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Drive or Fly: Long Beach, CA to Alpine, CA?

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 LGB–SAN. At 124 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

2h 36m

Distance

124 mi

Total Cost

$63

CO2

50 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$28
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

3h 1m

13m in the air

Air Distance

104 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

27 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, CA → LGB 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 13m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
SAN → Alpine, CA 38m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Long Beach, CA LGB — Long Beach International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive
Alpine, CA SAN — San Diego International Airport 26 mi, ~38m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LGB and SAN. 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 7m

2h 25m on rail

Total Cost

$18

CO2

5 kg

Route

Pacific Surfliner

Door-to-Door Timeline

Long Beach, CA → Fullerton Amtrak Station 25m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 145m
Arrival 10m
San Diego → Alpine, CA 37m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $18) $18

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

Stations

From Fullerton Amtrak Station 17 mi, ~25m drive
To San Diego 25 mi, ~37m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~40/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 2h 36m 3h 1m 4h 7m
Total cost (1 person) $63 $124 $18
Carbon footprint 50 kg CO2 27 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 — 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 Long Beach, CA to Alpine, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.