Flying south for a vacation too expensive? Try driving.

Flying south for a vacation isn’t getting any cheaper, but driving there has its own hassles — and rewards

Four people crammed in a car with luggage on a 24-hour drive doesn’t sound like a price worth paying until you discover what it would cost to fly that quartet. Winter vacation planning starts as early as the summer for some Canadians and they are likely finding that airfares are sky high. How high? One friend, almost sheepishly, told me he has to drive to afford a family trip over the winter.

A family of four could spend $5,000 with a major airline for a round trip flight between Toronto and Florida over the holiday season, not including “extras” such as luggage or a reserved seat. Discount airlines will drive that price under $4,000. Calgary to Phoenix is in about the same price range. Vancouver to Honolulu? Thankfully, house prices are at record levels in British Columbia because you’ll need to refinance your home for that trip since it’s more than $8,000 during the peak season.

Alternatively, you could take your children out of school early and have them return late to save a few bucks. Even flying out of the United States is not much of an option, because the loonie has lost so much ground to the greenback lately. A Torontobased family trip to Florida via Buffalo would be close to US$2,800. Keith Silverberg, president at Torontobased Suntastic Corporate Travel, said some consumers are still going to the U.S. and seeking out smaller airports. “There are some crazy options and crazy times and I’m not saying it’s a quality flight,” he said. “People are thinking twice before travelling to the U.S. (to fly) because of the dollar.”

Despite everything, Silverberg hasn’t seen a huge jump in the number of clients telling him that they are going to avoid planes and get into the car. That’s despite falling gas prices, albeit slightly in some locations, that make a trip by car all the cheaper. Meanwhile, the airlines have taken advantage of lower fuel costs to fatten their margins as opposed to lowering fares.

The hellish car trip from Toronto to Miami and back would encompass 4,800 kilometres and necessitate at least two overnight stays in a hotel room. I estimate my SUV would use up about $350 in gas to and from Florida. Throw in another $350 for depreciation of the vehicle and service, and $100 for a hotel room, something semiclassy, each way, and that adds up to $900. Let’s not forget that if you drive, you won’t need a rental car to get around your destination, easily saving $350 a week during the peak holiday season.

The downside? You lose a day or two of vacation, but the comparative time loss is narrowing based on the increasing security lines at the airport these days. Then there’s the weather. Driving is always riskier than flying and winter just ups the odds.

But with those types of savings, maybe you should think twice about flying south this winter.

ONE FRIEND, ALMOST SHEEPISHLY, TOLD ME HE HAS TO DRIVE TO AFFORD A FAMILY TRIP OVER THE WINTER