Drive or Fly: Cape Coral, FL to Laurel, FL?

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 RSW–SRQ. At 67 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 30m

Distance

67.6 mi

Total Cost

$50

CO2

27 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$15

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 51m

6m in the air

Air Distance

51 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

13 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cape Coral, FL → RSW 18m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 6m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

SRQ → Laurel, FL 27m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Cape Coral, FL RSW — Southwest Florida International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

Laurel, FL SRQ — Sarasota Bradenton International Airport 18 mi, ~27m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between RSW and SRQ. 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 57m

1h 40m on rail

Total Cost

$12

CO2

4 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cape Coral, FL → Fort Myers Amtrak Bus Stop 17m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 100m

Arrival 10m

Sarasota Amtrak Bus Stop → Laurel, FL 20m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From Fort Myers Amtrak Bus Stop 11 mi, ~17m drive

To Sarasota Amtrak Bus Stop 13 mi, ~20m 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

1h 51m

1h 5m on road

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

FlixBus 2421

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cape Coral, FL → Fort Myers Bus Stop (FTM6) 11m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 65m

Arrival 10m

Venice (FL) (4VC) → Laurel, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From FTM6 — Fort Myers Bus Stop 7 mi, ~11m drive

To 4VC — Venice (FL) 5 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	1h 30m	2h 51m	2h 57m	1h 51m
Total cost (1 person)	$50	$122	$12	$5
Carbon footprint	27 kg CO₂	13 kg CO₂	4 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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

67.6 mi 1h 30m

via I 75, CR 867A, US 41

Alternative (+2 min)

69.6 mi 1h 33m

via I 75, CR 765, CR 884

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Cape Coral, FL to Laurel, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.