Drive or Fly: Hialeah, FL to Saint Augustine, 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 OPF–UST. At 304 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

5h 48m

Distance

304.1 mi

Total Cost

$103

CO2

123 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$68
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 54m

34m in the air

Air Distance

286 mi

Total Cost

$186

CO2

73 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Hialeah, FL → OPF 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 34m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
UST → Saint Augustine, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $131) $131
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Hialeah, FL OPF — Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport 3 mi, ~10m drive
Saint Augustine, FL UST — Northeast Florida Regional Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OPF and UST. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Saves about 2h 54m compared to driving
+ 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

8h 51m

7h 22m on rail

Total Cost

$55

CO2

16 kg

Route

Silver Meteor

Door-to-Door Timeline

Hialeah, FL → Miami Amtrak Station 10m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 442m
Arrival 10m
Palatka Amtrak → Saint Augustine, FL 39m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $55) $55

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

Stations

From Miami Amtrak Station 1 mi, ~10m drive
To Palatka Amtrak 26 mi, ~39m 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

8h 30m

7h 10m on road

Total Cost

$29

CO2

15 kg

Route

FlixBus 2431

Door-to-Door Timeline

Hialeah, FL → Miami Intermodal Center (MID6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 430m
Arrival 10m
Palm Coast Bus Stop (PLM6) → Saint Augustine, FL 45m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $29) $29

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

Stations

From MID6 — Miami Intermodal Center 4 mi, ~10m drive
To PLM6 — Palm Coast Bus Stop 30 mi, ~45m 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 5h 48m 2h 54m 8h 51m 8h 30m
Total cost (1 person) $103 $186 $55 $29
Carbon footprint 123 kg CO2 73 kg CO2 16 kg CO2 15 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 Hialeah, FL to Saint Augustine, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.