Drive or Fly: Lake Wales, FL to Harlem, 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 LAL–RSW. At 106 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 56m

Distance

106.4 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

4h 9m

11m in the air

Air Distance

89 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

23 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lake Wales, FL → LAL 41m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 11m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

RSW → Harlem, FL 77m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Lake Wales, FL LAL — Lakeland Linder International Airport 27 mi, ~41m drive

Harlem, FL RSW — Southwest Florida International Airport 52 mi, ~77m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LAL and RSW. 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 13m

1h 22m on rail

Total Cost

$15

CO2

4 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lake Wales, FL → Winter Haven 17m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 82m

Arrival 10m

Okeechobee Amtrak → Harlem, FL 54m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $15) $15

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

Stations

From Winter Haven 11 mi, ~17m drive

To Okeechobee Amtrak 36 mi, ~54m 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 25m

2h 40m on road

Total Cost

$10

CO2

5 kg

Route

Greyhound US0740s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lake Wales, FL → Lake Wales (Citgo) (LWA6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 160m

Arrival 10m

Clewiston (Walmart) (CLE6) → Harlem, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From LWA6 — Lake Wales (Citgo) 1 mi, ~10m drive

To CLE6 — Clewiston (Walmart) 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	1h 56m	4h 9m	3h 13m	3h 25m
Total cost (1 person)	$59	$124	$15	$10
Carbon footprint	43 kg CO₂	23 kg CO₂	4 kg CO₂	5 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 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Lake Wales, FL to Harlem, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.