Drive or Fly: Spring Valley, WI to Eau Claire, WI?

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 GRB–EAU. At 243 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

4h 53m

Distance

243.8 mi

Total Cost

$89

CO2

98 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$54

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

23m in the air

Air Distance

190 mi

Total Cost

$183

CO2

49 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Spring Valley, WI → GRB 60m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 23m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

EAU → Eau Claire, WI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $128) $128

Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Spring Valley, WI GRB — Austin Straubel International Airport 40 mi, ~60m drive

Eau Claire, WI EAU — Chippewa Valley Regional Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between GRB and EAU. 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 23m

3h 49m on rail

Total Cost

$40

CO2

12 kg

Route

Empire Builder

Door-to-Door Timeline

Spring Valley, WI → Milwaukee 94m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 229m

Arrival 10m

Winona → Eau Claire, WI 80m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $40) $40

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

Stations

From Milwaukee 63 mi, ~94m drive

To Winona 53 mi, ~80m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~4/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 4 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

6h 18m

5h 25m on road

Total Cost

$22

CO2

12 kg

Route

Greyhound US0150S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Spring Valley, WI → Manitowoc (Shell) (MTT6) 18m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 325m

Arrival 10m

Eau Claire (McDonald's) (5EU) → Eau Claire, WI 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $22) $22

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

Stations

From MTT6 — Manitowoc (Shell) 12 mi, ~18m drive

To 5EU — Eau Claire (McDonald's) 5 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 53m	3h 33m	7h 23m	6h 18m
Total cost (1 person)	$89	$183	$40	$22
Carbon footprint	98 kg CO₂	49 kg CO₂	12 kg CO₂	12 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.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

243.8 mi 4h 52m

via WI 29, WI 29; WI 47; WI 55, I 43

Shortest (+19 min)

225.9 mi 5h 11m

via US 10, I 94, WI 114

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Spring Valley, WI to Eau Claire, WI with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.