Drive or Fly: St. Petersburg, FL to Marco Island, 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 PIE–RSW. At 163 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 10m

Distance

163.4 mi

Total Cost

$71

CO2

66 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$36

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

17m in the air

Air Distance

140 mi

Total Cost

$126

CO2

36 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Petersburg, FL → PIE 14m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 17m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

RSW → Marco Island, FL 62m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $126) $126

Airports

St. Petersburg, FL PIE — St. Petersburg Clearwater International Airport 10 mi, ~14m drive

Marco Island, FL RSW — Southwest Florida International Airport 41 mi, ~62m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between PIE and RSW. 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

4h 40m

3h on rail

Total Cost

$19

CO2

9 kg

Route

Amtrak Thruway Connecting Service

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Petersburg, FL → St. Petersburg 30m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 180m

Arrival 10m

Fort Myers Amtrak Bus Stop → Marco Island, FL 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $19) $19

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

Stations

From St. Petersburg 0 mi, ~30m drive

To Fort Myers Amtrak Bus Stop 0 mi, ~30m 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

4h 58m

3h 33m on road

Total Cost

$12

CO2

9 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

St. Petersburg, FL → St. Petersburg (FL) (4SP) 30m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 213m

Arrival 10m

Bonita Springs, FL (TCN6) → Marco Island, FL 30m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $12) $12

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

Stations

From 4SP — St. Petersburg (FL) 0 mi, ~30m drive

To TCN6 — Bonita Springs, FL 0 mi, ~30m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~14/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

− 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 10m	3h 33m	4h 40m	4h 58m
Total cost (1 person)	$71	$126	$19	$12
Carbon footprint	66 kg CO₂	36 kg CO₂	9 kg CO₂	9 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 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from St. Petersburg, FL to Marco Island, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.