One appeal of travel nursing is that it feeds the spirit of adventure. Many travelers love the opportunity to live in different parts of the country.

Fly or Drive? A Question for Every Travel Nurse - Answered



 One appeal of travel nursing is that it feeds the spirit of adventure. Many
 travelers love the opportunity to live in different parts of the country.
 After all, sight-seeing is fun, and having the chance to pair that with work
 is a dream come true for many nurses who choose to travel.



 Understandably, one question new travelers often have is: do I drive or do I
 fly to my new assignment?



 We at Cross Country Nurses recently saw the question posed on a popular online
 travel nursing group. Within a couple of days, over 150 travel nurses
 responded to the question, &ldquo;How do you travel across country to
 California, fly or drive?&rdquo;



 We were curious, so we dug in to the answers to gain some more insight for our
 nurses. Some definite trends emerged when we looked closely at the travel
 nurses&rsquo; responses:


How did nurses travel to their destinations?

<ul>
 <li>85% drove</li>
 <li>14% flew</li>
 <li>1% took a train</li>
</ul>


 While not all respondents mentioned how the trip went, of the 38% who did:


<ul>
 <li>78% had a positive response</li>
 <li>23% had a negative response</li>
</ul>


 When we looked into what made it an overall positive experience, we saw
 comments including &ldquo;The road trip was part of the entire travel
 experience&rdquo; and &ldquo;If you fly you miss out on a drive of a lifetime.
 So much to see in this big, beautiful country. Take the opportunity while you
 can!&rdquo; One traveler said, &ldquo;Drive and take your time and hit some
 bucket list stops on your way of course!!! My brother and I did it and we went
 from NC to New Orleans, to San Antonio, to Durango, the Four Corners, up to
 Arches National Park, through Monument Valley, and topped it off with the
 Grand Canyon before he flew home. It was the adventure of a lifetime!&rdquo;
 Other responses fell into these categories:


<ul>
 <li>The great tourist attractions along the way</li>
 <li>A great way to see the U.S.</li>
 <li>The beautiful drive</li>
</ul>


 Some travelers had a negative experience, and we saw responses like, &ldquo;I
 drove and was totally exhausted by the time I got to Cali.&rdquo; Other
 respondents gave these reasons:


<ul>
 <li>Parts were boring</li>
 <li>Too hard to drive</li>
 <li>There was not enough time</li>
</ul>


 Sometimes in life, we want to stop and smell the roses, while other times, we
 just want to head on down the path. The trip to a new destination can be an
 exciting chance to create memories that will last a lifetime. Many respondents
 said that enjoying the journey along the way is why they chose to drive. Here
 are other reasons they made the trip by car or RV:


<blockquote>
 
 To enjoy the journey: &ldquo;The drive is so worth it. Set aside two weeks
 and enjoy the adventure!&rdquo;
 

 
 To transport pets: &ldquo;&hellip;took our dogs. No flying for our 4 paw
 kids.&rdquo;
 

 
 To have a vehicle: &ldquo;I plan on driving around California for a year, so
 I wanted my car.&rdquo;
 

 
 To spend time with a family member: &ldquo;I love the long road trips with
 my husband.&rdquo;
 

 
 To have belongings: &ldquo;I overpack, so I would not be able to afford the
 baggage fees if I flew!&rdquo;
 
</blockquote>


 On the other hand, driving can present challenges &ndash; and hopping on a
 flight might be a simpler solution. The 23% of nurses who chose to fly did so
 for various reasons, mostly to avoid the expense and time commitment. The
 travelers who responded chose to fly because they wanted:


<blockquote>
 
 To save: &ldquo;Fly and ship your car. Saves a ton of time and money.&rdquo;
 

 
 To skip the long drive: &ldquo;&hellip;I no longer have the patience for
 long road trips.&rdquo;
 

 
 To avoid having a vehicle: &ldquo;&hellip;in San Francisco I definitely do
 not need a car.&rdquo;
 
</blockquote>


 Of the nurses who drove, several mentioned that they had company. A parent,
 spouse or even a pet can make the trip easier and lots of fun. One traveler
 said, &ldquo;My husband and I are currently driving from Maine to San Diego
 with our pup and honestly, it&#39;s a blast.&rdquo; Other travelers brought
 their:


<ul>
 <li>Kids</li>
 <li>Pets</li>
 <li>Mom</li>
 <li>Friend</li>
 <li>Spouse</li>
 <li>Sibling</li>
</ul>


 Clearly, for some nurses, it was worth doing over again, as they reported
 having made the repeat trip. Some have taken the trip 2 or 3 times, and one
 respondent said, &ldquo;Every time!&rdquo;



 And when we looked at the length of the trip, we saw a range of answers
 depending on starting location and whether the travelers chose to stop for
 sight-seeing. One traveler said, &ldquo;DRIVE!!! You can see so much along the
 way!!! I took 12 days to go east to west!!! Amazing.&rdquo; Other answers
 ranged from 25 hours to 2 weeks.



 Travelers came from all over the United States &ndash; and Canada. Most were
 from LA, NC, FL, OH, and NY, and a few were from IL, MA, MD, MI, and PA. Other
 states mentioned once were AL, CO, DC, DE, GA, IN, KY, SC, VA, and WI.



 It is interesting to take a closer look into what many travel nurses chose to
 do on their way to a fresh, new assignment in a brand new town. No matter how
 you choose to get there we can help you decide where to plan
 your next travel nursing job. The ideal destination is waiting just
 for you!



 Contact your Cross Country Nurses recruiter at 800.530.6125 to embark on your
 next big adventure.