Drive or Fly: Holyoke, MA to City of Lowell, MA?

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 BDL–BED. At 95 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

Distance

95.3 mi

Total Cost

$56

CO2

39 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$21

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 55m

9m in the air

Air Distance

73 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

18 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Holyoke, MA → BDL 28m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 9m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BED → City of Lowell, MA 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Holyoke, MA BDL — Bradley International Airport 19 mi, ~28m drive

City of Lowell, MA BED — Laurence G Hanscom Field 12 mi, ~18m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between BDL and BED. 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 45m

4h on road

Total Cost

CO2

4 kg

Route

Greyhound US0256S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Holyoke, MA → Springfield Union Station (SPM6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 240m

Arrival 10m

Robert B Kennedy Bus Transfer Center (Lowell, MA) (6LW) → City of Lowell, MA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $8) $8

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

Stations

From SPM6 — Springfield Union Station 7 mi, ~10m drive

To 6LW — Robert B Kennedy Bus Transfer Center (Lowell, MA) 0 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	Bus
Door-to-door time	2h	2h 55m	4h 45m
Total cost (1 person)	$56	$123	$8
Carbon footprint	39 kg CO₂	18 kg CO₂	4 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: 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 Holyoke, MA to City of Lowell, MA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.