Drive or Fly: Brick, NJ to Menlo Park, NJ?

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 TTN–EWR. At 45 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

57m

Distance

45.1 mi

Total Cost

$45

CO2

18 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$10

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 20m

4m in the air

Air Distance

37 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

9 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Brick, NJ → TTN 58m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 4m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

EWR → Menlo Park, NJ 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Brick, NJ TTN — Trenton Mercer Airport 39 mi, ~58m drive

Menlo Park, NJ EWR — Newark Liberty International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between TTN and EWR. 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

1h 58m

21m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Northeast Regional

Door-to-Door Timeline

Brick, NJ → Princeton Junction Amtrak Station 47m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 21m

Arrival 10m

Metropark Amtrak Station → Menlo Park, NJ 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From Princeton Junction Amtrak Station 31 mi, ~47m drive

To Metropark Amtrak Station 0 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~36/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

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train
Door-to-door time	57m	3h 20m	1h 58m
Total cost (1 person)	$45	$121	$5
Carbon footprint	18 kg CO₂	9 kg CO₂	1 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 — 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Brick, NJ to Menlo Park, NJ with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.