tools suggest 100-110 hours of driving. My question, how many miles is comfortable to make in a day. Thinking of 12 days to include pee and meal stops.



Thanks

Mike B

 

[B.G. Smith]

If it was all straight highway with no towns and no construction, no afternoon thundershowers and no rubber neckers you might make it in 110 hours. Plan on about 130 or 140. You can make some pretty good time till you get to Houston, it kinda slows down from there. Roads in Louisiana are rough in places. How far per day depends on a lot of things, your age, how many pit stops you have to make, coffee, etc. About 300 a day wears me down, thats about half as many miles as I used to drive when I was half the age I am now. Main thing is, have fun and be safe, you'll be coming very near where I hang out. bg

 

[Bob Cochran]

Because I am retired and older; 300 miles a day or less works fine. I like to start early and be in a CG around 1:00pm or so. I then go to the local Chamber or Tourist Info. and find out what is interesting in local area. Spend next day to look at what I find then move on the following day. You get surprised on what some small towns have and really interesting too. It would take me longer to do the 7000 miles but I sure get to enjoy the scenery and points of interest. I even stop at roadside monuments to read them!!!!! Don't know your situation but for me this is the only way to go.

 

[Ragain]

Are you doing a lot of wandering around between those cities? I calculate the trip to be around 5100 mi... . Grand Island to San Antonio=909 mi. ; San Antonio to Tampa=1182 mi. ; Tampa to Birmingham=580 mi. ; Birmingham to Pittsburg=1129 mi. ; Pittsburg to Grand Island=1067 mi. ; total= 4867 mi... . Nearly 3000 mi. less than your figure. 3000 mi. @ 13 mpg @ $2. 909 gal = $671. 31 less in fuel costs alone... . enough to eat out sometimes! Ha-Ha!

 

[Ragain]

Aaaagh! Sorry... I just noticed your start/end point as Minden, NV. and not Minden, NE. Please disregard my last post.

 

[JCasper]

You are going to have to drive about 600 miles a day. That is at least 10 hours unless you are making good time.



I would try to shorten your drive distance or lengthen your vacation.



I just did 1,400 miles in a 25 hour period after working a whole day, but I was exhausted and could not of drove again the next day.



Good luck and enjoy your trip.

 

[MMeier]

On my Oklahoma turns, I go 2300 miles in anywhere from 42-49 hours, half empty, half with a stack of trailers behind me.

 

[Spooled-up]

I'm 38 yrs old, and when we drive out to PA from Cincinnati, it takes me about 9 hours with one stop. It's not bad to do in one day, but it would be painful to do that for 10 days straight! I would think about 4-500 in a day would be my max for a trip that long. A lot depends on your passenger(s) too.



What's the purpose of the trip? Just a marathon, or are you out to punish yourself on purpose?

 

[MBrawley]

Actually have a total of 16 days. Figured it would take about 12 to drive. Have to pick some items up in Birmingham and visit with an accountant type in Sebring. Visit sister-in-law in Pittsburg. Trying to talk the wife in to my leaving 3 or so days early and having her fly out to meet me in Birmingham. That way we would have most of the 16 days to brows around that part of the country. At 61 and a half-assed red neck hermit, can't imagine getting back to that part of the country any time soon. Want to add Savannah, Ga to the trip. Now I'm trying to figure out what would be harder, leaving the dog or putting up with his antics and needs on such a trip.



Thanks for the comments.



Mike B

 

[ChadS]

Take the dog.

 

[DMather]

What I have found works wonderfully regardless is I'm riding the motorcycle, driving the car, truck flying the plane, helicopter or spaceship (oops, forgot, I'm not supposed to mention that. ) is to plan on the distance that I KNOW I can comfortably travel repeatedly. By road I usually use 400 miles. Since I don't make any stop arrangements I can then extend that distance if I'm up to it. Sometimes I'm up to 1000 miles before I feel like stopping, other times the 400 is just about right.



I have also found that the trip is much more enjoyable, when I don't have a "gotta get to... by. . " agenda to start my driving day at 7-8am and target 9pm as the end with a 5 minute stop to get the blood flowing every 100 miles. (cost in time for each stop is less than 5 minutes)



And don't forget to avail yourself of the free, on-road entertainment. Set your speed and enjoy the antics of the others on the road! Less stress = longer distances.



Enjoy your trip.

 

[lindseyr]

For me 400 miles a day is real comfortable and that usually takes about 8 hours towing the RV . We regularly do 500 - 550 one day drives to the beach but, then we are not getting up and doing it again the next day . I have done the 600 mile days a few times and the 1st time I ever had the RV out I did 700 . It makes for a real long day . It seems like no matter what speed I travel at the end of the day I only average about 50-55 MPH ,so I figure accordingly .

 

[EricBu12]

I drive truck interstate and do 590 miles everyday for 5 days straight. that is not a vacation, that is work. Even as used to it as I am, it still is hard. I would go with what others here are saying of 3-400 miles a day and enjoy it.



Take the dog... if you are going to be by yourself some of the trip, he makes for good company antics or no.



one thing to watch out for is drowsy driving. a lot of people can't drive more than 5 hours at a time because they are not used to it. it (drowsy driving) can happen even during the day. if it happens, take a 20 min nap, does wonders!. . I know!. . so start about 300 to 400 and if you feel able to on some days, stretch to 500 with breaks inbetween.



Have a safe trip!



Eric. . driver for Fed-Ex

 

[JMetzger]

My wife & I run by the 3x3 rule. 300 miles or 3:00 pm. We are like a lot of people we are on the road by 6:00-6:30. Works well for us.

 

[TFucili]

Pace yourself...if you can

We just moved from NJ to AZ. I had planned to make it a four day trip, not exactly liesurely. I just find it impossible to not keep pushing. We squeezed a couple hours in on the Saturday evening we left just so everyone could get all the boo-hooing out of their system. I like to get on the road as early as possible. This was difficult when traveling with two women and an eight year old. Despite my intentions to take it easy, I ended up getting here in three days. I know some of the hot-shotters on here do more in a day, but I was pretty worn out when we got here, especially since the last portion of the trip through western NM and all through AZ was extremely windy and my tag along parachute... ummm cargo trailer was all over the place. My truck also took a direct hit from a tumbleweed as big as a refrigerator:{ I'm hoping that compounds out.



Sorry for writing a novel. Just try not to put unnecessary time pressure on yourself.

 

[RClark]

Are you married? is she going along? How many pit stops will she have to make?

 

[Nate]

The most "killer" drive I did was from Texas to Maine. 2150 miles and I did that in 3 days

 

[Nate]

The most "killer" drive I did was from Texas to Maine. 2150 miles and I did that in 3 days.



After a while I just get bored, and I have a bad lower back so that starts acting up with too much seat time. I would say 500-600 miles a day would be a decent day of driving.

 

[CUMMINZ]

We made NC to CO & NM 18 months ago and for 2 days we drove 12 hours a day and finished up with about a 1/2 day towing our 5er. I was the only one driving and it was really too much. That was about 600 a day. When we do it again this fall we plan to drive about 9 hours at the most.

 

[ScottLewis]

I've pulled RV's around the country nearly 20 years, a 5th wheel the last 9. When I was working and had to meet schedules, I started at 6 or 7 AM and drove until nearly dark, making stops for fuel and one meal during the day. Now, I'm retired and start driving before 9 and quit nearly always by 4PM. Today I started before 8 and drove 420 miles. Usually I try to keep it at 350 or less. After a couple of days of this, I don't want to do anything but put my feet up when I get to camp. Someone said it depends on your age. It also depends what you're driving and pulling, and on the road and weather. If your objective is enjoyment, don't push too hard.



Dan