Drive or Fly: Coral Springs, FL to Lake Alfred, 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 FLL–LAL. At 198 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 59m

Distance

198.7 mi

Total Cost

$79

CO2

80 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$44

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 11m

19m in the air

Air Distance

154 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

39 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Coral Springs, FL → FLL 23m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 19m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

LAL → Lake Alfred, FL 29m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Coral Springs, FL FLL — Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport 16 mi, ~23m drive

Lake Alfred, FL LAL — Lakeland Linder International Airport 20 mi, ~29m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FLL and LAL. 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

3h 59m

2h 54m on rail

Total Cost

$31

CO2

9 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Coral Springs, FL → Deerfield Beach Amtrak Station 15m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 174m

Arrival 10m

Winter Haven → Lake Alfred, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $31) $31

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

Stations

From Deerfield Beach Amtrak Station 10 mi, ~15m drive

To Winter Haven 6 mi, ~10m 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

6h 33m

5h 40m on road

Total Cost

$18

CO2

9 kg

Route

Greyhound US0740s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Coral Springs, FL → Ft Lauderdale Broward Park & Ride (FTL6) 18m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 340m

Arrival 10m

Winter Haven Transportation Center (WTH6) → Lake Alfred, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $18) $18

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

Stations

From FTL6 — Ft Lauderdale Broward Park & Ride 12 mi, ~18m drive

To WTH6 — Winter Haven Transportation Center 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	3h 59m	3h 11m	3h 59m	6h 33m
Total cost (1 person)	$79	$126	$31	$18
Carbon footprint	80 kg CO₂	39 kg CO₂	9 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 13, 2026.

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