I prefer to be able to read a book or use my laptop than drive, but I'd rather spend those extra 4 hours with my family. If it was 6 hours instead of 8, it wou

I prefer to be able to read a book or use my laptop than drive, but I'd rather spend those extra 4 hours with my family. If it was 6 hours instead of 8, it would be more worth it. But 8 hours is essentially an entire day of travel. I could drive home, visit, and drive back in the same day if I wanted to. And it's not just the elapsed time, either. I have to be at the train station at a specific time (preferably having purchased the ticket in advance), and then need to do the same thing for the return trip. I have to pack everything I want to bring in baggage and make sure not to lose anything. With a car, I can decide to go home and be there 5 hours later with no other planning at all. A few changes of clothes may already be packed inside. Not to mention that when I get to the destination, I'm stranded and dependent on people, because there's essentially no public transit where my family lives. Believe me, I am not a car person. I avoid driving whenever possible, the bicycle I bought a few weeks ago already one of the best purchases I've ever made. But for me, it's worth having a car, and I often choose to use it.