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Drive or Fly: East Naples, FL to Clearwater, 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–PIE. At 169 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 19m

Distance

169.3 mi

Total Cost

$72

CO2

68 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$37
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 10m

17m in the air

Air Distance

141 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

36 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

East Naples, FL → RSW 41m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 17m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
PIE → Clearwater, FL 12m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

East Naples, FL RSW — Southwest Florida International Airport 27 mi, ~41m drive
Clearwater, FL PIE — St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport 8 mi, ~12m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between RSW and PIE. 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

4h 53m

3h on rail

Total Cost

$19

CO2

6 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

East Naples, FL → Fort Myers Amtrak Bus Stop 54m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 180m
Arrival 10m
St. Petersburg → Clearwater, FL 19m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $19) $19

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

Stations

From Fort Myers Amtrak Bus Stop 36 mi, ~54m drive
To St. Petersburg 13 mi, ~19m 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

At a Glance

Drive Fly Train
Door-to-door time 3h 19m 3h 10m 4h 53m
Total cost (1 person) $72 $126 $19
Carbon footprint 68 kg CO2 36 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 — 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.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from East Naples, FL to Clearwater, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.