Drive or Fly: Camden, ME to South Portland Gardens, 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 RKD–PWM. At 84 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 41m

Distance

84.7 mi

Total Cost

$54

CO2

34 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$19

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 35m

9m in the air

Air Distance

74 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

19 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Camden, ME → RKD 16m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 9m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PWM → South Portland Gardens, ME 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Camden, ME RKD — Knox County Regional Airport 11 mi, ~16m drive

South Portland Gardens, ME PWM — Portland International Jetport 1 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between RKD 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

2h 47m

43m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Downeaster

Door-to-Door Timeline

Camden, ME → Brunswick Amtrak Station 74m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 43m

Arrival 10m

Portland → South Portland Gardens, ME 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From Brunswick Amtrak Station 49 mi, ~74m drive

To Portland 2 mi, ~10m 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

2h 37m

1h 5m on road

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

FlixBus N2615

Door-to-Door Timeline

Camden, ME → Augusta (Concord Coach Lines) (UGU6) 57m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 65m

Arrival 10m

City of Portland (PVT6) → South Portland Gardens, ME 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $6) $6

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

Stations

From UGU6 — Augusta (Concord Coach Lines) 38 mi, ~57m drive

To PVT6 — City of Portland 2 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~5/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 5 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	1h 41m	2h 35m	2h 47m	2h 37m
Total cost (1 person)	$54	$123	$5	$6
Carbon footprint	34 kg CO₂	19 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂	3 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 Camden, ME to South Portland Gardens, ME with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.