Drive or Fly: North Cape May, NJ to Union, NJ?

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 DOV–EWR. At 146 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

Distance

146.4 mi

Total Cost

$68

CO2

59 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$33

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

3h 9m

15m in the air

Air Distance

124 mi

Total Cost

$125

CO2

32 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

North Cape May, NJ → DOV 44m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 15m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

EWR → Union, NJ 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $125) $125

Airports

North Cape May, NJ DOV — Dover Civil Air Terminal/Dover Air Force Base 29 mi, ~44m drive

Union, NJ EWR — Newark Liberty International Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between DOV and EWR. 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

3h 52m

1h 30m on rail

Total Cost

$20

CO2

6 kg

Route

Northeast Regional

Door-to-Door Timeline

North Cape May, NJ → Wilmington 92m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 90m

Arrival 10m

Newark Liberty International Airport → Union, NJ 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $20) $20

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

Stations

From Wilmington 61 mi, ~92m drive

To Newark Liberty International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~100/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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 38m

3h 13m on road

Total Cost

$14

CO2

8 kg

Route

FlixBus 2608

Door-to-Door Timeline

North Cape May, NJ → Dover (7-Eleven) (DOV6) 50m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 193m

Arrival 10m

Newark (NJ) (NWK6) → Union, NJ 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $14) $14

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

Stations

From DOV6 — Dover (7-Eleven) 33 mi, ~50m drive

To NWK6 — Newark (NJ) 6 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	3h	3h 9m	3h 52m	4h 38m
Total cost (1 person)	$68	$125	$20	$14
Carbon footprint	59 kg CO₂	32 kg CO₂	6 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from North Cape May, NJ to Union, NJ with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.