what makes it a road trip?

[Cheesypuff]

so my friend and were talking about road trips...and we want to know what constitutes a trip being a road trip or a long drive.



ready...


discuss

[kgsilvas]

I think the difference starts with the participants' intent. If you're driving to point B and don't have anything planned prior to getting from A to B, then that's just a long drive.

To me the connotation of a road trip is to have fun while traveling. It typically involves a few days and there is much fun planned and had along the way.

Long drives suck, road trips rock!

[ShawnLee]

Discuss? Are you a little verklempt right now?

I'd say that it works on two things.
1) like kgsilvas said, intent is key. But I disagree on the type of intent. I don't think you need to have anything planned in between, but you do have to be in a mindset that you're going to enjoy the trip.
2) Length. If it's less that 150 miles, it's not a road trip. And that's the absolute shortest I could call it objectively. I'd even argue 250 miles, but some might disagree. Me? Generally, I'd say it has to be around 400 or more, basically, at least the drive from LA to San Francisco, and definitely longer than LA to Las Vegas.

While I've had enjoyable "long drives" too, I'd generally agree. Long drives suck and road trips rock. The Vegas drive, I guess, depends on how much traffic there is.

[Napoleon54]

I think for me the thing which defines a road trip is a freedom from obligations and a sense of adventure. Kind of open-ended. You might (or usually) have a destination in mind, but how you go about getting there and what you do along the way are up for grabs. A road trip isn't routine, like you can't go to the same destination and do the same stuff in between A and B every summer and still call it a road trip. There has to be some spontaneous aspect to it.

A trip to attend a business conference is not a road trip. But such a trip could become a road trip if you can take some extra time to explore and have fun and this becomes a major part of the voyage. When I think of a road trip I usually think of an overnight or longer trip, but a short road trip could be done within a single day IMHO. Also IMHO road trips can be done solo or with a group.

UrbanDictionary has several interesting definitions for "road trip" but few were pertinent to your question (i.e. didn't fit the context in which the term was used), and several were just wholly inappropriate for posting here. But, as urbandictionary always is, it was amusing to read.

[Prngr44]

Hrm. My wife and I hop on a motorcycle, she picks a direction, and we just go driving until we find a new place to eat. I consider those road trips of sorts 'cause we really have no idea where we're going and the only point is to have fun.

[Jeffbx]

It's a road trip if you have to stock up on snacks before you get going.

[yippiekiyeh]

In road trips, it's the travelling that makes it the adventure. A long drive, is a distance from A to B. That's how I see it!

[renovation]

If it takes more then a hour to get there that to me is a road trip!
Ii do a lot of road travel and a lot of times its from Michigan to Clearwater, Florida or other parts of the country. Now these i call ROAD TRIPS because by the time you arrive you need a vacation.

[Cheesypuff]

If it takes more then a hour to get there that to me is a road trip!
Ii do a lot of road travel and a lot of times its from Michigan to Clearwater, Florida or other parts of the country. Now these i call ROAD TRIPS because by the time you arrive you need a vacation.

if it takes more than an hour for it to be considered a road trip...then people in LA take 5 mile roadtrips all the time

[kgsilvas]

I thought that was just a regular LA commute!