Drive or Fly: New Iberia, LA to Destrehan, 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 LFT–MSY. At 115 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 15m

Distance

115 mi

Total Cost

$60

CO2

46 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$25

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 47m

11m in the air

Air Distance

88 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

22 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

New Iberia, LA → LFT 26m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 11m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MSY → Destrehan, LA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

New Iberia, LA LFT — Lafayette Regional Airport 17 mi, ~26m drive

Destrehan, LA MSY — Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LFT 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

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

5h 14m

3h 59m on rail

Total Cost

$21

CO2

6 kg

Route

Sunset Limited

Door-to-Door Timeline

New Iberia, LA → New Iberia Amtrak 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 239m

Arrival 10m

New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal → Destrehan, LA 25m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $21) $21

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

Stations

From New Iberia Amtrak 0 mi, ~10m drive

To New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal 16 mi, ~25m 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

3h 35m

2h 50m on road

Total Cost

$10

CO2

5 kg

Route

Greyhound US1170s

Door-to-Door Timeline

New Iberia, LA → New Iberia (Texaco) (NIB6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 170m

Arrival 10m

New Orleans International Airport (NOA6) → Destrehan, LA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From NIB6 — New Iberia (Texaco) 1 mi, ~10m drive

To NOA6 — New Orleans International Airport 6 mi, ~10m 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	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	2h 15m	2h 47m	5h 14m	3h 35m
Total cost (1 person)	$60	$124	$21	$10
Carbon footprint	46 kg CO₂	22 kg CO₂	6 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, 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 15, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from New Iberia, LA to Destrehan, LA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.