Drive or Fly: Brunswick, ME to Bridgton, ME?

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 PWM–PWM. At 54 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 26m

Distance

54.2 mi

Total Cost

$47

CO2

22 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$12
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 35m

5m in the air

Air Distance

38 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

10 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Brunswick, ME → PWM 38m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 5m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
PWM → Bridgton, ME 52m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Brunswick, ME PWM — Portland International Jetport 25 mi, ~38m drive
Bridgton, ME PWM — Portland International Jetport 35 mi, ~52m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PWM and PWM. 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 53m

13m on rail

Total Cost

$2

CO2

0 kg

Route

Downeaster

Door-to-Door Timeline

Brunswick, ME → Brunswick Amtrak Station 10m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 13m
Arrival 10m
Freeport Amtrak Station → Bridgton, ME 50m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

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

Stations

From Brunswick Amtrak Station 0 mi, ~10m drive
To Freeport Amtrak Station 33 mi, ~50m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~46/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 34m

5m on road

Total Cost

$0

CO2

0 kg

Route

Greyhound US0265s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Brunswick, ME → Lewiston (Bates Coll) (BTS6) 27m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 5m
Arrival 10m
Lewiston Bus Stop (LEW6) → Bridgton, ME 37m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $0) $0

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

Stations

From BTS6 — Lewiston (Bates Coll) 18 mi, ~27m drive
To LEW6 — Lewiston Bus Stop 25 mi, ~37m 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 1h 26m 3h 35m 1h 53m 1h 34m
Total cost (1 person) $47 $122 $2 $0
Carbon footprint 22 kg CO2 10 kg CO2 0 kg CO2 0 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Brunswick, ME to Bridgton, ME with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.