Drive or Fly: Fort Lauderdale, FL to Merritt Island, 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–MLB. At 188 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 45m

Distance

188.2 mi

Total Cost

$77

CO2

76 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$42

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 15m

20m in the air

Air Distance

170 mi

Total Cost

$127

CO2

43 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fort Lauderdale, FL → FLL 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 20m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MLB → Merritt Island, FL 45m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127

Airports

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

Merritt Island, FL MLB — Melbourne Orlando International Airport 30 mi, ~45m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FLL and MLB. 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

6h 58m

5h 6m on rail

Total Cost

$37

CO2

11 kg

Route

Silver Meteor

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fort Lauderdale, FL → Fort Lauderdale Amtrak Station 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 306m

Arrival 10m

Winter Park Amtrak Station → Merritt Island, FL 62m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $37) $37

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

Stations

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

To Winter Park Amtrak Station 41 mi, ~62m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~12/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 12 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

6h 6m

5h 15m on road

Total Cost

$19

CO2

10 kg

Route

Greyhound US0710s

Door-to-Door Timeline

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

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 315m

Arrival 10m

Titusville (Sunshine Chevron) (TTL6) → Merritt Island, FL 16m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $19) $19

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

Stations

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

To TTL6 — Titusville (Sunshine Chevron) 11 mi, ~16m 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 45m	3h 15m	6h 58m	6h 6m
Total cost (1 person)	$77	$127	$37	$19
Carbon footprint	76 kg CO₂	43 kg CO₂	11 kg CO₂	10 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.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

188.2 mi 3h 45m

via Florida's Turnpike, I 95, FL 3

Alternative (+1 min)

194.7 mi 3h 46m

via I 95, FL 3, SR 3

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