Drive or Fly: Ettrick, WI to Milwaukee, WI?

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 LSE–MKE. At 218 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

4h 18m

Distance

218.1 mi

Total Cost

$83

CO2

88 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$48
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 2m

22m in the air

Air Distance

185 mi

Total Cost

$182

CO2

47 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Ettrick, WI → LSE 30m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 22m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
MKE → Milwaukee, WI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Ettrick, WI LSE — La Crosse Regional Airport 20 mi, ~30m drive
Milwaukee, WI MKE — General Mitchell International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LSE and MKE. 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
May need a rental car at destination
Luggage fees and restrictions
Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

5h 16m

3h 56m on rail

Total Cost

$40

CO2

12 kg

Route

Empire Builder

Door-to-Door Timeline

Ettrick, WI → Winona 30m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 236m
Arrival 10m
Milwaukee → Milwaukee, WI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $40) $40

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

Stations

From Winona 20 mi, ~30m drive
To Milwaukee 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~4/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 4 trips per week
Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 19m

2h 45m on road

Total Cost

$16

CO2

8 kg

Route

Greyhound US0150

Door-to-Door Timeline

Ettrick, WI → Tomah (McDonald's) (TOM6) 59m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 165m
Arrival 10m
Milwaukee Intermodal Station (MKE6) → Milwaukee, WI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $16) $16

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

Stations

From TOM6 — Tomah (McDonald's) 39 mi, ~59m drive
To MKE6 — Milwaukee Intermodal Station 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~14/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
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 4h 18m 3h 2m 5h 16m 4h 19m
Total cost (1 person) $83 $182 $40 $16
Carbon footprint 88 kg CO2 47 kg CO2 12 kg CO2 8 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 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Ettrick, WI to Milwaukee, WI with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.