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Drive or Fly: Fort Lauderdale, FL to Palm Bay, 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–MLB. At 145 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 53m

Distance

145.6 mi

Total Cost

$67

CO2

59 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$32
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 36m

16m in the air

Air Distance

135 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

34 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fort Lauderdale, FL → FLL 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 16m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
MLB → Palm Bay, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

Fort Lauderdale, FL FLL — Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive
Palm Bay, FL MLB — Melbourne Orlando International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FLL and MLB. 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 18m

4h 9m on rail

Total Cost

$34

CO2

10 kg

Route

Silver Meteor

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fort Lauderdale, FL → Fort Lauderdale Amtrak Station 10m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 249m
Arrival 10m
Kissimmee Amtrak Station → Palm Bay, FL 79m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $34) $34

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

Stations

From Fort Lauderdale Amtrak Station 2 mi, ~10m drive
To Kissimmee Amtrak Station 53 mi, ~79m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~12/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 12 trips per week
− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
− Need transportation to/from station
− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 3m

3h 10m on road

Total Cost

$16

CO2

8 kg

Route

Greyhound US0630

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fort Lauderdale, FL → Ft Lauderdale Broward Park & Ride (FTL6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 190m
Arrival 10m
Melbourne (RaceTrac) (MBN6) → Palm Bay, FL 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $16) $16

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

Stations

From FTL6 — Ft Lauderdale Broward Park & Ride 2 mi, ~10m drive
To MBN6 — Melbourne (RaceTrac) 12 mi, ~18m 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 2h 53m 2h 36m 6h 18m 4h 3m
Total cost (1 person) $67 $125 $34 $16
Carbon footprint 59 kg CO2 34 kg CO2 10 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 15, 2026.

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