Drive or Fly: Lakeville, MA to Waltham, 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 EWB–BED. At 47 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

55m

Distance

47 mi

Total Cost

$45

CO2

19 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$10
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 34m

5m in the air

Air Distance

39 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

10 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lakeville, MA → EWB 18m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 5m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
BED → Waltham, MA 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Lakeville, MA EWB — New Bedford Regional Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive
Waltham, MA BED — Laurence G Hanscom Field 7 mi, ~11m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between EWB 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

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

2h 9m

40m on rail

Total Cost

$8

CO2

2 kg

Route

Acela

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lakeville, MA → Providence 36m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 40m
Arrival 10m
Boston → Waltham, MA 13m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $8) $8

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

Stations

From Providence 24 mi, ~36m drive
To Boston 8 mi, ~13m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~50/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
Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

Drive Fly Train
Door-to-door time 55m 2h 34m 2h 9m
Total cost (1 person) $45 $122 $8
Carbon footprint 19 kg CO2 10 kg CO2 2 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 — 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 Lakeville, MA to Waltham, MA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.