Drive or Fly: Lake Charles, LA to New Roads, LA?

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 LCH–BTR. At 126 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 39m

Distance

126.4 mi

Total Cost

$63

CO2

51 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$28

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

2h 54m

13m in the air

Air Distance

111 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

28 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lake Charles, LA → LCH 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 13m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BTR → New Roads, LA 31m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Lake Charles, LA LCH — Lake Charles Regional Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

New Roads, LA BTR — Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport 21 mi, ~31m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LCH and BTR. 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 44m

1h 43m on rail

Total Cost

$14

CO2

4 kg

Route

Sunset Limited

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lake Charles, LA → Lake Charles 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 103m

Arrival 10m

Lafayette Amtrak Station → New Roads, LA 71m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $14) $14

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

Stations

From Lake Charles 2 mi, ~10m drive

To Lafayette Amtrak Station 48 mi, ~71m 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

3h 5m

1h 55m on road

Total Cost

$13

CO2

7 kg

Route

FlixBus 2211

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lake Charles, LA → Lake Charles (City Point) (2LS) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 115m

Arrival 10m

Baton Rouge Bus Station (BTR6) → New Roads, LA 35m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $13) $13

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

Stations

From 2LS — Lake Charles (City Point) 1 mi, ~10m drive

To BTR6 — Baton Rouge Bus Station 23 mi, ~35m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~14/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

− 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	2h 39m	2h 54m	3h 44m	3h 5m
Total cost (1 person)	$63	$124	$14	$13
Carbon footprint	51 kg CO₂	28 kg CO₂	4 kg CO₂	7 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

126.4 mi 2h 39m

via US 190, US 165, I 10; US 90

Alternative (+6 min)

132.7 mi 2h 45m

via I 10; US 90, LA 76, LA 78

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Lake Charles, LA to New Roads, LA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.