Drive or Fly: Polk City, FL to Orlando, 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–MCO. At 42 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

51m

Distance

42.2 mi

Total Cost

$44

CO2

17 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$9

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 44m

4m in the air

Air Distance

37 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

9 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Polk City, FL → LAL 27m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 4m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

MCO → Orlando, FL 13m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Polk City, FL LAL — Lakeland Linder International Airport 18 mi, ~27m drive

Orlando, FL MCO — Orlando International Airport 9 mi, ~13m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between LAL and MCO. 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 17m

1h 9m on rail

Total Cost

$10

CO2

3 kg

Route

Floridian

Door-to-Door Timeline

Polk City, FL → Lakeland Amtrak Station 18m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 69m

Arrival 10m

Orlando → Orlando, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $10) $10

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

Stations

From Lakeland Amtrak Station 12 mi, ~18m drive

To Orlando 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

1h 52m

1h on road

Total Cost

CO2

3 kg

Route

Greyhound US0761S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Polk City, FL → Lakeland Gow B Fields Park & Ride (LKD6) 17m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 60m

Arrival 10m

Orlando Bus Station (ORL6) → Orlando, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From LKD6 — Lakeland Gow B Fields Park & Ride 11 mi, ~17m drive

To ORL6 — Orlando Bus 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	51m	2h 44m	2h 17m	1h 52m
Total cost (1 person)	$44	$121	$10	$5
Carbon footprint	17 kg CO₂	9 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 16, 2026.

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