Drive or Fly: Mashpee, 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 HYA–BED. At 73 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 45m

Distance

73.8 mi

Total Cost

$51

CO2

30 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$16

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 35m

8m in the air

Air Distance

63 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

16 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Mashpee, MA → HYA 16m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 8m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BED → Waltham, MA 11m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Mashpee, MA HYA — Cape Cod Gateway Airport 11 mi, ~16m drive

Waltham, MA BED — Laurence G Hanscom Field 7 mi, ~11m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between HYA 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 48m

40m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Acela

Door-to-Door Timeline

Mashpee, MA → Providence 75m

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 50 mi, ~75m 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	1h 45m	2h 35m	2h 48m
Total cost (1 person)	$51	$123	$8
Carbon footprint	30 kg CO₂	16 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Mashpee, MA to Waltham, MA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.