Drive or Fly: Bristol, CT to East Hartford, CT?

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 BDL–BDL. At 23 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

34m

Distance

23.5 mi

Total Cost

$40

CO2

9 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$5

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 53m

2m in the air

Air Distance

19 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

5 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bristol, CT → BDL 34m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 2m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BDL → East Hartford, CT 17m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Bristol, CT BDL — Bradley International Airport 23 mi, ~34m drive

East Hartford, CT BDL — Bradley International Airport 12 mi, ~17m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between BDL and BDL. 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 17m

12m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Amtrak Hartford Line

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bristol, CT → Berlin Amtrak 15m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 12m

Arrival 10m

Hartford Amtrak Station → East Hartford, CT 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

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

Stations

From Berlin Amtrak 10 mi, ~15m drive

To Hartford Amtrak Station 4 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~29/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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 8m

20m on road

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Greyhound US0255s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Bristol, CT → New Britain (Jimmy'S Food Mart #1) (NBI6) 13m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 20m

Arrival 10m

Hartford (Union Station) (HAR6) → East Hartford, CT 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $1) $1

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

Stations

From NBI6 — New Britain (Jimmy'S Food Mart #1) 9 mi, ~13m drive

To HAR6 — Hartford (Union Station) 4 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	34m	2h 53m	1h 17m	1h 8m
Total cost (1 person)	$40	$121	$2	$1
Carbon footprint	9 kg CO₂	5 kg CO₂	1 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, 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 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Bristol, CT to East Hartford, CT with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.