I have a pretty good example. My wife is from northeast of Philadelphia (Bucks County), which is a little less than 450 miles from where we live in Raleigh. We use air, car, and rail to get there.
Car: Oh, I-95, I hate you. Stop for gas and food in Virginia and a second stop for the restroom (I have to go more than she does, or she’s a good liar). At least 7.5-8 hours at 65-75 mph with stops and likely traffic congestion. Add $40 if you get caught by a Maryland work zone speed camera.
Pros: Origin to destination, no baggage restrictions, cheapest
Cons: I-95, fatigue, traffic, tolls, I-95
Air: US Airways offers direct flights from RDU to PHL that take around 1.5 hour. We’re about ten minutes from the airport, and we’re usually through security in 20 minutes tops, but still get there about 1.5 hour early. She/we then take SEPTA from PHL to Bucks County, which is around 1 hr 20 min. Sometimes we’ll miss the train by a few minutes and have to wait half an hour at the airport, and have to transfer downtown if it’s an afternoon train. The SEPTA station is about ten minutes from her parents’ house, and they pick us up. Altogether, 4.5-5 hours.
Pros: Fastest
Cons: Most Expensive, subject to delays
Rail: We’re around 15 minutes from either Cary or Raleigh stations with daylight service from both the Carolinian and Silver Star. With the northern segment of the former SAL line abandoned, Amtrak follows the NCRR southeast from Raleigh to Selma before turning northeast on the CSX A line, adding a lot of mileage and time. The trip is scheduled at 9 hours and 15 minutes. The in-laws are closer to Trenton than Philadelphia, so they cross the river and pick us up there for an additional 20 minutes of trip time. We have experienced delays before, but have made up time north and southbound and arrived within 30 minutes of schedule.
Pros: Stretch, look out the window
Cons: Longest trip, almost as