How many miles per day?

[Goin 4 Broke]

We are planning our trip to the north west next summer/fall and are wondering how many miles per day we should drive. What have you all done? My longest one day drive so far this year has been 450. I figure going from Chicago to Seattle I need to average considerably more or else my two week vacation will be spent driving every day!

It it unreasonable to aim for 600 in a day?

[onekla]

Oh heck no, drive whatever feels right for you. We still work full-time and we usually drive pretty long days (sometimes up to 600 miles) to get to our destination and then chill out the day after we arrive. We'll do one long day and then try to make the second day shorter. Some folks that don't have time constraints do the 3-3-3 routine (300 miles, in the RV park by 3:00 p.m. and stay 3 days). Someone will correct me if that's not right. Someday that might work for us. Safe and happy travels!

[twindman]

Back in my youth , when I was only about 60, I drove about 1750 miles in 4 1/2 days. Now I like to driver about 250-300 miles to arrive around 3 pm and rest a little and then eat dinner.
I must be getting old....

[mlh]

When I go west with friends we go to Laramie Wy, over 1700 miles get 2 good nights sleep and do it in under 24 hours. When I'm with my wife 500 miles and the next trip we go on it will be less than that. 600 miles a day for 2 days no problem. With only 2 weeks it's hard to justify 300 miles a day.
Lynwood
Just noticed a BIG mistake 48 hours not 24.

[jcurtis934]

For me it is too much. I tow at 60-63 mph and can't see getting up in the dark to drive or trying to park monte in the dark. But I see quite a few arriving very late at the campgrounds. Two weeks can't make a dent in washington state, let alone the pacific northwest. What you need is someone to tow the montana out and leave it in the park of your choice... that way you can fly out, enjoy the immediate area, and then tow it back yourself. John

[bigred715]

We are retired, so 250-350 per day is just right at 60-62 mph. I understand the time constraint and once you retire you can really relax and take your time. Its not as relaxing as driving a car and is more stressful as you have more to be concerned about.

[1retired06]

For us, travel is part of the fun. We like to pull out 9 or so, and pull in to a site around 1400 and relax. Got into that over six years of full timing, where every night is a site cost so no hurry. Of course we are retired normally without a tight schedule.

[BB_TX]

I look at it more in time than miles. Obviously you are going to travel more miles in an hour on an interstate than you will on a two lane highway thru towns with lower speed limits and traffic lights. On the interstate you may average 55-60 mph factoring in stops for fuel, food, and rest, even though you are traveling at 65-70 while moving. On a secondary highway you may average less than 50 mph.

I may go 10-11 hours in a day, but not likely two days in a row. And certainly not three days in a row. Just takes the fun out of it for me.

[Dam Worker]

I have drove from Las Vegas to Monida Pass on the Montana/Idaho border in one day with wife and two kids. Long day but not terrible. Depends on traffic, type of road and amount of time available, that is what dictates how far I drive in a day. Do what you can do safely without adding stress or unhappyness as your on vacation :-). Two weeks for the northwest could easily be spent in driveing time, let alone getting here from the Midwest. The only reason I say that is there is so much to see and do and if you are driving you only see a small amount of it. I understand you have to try and do what you want with the time you have. Good luck and enjoy what the northwest has to offer.

Tom Marty

[Phil P]

Hi

It depends on what we are doing.

If it is a consulting job where I am paid based on the cost of air travel and Per Diem we have done Palm Beach Florida to Lincoln Nebraska in 48 houses with a short night stop in a truck stop.

When we are traveling for pleasure we generally don’t look at mileage. We leave the night stop at our leisure and want to be setup in the next stop at least 2 hours before sunset. Sometimes this is 350 miles sometimes it is only 200 miles. When traveling for pleasure we generally don’t have a schedule and just get on the internet from the truck and find the closest RV Park. This sometime makes for quite an adventure.

Phil P

[DQDick]

We try for shorter runs, but have done 400 miles in a day.

[Bill and Jan]

We use the 2, 2, 2, 2, rule but we don't even put that many miles on. (No more than 200 miles, parked by 2 pm, stay 2 days and I added no more than 2 sights to see in a day. Your day will come when you retire.

[Recumbent]

We use a 3 to 4 rule of thumb, 3 to 4 hundred miles or 3 to 4 pm which every comes first, your milage may vary. Enjoy the journey, your time will come.

[cdaniels]

We still have time restraints in the winter, no time restraints in the summer. Either way we like to travel about 8-9 hrs we are always excited to get where we are going. We have tried driving 4 hrs a day and for us just to slow. Its whatever works for u! We do not however drive 9 hrs day after day.

[waynemoore]

For us it's 300 to 350 per day. Have done 550 but to old for that now. Be very carful As one can get very tired driving that long. The best you can average is 50 miles per hour so that's at least12 hours driving. Not bad the first day but the second and third days are going to be a bitch. May want to think do I really have to go to Seattle? Is there a closer fun place to vacation?

[WaltBennett]

I have done up to 550, but then need a down day - that's at 71 & having to sit on a cushion with a back belt. Depending on traffic, I'll keep it from 60 to 65 mph, and one to one and a half hour stints. I also like to have set up time during daylight (unless just overnighting at a Walmart or truck stop). Since we're traveling to see things, we sometimes go off route & sight see. All in all, I've found I can do around 300 per day for several days in a row, but then the dogs get fed up & need a day sitting.

[PatnRich]

Our first winter away we went from Massachusetts to Mission TX, just over 2200 miles, in five days straight...never again. We prefer 300-350 miles in a day.

[tomNtrisha]

In my opinion you need to wait till you have three weeks vacation

[PackerFan]

We usually just drive as long as we feel like but always try to find a place to stop for the night around 3 PM so we aren't setting up in the dark.

TomNTrisha: you guys are getting to old and slow!!

[davidaf]

I get really sick of driving after 400 miles. My worst Idea yet was CA to IA. Wake, drive, work, drive, sleep repeat. Sounded like a good idea when I started. Exhausting.