Drive vs Fly Calculator
Which is faster and cheaper?
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How it works
- Enter your origin and destination.
- We calculate door-to-door time for both driving (including stops) and flying (including airport time, check-in, taxi).
- Cost and CO₂ are compared side by side.
Frequently asked questions
How is door-to-door flight time calculated?
We add airport overhead to the in-air flight time: typically 90 minutes before departure for check-in and security, plus 30 minutes after landing to exit the terminal, reach the city centre, and complete the journey. The flight segment itself is based on great-circle distance at 805 km/h cruise speed.
How is the driving time estimated for the comparison?
Driving time uses the estimated road distance (straight-line distance × 1.3) divided by an average of 80 km/h including rest stops. No airport overhead is added for driving, which is one reason driving often wins on short routes under 300 km.
Does the cost comparison include airport transfers?
The flying cost shown is an estimate for the flight itself. Airport taxi or train fares are not included by default because they vary widely by city. Keep this in mind when comparing — for city-centre-to-city-centre trips, add roughly €20–50 per airport transfer to get a realistic total.
When does driving beat flying?
On routes under roughly 400 km, driving is typically faster door-to-door once airport overhead is factored in. Driving also tends to be cheaper on those distances. Beyond 600–700 km, flying usually wins on time, especially if multiple passengers are sharing fuel costs.