Drive or Fly: Pine Prairie, LA to New Orleans, 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 AEX–MSY. At 172 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

3h 39m

Distance

172.6 mi

Total Cost

$73

CO2

70 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$38

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 33m

18m in the air

Air Distance

151 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

39 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Pine Prairie, LA → AEX 57m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 18m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MSY → New Orleans, LA 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

Pine Prairie, LA AEX — Alexandria International Airport 38 mi, ~57m drive

New Orleans, LA MSY — Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between AEX 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

6h 23m

4h 25m on rail

Total Cost

$23

CO2

7 kg

Route

Sunset Limited

Door-to-Door Timeline

Pine Prairie, LA → Lafayette Amtrak Station 68m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 265m

Arrival 10m

New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal → New Orleans, LA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $23) $23

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

Stations

From Lafayette Amtrak Station 46 mi, ~68m drive

To New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal 1 mi, ~10m 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 54m

2h 40m on road

Total Cost

$14

CO2

7 kg

Route

Greyhound 2221

Door-to-Door Timeline

Pine Prairie, LA → Opelousas (Texaco) (OLP6) 39m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 160m

Arrival 10m

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

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $14) $14

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

Stations

From OLP6 — Opelousas (Texaco) 26 mi, ~39m drive

To NOD6 — New Orleans Bus Station 1 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	3h 39m	3h 33m	6h 23m	3h 54m
Total cost (1 person)	$73	$126	$23	$14
Carbon footprint	70 kg CO₂	39 kg CO₂	7 kg CO₂	7 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 Pine Prairie, LA to New Orleans, LA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.