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Drive or Fly: Cocoa Beach, FL to Fort Lauderdale, 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 MLB–FLL. At 173 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 26m

Distance

173.4 mi

Total Cost

$73

CO2

70 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$38
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 52m

19m in the air

Air Distance

155 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

39 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cocoa Beach, FL → MLB 23m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 19m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
FLL → Fort Lauderdale, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Cocoa Beach, FL MLB — Melbourne Orlando International Airport 15 mi, ~23m drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL FLL — Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MLB and FLL. 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

6h 28m

4h 25m on rail

Total Cost

$34

CO2

10 kg

Route

Silver Meteor

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cocoa Beach, FL → Kissimmee Amtrak Station 73m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 265m
Arrival 10m
Fort Lauderdale Amtrak Station → Fort Lauderdale, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $34) $34

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

Stations

From Kissimmee Amtrak Station 48 mi, ~73m drive
To Fort Lauderdale Amtrak Station 2 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~8/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 8 trips per week
− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
− Need transportation to/from station
− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

5h 47m

5h on road

Total Cost

$17

CO2

9 kg

Route

Greyhound US0710s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Cocoa Beach, FL → Rockledge (Mobil) (RKD6) 12m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 300m
Arrival 10m
Ft Lauderdale Broward Park & Ride (FTL6) → Fort Lauderdale, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $17) $17

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

Stations

From RKD6 — Rockledge (Mobil) 8 mi, ~12m drive
To FTL6 — Ft Lauderdale Broward Park & Ride 2 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 3h 26m 2h 52m 6h 28m 5h 47m
Total cost (1 person) $73 $126 $34 $17
Carbon footprint 70 kg CO2 39 kg CO2 10 kg CO2 9 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 15, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Cocoa Beach, FL to Fort Lauderdale, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.