Drive or Fly: Chatham, MA to Newton, MA?

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 HYA–BED. At 96 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 45m

Distance

96.3 mi

Total Cost

$56

CO2

39 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$21

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 49m

9m in the air

Air Distance

79 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

20 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Chatham, MA → HYA 25m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 9m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BED → Newton, MA 15m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Chatham, MA HYA — Cape Cod Gateway Airport 17 mi, ~25m drive

Newton, MA BED — Laurence G Hanscom Field 10 mi, ~15m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between HYA and BED. 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 52m

12m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

6 kg

Route

Acela

Door-to-Door Timeline

Chatham, MA → Route 128 Amtrak Station 30m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 12m

Arrival 10m

Boston → Newton, MA 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

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

Stations

From Route 128 Amtrak Station 0 mi, ~30m drive

To Boston 0 mi, ~30m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~50/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 45m

20m on road

Total Cost

CO2

6 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Chatham, MA → Boston (South Station) (BOS6) 30m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 20m

Arrival 10m

Brookline (6BI) → Newton, MA 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $0) $0

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

Stations

From BOS6 — Boston (South Station) 0 mi, ~30m drive

To 6BI — Brookline 0 mi, ~30m 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 45m	2h 49m	1h 52m	1h 45m
Total cost (1 person)	$56	$123	$2	$0
Carbon footprint	39 kg CO₂	20 kg CO₂	6 kg CO₂	6 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 Chatham, MA to Newton, MA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.