Drive or Fly: Jacksonville, FL to New Smyrna Beach, 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–DAB. At 106 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 4m

Distance

106.8 mi

Total Cost

$59

CO2

43 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$24

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 49m

12m in the air

Air Distance

100 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

26 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jacksonville, FL → JAX 17m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 12m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

DAB → New Smyrna Beach, FL 20m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

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

New Smyrna Beach, FL DAB — Daytona Beach International Airport 14 mi, ~20m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between JAX and DAB. 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

3h 24m

1h 55m on rail

Total Cost

$19

CO2

6 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Jacksonville, FL → Jacksonville 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 115m

Arrival 10m

Deland → New Smyrna Beach, FL 39m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $19) $19

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

Stations

From Jacksonville 5 mi, ~10m drive

To Deland 26 mi, ~39m 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

3h 20m

2h 35m on road

Total Cost

$11

CO2

6 kg

Route

Greyhound US0710s

Door-to-Door Timeline

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

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 155m

Arrival 10m

New Smyrna Beach (Tropical) (NSM6) → New Smyrna Beach, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $11) $11

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

Stations

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

To NSM6 — New Smyrna Beach (Tropical) 4 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	2h 4m	2h 49m	3h 24m	3h 20m
Total cost (1 person)	$59	$124	$19	$11
Carbon footprint	43 kg CO₂	26 kg CO₂	6 kg CO₂	6 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 Jacksonville, FL to New Smyrna Beach, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.