Is it better to travel by car or plane? Pros and cons analysis

How is it best to move? By car or plane? The great summer holiday dilemma that divides millions of travellers. Each of the two modes has its pros and cons. Both choices may be the most suitable solution depending on the time we have available and, obviously, the destination. But there are some objective observations we can make.

Let's assume we have chosen to spend 3 days in Stockholm, the idea of ​​using the car is not even to be taken into consideration for obvious reasons. But only with just a few more days available, the music changes instead.

The advantages of traveling by plane

Traveling by plane offers various advantages compared to the car, especially for those looking for a quick solution. First, the aircraft allows us to cover long distances in significantly shorter times. This saves precious hours, especially for travelers who don't want to miss even the most unknown museum in the city they are about to visit. Additionally, airline flights usually offer elements of comfort, especially on long journeys. Airlines usually provide services such as in-flight meals, entertainment and the ability to move around during the trip. Aspects make traveling less stressful than prolonged driving.

But it's fair to say that these pluses are increasingly disappearing in the sector, due to low cost airlines, which now, in addition to less leg space, are even removing meals even for very long flights (even those over 12 hours)

Security is a plus. Statistics show that flying is one of the safest means of transport in the world, with significantly fewer accidents than cars.
Finally, traveling by plane is often cheap for long journeys. With the offers of low-cost airlines, it is possible to find tickets at advantageous prices that exceed the costs of fuel and motorway tolls.

The advantages of traveling by car

With a trip by car, for example, we could spend our holidays traveling between the most disparate places and the most enchanting regions, staying in different places from time to time. Furthermore there is no risk of flight cancellation, which may lead to cancellation of the entire trip in case of connecting flights.

It also fails the intermediary's risk, very often airline tickets only cost less if purchased through third-party portals. The problem is that with saving you also sacrifice a series of protections, including refund in case of problems.

Greater versatility when traveling by car

Traveling by car there is no limitation for luggage, in addition to this we have the possibility of taking off-route trips, and a certain freedom of improvisation. Certainly very convenient elements, given that we are not bound by flight times, their delays and the necessary advance checks (the famous "2 hours before the flight").

With the freedom of car travel we have the ability to plan an infinite number of different itineraries, and this is because different criteria can be used to create our route, such as the possibility of moving within a geographical or cultural region. Another could be to visit a certain type of attractions, such as the most beautiful natural parks in the Apennines. In short, we can go crazy with very few practical limits.

A small itinerary in Southern Italy to do by car

A very interesting itinerary, not only for those who love history and architecture, is the one that has among its destinations the cities of Southern Italy of Greek origin. It was precisely in the south of our peninsula that the civilization known as Magna Graecia developed, a flourishing civilization that left a legacy of some masterpieces of classical art. Among the main cities there are obviously Agrigento, in the Valley of the Temples, with its famous Temple of Olympian Zeus, and SIRACUSA, while moving around the peninsula we find some equally important sites, such as the temples of Paestum south of Napoli.

The origins of the Campania capital also date back to the times of Greek colonization in southern Italy: first Partenope, then Neapolis, this city, in addition to Hellenic art, offers an exceptional stratification of civilizations and cultures, which have settled over the centuries. From Magna Graecia to the Bourbon domination, passing through the remains of the Roman Empire, Naples could be the perfect final stop for this short itinerary, which can take place in a few days, or expand at will depending on the possibilities. An itinerary that has no constraints, traveling by car you are not tied to plane timetables and, above all, public transport which is unfortunately completely absent in certain areas of southern Italy.

The small challenges of those traveling by car

Those who choose to travel by car must be prepared to overcome some small logistical challenges, during which, however, you will be able to rely heavily on many web 2.0 and 3.0 services. With i navigators, for example, it is easy to plan the shortest route and possible alternative routes, but also to estimate the overall mileage, the minor congestion and real-time traffic conditions.

The problem of parking cars on holiday

One of the most feared difficulties for those traveling by car is that of the parking space once you reach your destination, given that it is not always easy to find parking, especially in unfamiliar areas. Increased traffic in tourist cities is often testing their ability to handle arriving vehicles, and this can lead to greater difficulties in finding parking. If we see Naples itself, with the increase in tourism traffic has increased significantly on roads which, unfortunately, are already famous for their high volume of traffic. For this reason it is very important plan ahead even this detail which is certainly not marginal, even if many underestimate it. But digital helps us on this too. The best thing to do, in fact, is to book your parking space in advance, so as to avoid long and stressful waits in city traffic.

There are various tools for this purpose, one of the most widespread is for example Parclick, an app with which you can select a parking space among many available throughout Europe, paying directly online. For example, if we need parking near Naples airport, it will be enough download the Parclick app or go to the website page Capodichino car park, choose the arrival and departure dates and finally pay directly from the site or app.

Traveling by car is a way to fuel our creativity, but obviously, as we have seen takes longer both in the implementation phase and for its execution. But the freedom that can be experienced by choosing to travel in this way, and the absence of worries about delays and cancellations, certainly play in favor of the car compared to the plane.