Drive or Fly: Peardale, CA to Truckee, 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 SMF–TKF. At 60 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 16m

Distance

60.5 mi

Total Cost

$48

CO2

24 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$13

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 25m

5m in the air

Air Distance

45 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

11 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Peardale, CA → SMF 70m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 5m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

TKF → Truckee, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Peardale, CA SMF — Sacramento International Airport 47 mi, ~70m drive

Truckee, CA TKF — Truckee Tahoe Airport 2 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between SMF and TKF. 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 20m

1h 20m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

Peardale, CA → Colfax Amtrak Station 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 80m

Arrival 10m

Truckee Amtrak Station → Truckee, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $9) $9

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

Stations

From Colfax Amtrak Station 7 mi, ~10m drive

To Truckee Amtrak Station 0 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~6/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 6 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 51m

1h 5m on road

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

Greyhound US0870

Door-to-Door Timeline

Peardale, CA → Colfax (Standlock Bottle Shop) (CFX6) 11m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 65m

Arrival 10m

Truckee (Chamber Of Commerce) (TCK6) → Truckee, CA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From CFX6 — Colfax (Standlock Bottle Shop) 7 mi, ~11m drive

To TCK6 — Truckee (Chamber Of Commerce) 0 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	1h 16m	3h 25m	2h 20m	1h 51m
Total cost (1 person)	$48	$122	$9	$5
Carbon footprint	24 kg CO₂	11 kg CO₂	3 kg CO₂	3 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 17, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

60.5 mi 1h 16m

via I 80, CA 174

Shortest (+0 min)

57.9 mi 1h 16m

via CA 20; CA 49, I 80

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Peardale, CA to Truckee, CA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.