Drive or Fly: Virginia Beach, VA to Williamsburg, VA?

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 ORF–PHF. At 58 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 23m

Distance

58.7 mi

Total Cost

$48

CO2

24 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$13
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 48m

6m in the air

Air Distance

50 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

13 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Virginia Beach, VA → ORF 19m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 6m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
PHF → Williamsburg, VA 23m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Virginia Beach, VA ORF — Norfolk International Airport 13 mi, ~19m drive
Williamsburg, VA PHF — Newport News Williamsburg International Airport 15 mi, ~23m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between ORF and PHF. 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

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h

1h 15m on road

Total Cost

$5

CO2

3 kg

Route

FlixBus N2601

Door-to-Door Timeline

Virginia Beach, VA → Virginia Beach (Circle D Food Mart) (VBH6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 75m
Arrival 10m
Williamsburg Bus Stop (WBG6) → Williamsburg, VA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From VBH6 — Virginia Beach (Circle D Food Mart) 1 mi, ~10m drive
To WBG6 — Williamsburg Bus Stop 0 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 Bus
Door-to-door time 1h 23m 2h 48m 2h
Total cost (1 person) $48 $122 $5
Carbon footprint 24 kg CO2 13 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: 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 Virginia Beach, VA to Williamsburg, VA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.