Drive or Fly: Oakland, CA to San Juan Bautista, CA?

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 OAK–MRY. At 83 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 41m

Distance

83.1 mi

Total Cost

$53

CO2

34 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$18

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 56m

9m in the air

Air Distance

78 mi

Total Cost

$123

CO2

20 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Oakland, CA → OAK 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 9m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MRY → San Juan Bautista, CA 37m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $123) $123

Airports

Oakland, CA OAK — San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

San Juan Bautista, CA MRY — Monterey Regional Airport 25 mi, ~37m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between OAK and MRY. 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

2h 44m

1h 10m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Greyhound US0831

Door-to-Door Timeline

Oakland, CA → Oakland (West Oakland Bart Station) (OAK) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 70m

Arrival 10m

San Jose Diridon Station (SJO6) → San Juan Bautista, CA 59m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $4) $4

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

Stations

From OAK — Oakland (West Oakland Bart Station) 1 mi, ~10m drive

To SJO6 — San Jose Diridon Station 39 mi, ~59m 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	1h 41m	2h 56m	2h 44m
Total cost (1 person)	$53	$123	$4
Carbon footprint	34 kg CO₂	20 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 Oakland, CA to San Juan Bautista, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.