Are flights cheaper than driving?

drive: The cost factor. For shorter trips, driving will usually be cheaper, unless you have rewards miles or you get an awesome deal on your plane ticket.



Whether flying is cheaper than driving in 2026 depends on the distance, the number of travelers, and "hidden" costs. For a solo traveler on a trip over 600 miles, flying is often more economical and faster when you factor in the "opportunity cost" of your time and the wear and tear on your vehicle. However, for families or groups, driving is almost always cheaper because the cost of gas and tolls is shared among all passengers, whereas flying requires a separate ticket for every person. When calculating the cost of driving, remember to include gas, overnight hotel stays, and meals on the road. For flying, you must account for airfare, baggage fees, airport parking, and the cost of a rental car or rideshares at your destination. If you are traveling a short distance (under 300 miles), the time spent at the airport often makes driving more practical and cost-effective, but for transcontinental journeys, a well-timed flight deal can often beat the cumulative cost of a multi-day road trip.

People Also Ask

Once you've priced out your trip, if you compare the two options (driving vs. flying), you'll almost certainly see that renting a car for your full vacation costs less than paying for airfare. A travel calculator like BeFrugal.com might help you predict the cost of driving vs. flying for your trip.

MORE DETAILS

Average U.S. airfares are more than 6.5% lower in September 2023 than they were in September 2019, meaning prices aren't just lower than they were last year, but even lower than what they were pre-pandemic.

MORE DETAILS

For the shortest trip, driving is slightly more economical than flying. But for the longer cross-country trip, flying is far cheaper. And keep in mind that this only considers solo drivers. Families or friends traveling in one vehicle can save money by driving, even on longer routes.

MORE DETAILS

You can probably save a lot of money driving one car down to Florida instead of paying hundreds of dollars EACH to fly there with your family. Sure, that price at the gas tank might make you wince, but hundreds of dollars on gas for a road trip might be better than thousands of dollars on flights!

MORE DETAILS

Kirkpatrick said driving also offers a different kind of trip than flying, with opportunities to stop and sightsee on the way, play games in the car and build more bonding time for families. I think that (road trips) are an interesting way to travel regardless of if you're trying to save money or not, she said.

MORE DETAILS

There are statistics that provide an answer to this question. If you consider the absolute numbers, one would arrive at the conclusion that driving is more dangerous than flying. The International Air Transport Association reported that there was just one major aviation crash for every 7.7 million flights in 2021.

MORE DETAILS

In short, if you take the layover, you'll likely save some money. Why is this happening? It all goes back to supply and demand. Most travelers want to take the nonstop flight as it means getting there quicker and with less chance of disruption.

MORE DETAILS

How much you use your car – The more miles you drive, the more chance for accidents so you'll pay more if you drive your car for work, or use it to commute long distances. If you drive only occasionally—what some companies call “pleasure use—you'll pay less.

MORE DETAILS