Drive or Fly: Fort Lauderdale, FL to Lake Placid, FL?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for FLL–PGD. At 141 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 7m

Distance

141.1 mi

Total Cost

$66

CO2

57 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$31

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

3h 39m

13m in the air

Air Distance

112 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

29 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fort Lauderdale, FL → FLL 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 13m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PGD → Lake Placid, FL 76m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Fort Lauderdale, FL FLL — Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

Lake Placid, FL PGD — Punta Gorda Airport 51 mi, ~76m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FLL and PGD. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

3h 33m

2h 25m on rail

Total Cost

$25

CO2

7 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fort Lauderdale, FL → Fort Lauderdale Amtrak Station 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 145m

Arrival 10m

Sebring Amtrak Station → Lake Placid, FL 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $25) $25

Estimated based on distance. Check amtrak.com for current prices.

Stations

From Fort Lauderdale Amtrak Station 2 mi, ~10m drive

To Sebring Amtrak Station 12 mi, ~18m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~2/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets

+ Walk around freely during the trip

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 2 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 25m

3h 40m on road

Total Cost

$12

CO2

6 kg

Route

Greyhound US0740s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fort Lauderdale, FL → Ft Lauderdale Broward Park & Ride (FTL6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 220m

Arrival 10m

Lake Placid (Wendy's) (LEC6) → Lake Placid, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From FTL6 — Ft Lauderdale Broward Park & Ride 2 mi, ~10m drive

To LEC6 — Lake Placid (Wendy's) 5 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	3h 7m	3h 39m	3h 33m	4h 25m
Total cost (1 person)	$66	$124	$25	$12
Carbon footprint	57 kg CO₂	29 kg CO₂	7 kg CO₂	6 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Transit: Amtrak GTFS, FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 19, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Fort Lauderdale, FL to Lake Placid, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.