Drive or Fly: Maine, NY to Manhattan, NY?

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 BGM–LGA. At 198 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

4h 10m

Distance

198.8 mi

Total Cost

$79

CO2

80 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$44

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 37m

17m in the air

Air Distance

146 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

37 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Maine, NY → BGM 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 17m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

LGA → Manhattan, NY 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Maine, NY BGM — Greater Binghamton/Edwin A Link field 4 mi, ~10m drive

Manhattan, NY LGA — LaGuardia Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between BGM and LGA. 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

8h 5m

5h 43m on rail

Total Cost

$39

CO2

11 kg

Route

Empire Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Maine, NY → Syracuse Regional Transportation Center 92m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 343m

Arrival 10m

Ny Moynihan Train Hall At Penn Station → Manhattan, NY 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $39) $39

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

Stations

From Syracuse Regional Transportation Center 61 mi, ~92m drive

To Ny Moynihan Train Hall At Penn Station 3 mi, ~10m 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

4h 5m

3h 15m on road

Total Cost

$15

CO2

8 kg

Route

Greyhound US0205

Door-to-Door Timeline

Maine, NY → Binghamton (BGH6) 15m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 195m

Arrival 10m

New York Port Authority (NYD6) → Manhattan, NY 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $15) $15

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

Stations

From BGH6 — Binghamton 10 mi, ~15m drive

To NYD6 — New York Port Authority 2 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	4h 10m	2h 37m	8h 5m	4h 5m
Total cost (1 person)	$79	$126	$39	$15
Carbon footprint	80 kg CO₂	37 kg CO₂	11 kg CO₂	8 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 16, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

198.8 mi 4h 9m

via I 80, I 81, I 380

Shortest (+6 min)

197.2 mi 4h 16m

via I 86; NY 17, NJ 17, I 87

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Maine, NY to Manhattan, NY with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.