Drive or Fly: Plant City, FL to Hollywood, FL?

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 LAL–FLL. At 230 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

4h 36m

Distance

230 mi

Total Cost

$86

CO2

93 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$51

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 42m

22m in the air

Air Distance

184 mi

Total Cost

$182

CO2

47 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Plant City, FL → LAL 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 22m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

FLL → Hollywood, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Plant City, FL LAL — Lakeland Linder International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

Hollywood, FL FLL — Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LAL and FLL. 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

− May need a rental car at destination

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

7h 11m

6h 6m on rail

Total Cost

$36

CO2

10 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Plant City, FL → Lakeland Amtrak Station 15m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 366m

Arrival 10m

Hollywood Amtrak Station → Hollywood, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $36) $36

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

Stations

From Lakeland Amtrak Station 10 mi, ~15m drive

To Hollywood Amtrak Station 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

7h 40m

6h 55m on road

Total Cost

$20

CO2

11 kg

Route

Greyhound US0740s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Plant City, FL → Plant City (Sunoco) (PNT6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 415m

Arrival 10m

Hollywood Sheridan Trirail Station (HOL6) → Hollywood, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $20) $20

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

Stations

From PNT6 — Plant City (Sunoco) 0 mi, ~10m drive

To HOL6 — Hollywood Sheridan Trirail Station 2 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	4h 36m	2h 42m	7h 11m	7h 40m
Total cost (1 person)	$86	$182	$36	$20
Carbon footprint	93 kg CO₂	47 kg CO₂	10 kg CO₂	11 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 12, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Plant City, FL to Hollywood, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.