How Far Should I Travel to Date Someone?

Nick Slade

Written by: Nick Slade

Nick Slade

Nick spent 20 years in the dating scene before marriage. He has always been the guy friends would come to for advice on relationships, and he developed a knack for giving helpful insights. After college, Nick was a disc jockey for a few years, when the love generation was still alive, so Nick has a lot of relevant experience to draw from when it comes to every aspect of dating, falling in love and screwing things up. He holds Bachelor's degree in humanities and a slew of master’s credits in journalism. Nick is a news junkie and tries to keep up on the latest non-fiction when he has time. He has published two books on how to win at dating and relationships.

Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

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Nothing stifles a relationship like distance. The farther away she is, the less often you will get together. Sure, some long-distance relationships work, but those usually begin close, and then something arises that causes one of them to move away.

The conventional wisdom is, the closer the better. There is probably a girl on every populated square mile of the planet that you could fall in love with, so why drive all night for a date? Online, set your search first for “within five miles” and gradually work your way out, if you have to. Your best odds of success are with a girl who lives within 20 minutes of you.

Maybe you’re a man-about-town and enjoy frequenting clubs and restaurants in all parts of the city and suburbs. If that’s your lifestyle and you can afford the gas, then that’s not a problem. Date a girl an hour away. But don’t expect her to come to your side of town very often. The other drawback is that when you drive a long way to pick her up, it’s not so convenient  to bring her back to your side of town for the date — and then back home again later.

There may be occasions when you want to move your dating scene out of your neighborhood — maybe you had a bad breakup and your ex is always at the local hot spots. So expand your dating zone to what suits your needs and comfort level. But the most common reason for dating someone farther away is not for a relationship but for infidelity. Make sure that’s not her game if she finds you online.

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