Drive or Fly: Lyman, SC to Greenville, SC?

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 GSP–GSP. At 21 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

25m

Distance

21.7 mi

Total Cost

$40

CO2

9 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$5
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 28m

2m in the air

Air Distance

16 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

4 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lyman, SC → GSP 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 2m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
GSP → Greenville, SC 16m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Lyman, SC GSP — Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive
Greenville, SC GSP — Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport 10 mi, ~16m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between GSP and GSP. 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 6m

1h on rail

Total Cost

$6

CO2

2 kg

Route

Crescent

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lyman, SC → Spartanburg Amtrak Station 16m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 60m
Arrival 10m
Greenville Amtrak Station → Greenville, SC 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $6) $6

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

Stations

From Spartanburg Amtrak Station 11 mi, ~16m drive
To Greenville Amtrak Station 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/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 7 trips per week
Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 17m

30m on road

Total Cost

$2

CO2

1 kg

Route

Greyhound US0670

Door-to-Door Timeline

Lyman, SC → Spartanburg (4SR) 12m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 30m
Arrival 10m
Greenville (Raceway Gas Station) (4GR) → Greenville, SC 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

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

Stations

From 4SR — Spartanburg 8 mi, ~12m drive
To 4GR — Greenville (Raceway Gas Station) 5 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~14/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
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 25m 2h 28m 2h 6m 1h 17m
Total cost (1 person) $40 $121 $6 $2
Carbon footprint 9 kg CO2 4 kg CO2 2 kg CO2 1 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 Lyman, SC to Greenville, SC with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.