Drive or Fly: Woodmere, LA to Prairieville, LA?

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 MSY–BTR. At 73 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:
Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 35m

Distance

73.1 mi

Total Cost

$51

CO2

30 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$16
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 58m

7m in the air

Air Distance

62 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

16 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Woodmere, LA → MSY 22m
Check-in & Security 90m
Flight 7m
Arrival & Baggage 30m
BTR → Prairieville, LA 29m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Woodmere, LA MSY — Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport 15 mi, ~22m drive
Prairieville, LA BTR — Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport 19 mi, ~29m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between MSY and BTR. 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 46m

1h 6m on rail

Total Cost

$9

CO2

3 kg

Route

City of New Orleans

Door-to-Door Timeline

Woodmere, LA → New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal 10m
Boarding 30m
Train ride 66m
Arrival 10m
Hammond Amtrak Station → Prairieville, LA 50m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $9) $9

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

Stations

From New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal 6 mi, ~10m drive
To Hammond Amtrak Station 34 mi, ~50m 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

2h 25m

1h 40m on road

Total Cost

$6

CO2

3 kg

Route

Greyhound US1172s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Woodmere, LA → New Orleans Bus Station (NOD6) 10m
Boarding 15m
Bus ride 100m
Arrival 10m
Gonzales (Cabela's) (GZS6) → Prairieville, LA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $6) $6

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

Stations

From NOD6 — New Orleans Bus Station 6 mi, ~10m drive
To GZS6 — Gonzales (Cabela's) 7 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 1h 35m 2h 58m 2h 46m 2h 25m
Total cost (1 person) $51 $122 $9 $6
Carbon footprint 30 kg CO2 16 kg CO2 3 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: 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 Woodmere, LA to Prairieville, LA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.