Drive or Fly: Jacksonville, FL to Buenaventura Lakes, 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 JAX–MCO. At 159 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 8m

Distance

159.9 mi

Total Cost

$70

CO2

65 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$35

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 45m

17m in the air

Air Distance

139 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

35 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jacksonville, FL → JAX 17m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 17m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MCO → Buenaventura Lakes, FL 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Jacksonville, FL JAX — Jacksonville International Airport 11 mi, ~17m drive

Buenaventura Lakes, FL MCO — Orlando International Airport 7 mi, ~11m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between JAX and MCO. 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 40m

3h 40m on rail

Total Cost

$29

CO2

8 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jacksonville, FL → Jacksonville 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 220m

Arrival 10m

Kissimmee Amtrak Station → Buenaventura Lakes, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $29) $29

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

Stations

From Jacksonville 5 mi, ~10m drive

To Kissimmee Amtrak Station 4 mi, ~10m 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 35m

3h 50m on road

Total Cost

$15

CO2

8 kg

Route

FlixBus 2431

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jacksonville, FL → Jacksonville (Downtown) (JAX6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 230m

Arrival 10m

Kissimmee (KSM6) → Buenaventura Lakes, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $15) $15

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

Stations

From JAX6 — Jacksonville (Downtown) 1 mi, ~10m drive

To KSM6 — Kissimmee 1 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	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	3h 8m	2h 45m	4h 40m	4h 35m
Total cost (1 person)	$70	$126	$29	$15
Carbon footprint	65 kg CO₂	35 kg CO₂	8 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 Jacksonville, FL to Buenaventura Lakes, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.