Should you fly or drive on your next trip? Here's how to decide.

Plane flying in the sky above a car driving down on a road — Traffic and gas prices versus flight cancellations and high ticket prices

(Image credit: Fahroni / Getty Images)

Sometimes, a destination is far enough away that booking a flight is the obvious travel choice. For other trips, it can be less clear whether flying or driving is the better way to go.

Given the pros and cons of each option, "picking your mode of transportation can feel like a double-edged sword," said The Washington Post. While "on one hand, you have traffic, fuel costs and a rental car shortage to deal with when driving … on the other, you have flight cancellations, long lines and high ticket prices."

Here's what to take into consideration when planning your next trip so you can make the best decision for you — and for your wallet.

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Which is usually cheaper, flying or driving?

The answer here, as you may have already guessed, is that it depends.

"For the shortest trip, driving is slightly more economical than flying," said NerdWallet, "but for the longer cross-country trip, flying is far cheaper." As an example, a trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco — a distance of 382 miles — would cost $92 driving and $103 in airfare, per NerdWallet's calculations. Meanwhile, if you were traveling from Los Angeles to New York — a trip that spans 2,789 miles — you would pay a whopping $670 if you drove compared to just $257 flying, said NerdWallet.

Also note that "this analysis does not take into account the other costs of driving, such as hotel rooms or fast food stops along the way," NerdWallet added.

What else should you consider when deciding whether to drive or fly?

The cost of flying versus driving extends beyond just the literal price of gas and vehicle maintenance in comparison to airfare.

If you are driving, you will also need to account for factors such as:

The current price of gas
The additional time it may take to get to your destination
Whether you will need to book hotel stays along the way
Any meals you will stop for throughout the drive

Meanwhile, when flying, you should take into consideration the following:

How many people you are traveling with, as this will drive up costs
Whether you need to check baggage
Any upgrades in seats you plan to purchase
If you will need to book transportation at your destination
Whether you are traveling around any major holidays, which can lead to crowded airports and higher fares

How can you make the final decision on whether to fly or drive?

As you can see, there are a lot of variables to weigh before making the final call on whether to fly or drive somewhere. But when it comes down to it, "there are two primary factors you should consider" above all, said Scott Keyes, the founder of Scott's Cheap Flights, to the Post: "per-person price and total travel time."

For the per-person price, if you "find a great flight deal or book with a low-cost airline, you can score one-way flights for less than $50" — but "that cost goes up when you throw in a spouse and kids," said The Points Guy. In other words, if you travel with a large group, flying will likely be more expensive than driving at the end of the day, "even if you add the cost of gas, meals and an overnight hotel room."

Meanwhile, there is the question of your time and its value. While the time in-air is usually much less compared to time on the road, it is also "important to account for the time in transit to the airport, going through security, waiting for your flight, and getting to your hotel or house from the airport," said the Post. Plus, there is always the chance of delays and canceled flights, which can significantly extend a trip.

A cross-country roadtrip is not a short endeavor either, and driving can significantly eat into the time you actually spend at your destination. While you will not have to worry about chaos at the airport, there is still the possibility of delays in the form of traffic and detours due to weather or unforeseen car trouble. But for the most part, said NerdWallet, "by driving, you set the schedule."

Becca Stanek has worked as an editor and writer in the personal finance space since 2017. She previously served as a deputy editor and later a managing editor overseeing investing and savings content at LendingTree and as an editor at the financial startup SmartAsset, where she focused on retirement- and financial-adviser-related content. Before that, Becca was a staff writer at The Week, primarily contributing to Speed Reads.