Drive or Fly: Metairie, LA to Bayou Gauche, LA?

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 MSY–MSY. At 31 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

45m

Distance

31 mi

Total Cost

$42

CO2

13 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$7

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

2m in the air

Air Distance

21 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

5 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Metairie, LA → MSY 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 2m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MSY → Bayou Gauche, LA 25m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Metairie, LA MSY — Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport 7 mi, ~10m drive

Bayou Gauche, LA MSY — Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport 17 mi, ~25m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MSY and MSY. 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 56m

1h 5m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Greyhound US1170s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Metairie, LA → New Orleans Bus Station (NOD6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 65m

Arrival 10m

Raceland (Shell) (REC6) → Bayou Gauche, LA 16m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $4) $4

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

Stations

From NOD6 — New Orleans Bus Station 5 mi, ~10m drive

To REC6 — Raceland (Shell) 11 mi, ~16m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/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

− Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Bus
Door-to-door time	45m	2h 37m	1h 56m
Total cost (1 person)	$42	$121	$4
Carbon footprint	13 kg CO₂	5 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: 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 Metairie, LA to Bayou Gauche, LA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.