Drive or Fly: Sunrise, 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 FLL–MCO. At 214 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

3h 17m

Distance

214.7 mi

Total Cost

$83

CO2

87 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$48
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 45m

22m in the air

Air Distance

183 mi

Total Cost

$182

CO2

47 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sunrise, FL → FLL 10m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 22m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
MCO → Orlando, FL 13m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $127) $127
Rental car (1 day)$55

Airports

Sunrise, FL FLL — Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport 5 mi, ~10m drive
Orlando, FL MCO — Orlando International Airport 9 mi, ~13m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between FLL 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
May need a rental car at destination
Luggage fees and restrictions
Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

5h 37m

4h 37m on rail

Total Cost

$36

CO2

11 kg

Route

Silver Meteor

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sunrise, FL → Fort Lauderdale Amtrak Station 10m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 277m
Arrival 10m
Orlando → Orlando, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $36) $36

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

Stations

From Fort Lauderdale Amtrak Station 4 mi, ~10m drive
To Orlando 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~12/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 12 trips per week
Amtrak delays can be unpredictable
Need transportation to/from station
Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 50m

4h 5m on road

Total Cost

$20

CO2

11 kg

Route

Greyhound US0630

Door-to-Door Timeline

Sunrise, FL → Ft Lauderdale Broward Park & Ride (FTL6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 245m
Arrival 10m
Orlando Bus Station (ORL6) → Orlando, FL 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $20) $20

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

Stations

From FTL6 — Ft Lauderdale Broward Park & Ride 4 mi, ~10m drive
To ORL6 — Orlando Bus Station 2 mi, ~10m 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 17m 2h 45m 5h 37m 4h 50m
Total cost (1 person) $83 $182 $36 $20
Carbon footprint 87 kg CO2 47 kg CO2 11 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 Sunrise, FL to Orlando, FL with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.