Drive or Fly: Waterbury, CT to Hartland, CT?

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 HVN–BDL. At 36 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

52m

Distance

36 mi

Total Cost

$43

CO2

15 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$8

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

4m in the air

Air Distance

30 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

8 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Waterbury, CT → HVN 33m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 4m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BDL → Hartland, CT 23m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Waterbury, CT HVN — Tweed New Haven Airport 22 mi, ~33m drive

Hartland, CT BDL — Bradley International Airport 16 mi, ~23m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between HVN and BDL. 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 1m

32m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Vermonter

Door-to-Door Timeline

Waterbury, CT → Meriden 20m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 32m

Arrival 10m

Windsor Locks → Hartland, CT 29m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $5) $5

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

Stations

From Meriden 13 mi, ~20m drive

To Windsor Locks 19 mi, ~29m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~9/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 9 trips per week

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 31m

1h 10m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Greyhound US0255s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Waterbury, CT → New Britain (Jimmy'S Food Mart #1) (NBI6) 24m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 70m

Arrival 10m

Springfield Union Station (SPM6) → Hartland, CT 32m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

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

Stations

From NBI6 — New Britain (Jimmy'S Food Mart #1) 16 mi, ~24m drive

To SPM6 — Springfield Union Station 21 mi, ~32m 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	52m	3h	2h 1m	2h 31m
Total cost (1 person)	$43	$121	$5	$3
Carbon footprint	15 kg CO₂	8 kg CO₂	2 kg CO₂	2 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 Waterbury, CT to Hartland, CT with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.