Driving is usually the cheapest in cash if you have the days and enjoy the road. Shipping makes sense when the trip is long, you’d rather fly, or your time off is worth more than the difference. Amtrak’s Auto Train is a good middle option only if you live near Washington, DC and you’re heading to central Florida — it runs one route, Lorton, Virginia to Sanford, Florida.
The right answer depends on three things: how far you’re going, what your time is worth, and where you start. Below are real numbers for three common trips to Florida, and what each option actually involves.
What driving really costs
Most people count gas and stop there. Gas is the smallest part.
Fuel. The math is simple: miles ÷ your car’s miles per gallon × the price of a gallon. In the week of October 26, 2026, the U.S. average for regular gasoline was $4.269 a gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Prices change every week and differ by region.
The full cost of running the car. For the second half of 2026 the IRS standard mileage rate for business use is 76 cents a mile. The IRS bases that rate on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating a car — so it reflects fuel plus wear, maintenance, insurance and depreciation, not just gas. It’s a tax figure, not a bill you’ll receive, but it’s a fair yardstick for what 1,000 miles really takes out of a car.
What neither number includes. Nights in hotels, meals on the road, tolls, the days off work, and — if you aren’t staying — the flight home. Add your own numbers for these; they vary too much to guess.
Three trips to Florida, side by side
We used the same assumptions for all three: a sedan getting 28 miles per gallon on the highway, and about 500 miles of driving a day — roughly eight hours at the wheel with stops. Your car and your pace may differ, so adjust.
Detroit to Orlando — about 1,120 miles
- Shipping, sedan on an open carrier: estimated $800
- Driving at the IRS rate: about $850
- Fuel only: about $170
- Time at the wheel: 2 to 3 days, with 2 nights on the road
Indianapolis to Tampa — about 985 miles
- Shipping, sedan on an open carrier: estimated $695
- Driving at the IRS rate: about $750
- Fuel only: about $150
- Time at the wheel: about 2 days, with 1 night on the road
Manhattan to Orlando — about 1,100 miles
- Shipping, sedan on an open carrier: estimated $790
- Driving at the IRS rate: about $840
- Fuel only: about $170
- Time at the wheel: 2 to 3 days, with 2 nights on the road
Shipping estimates are based on typical carrier rates for each route. Your final price depends on the exact addresses, vehicle and dates — you’ll see it after a quick contact step, and Price Lock protects it when you sign. SUVs, pickups and vans cost more than a sedan; enclosed transport is +$450 per vehicle.
How to read this. If you only count fuel, driving looks far cheaper: $150–$170 against roughly $700–$800. Add two nights in hotels, three days of meals, the days off work, and the wear the IRS rate puts a number on, and the gap narrows or flips. If you’d fly anyway — because you’re not staying, or someone else is driving the family down — shipping saves you the drive and the trip back.
Compare like with like: shipping plus your flight against driving plus your hotels, meals and time.
When driving makes sense
- You have the days, and the drive is part of the trip.
- You’re bringing a car full of belongings. A shipped car can carry up to 100 lbs of personal items, in the trunk or below the window line — more only if your dispatcher confirms it in writing with the carrier (it may cost extra) — and they travel at your own risk. A car packed to the roof is a reason to drive.
- The trip is short. Under a few hundred miles, a day’s drive usually beats any other option.
- More than one licensed driver is going, and you’re splitting the time at the wheel.
When shipping makes sense
- The trip is more than one long day of driving, and your time off is limited.
- You’re flying anyway — moving ahead of the car, or going south for the season.
- You don’t want 1,000+ miles on the car, or you don’t want to drive alone.
- You’re shipping more than one car. Two cars driven means two drivers and twice the fuel.
Once your car is picked up, most trips of this length take about 3–5 days on the road. Your dispatcher gives you an honest pickup window; we don’t promise exact dates. Snowbirds can book the trip south and the trip home separately — see shipping a car for the season. Moving for good? See shipping your car when you move.
Timing a shipped car around your flight
The part people worry about most is the handoff: you’re flying, so who gives the car to the driver, and who takes it at the other end?
- You don’t have to be there yourself. When you book, you tell us who will be at pickup and who will be at delivery — you, or someone else you name, like a neighbor, a family member or a building manager. That person walks around the car with the driver and signs the Bill of Lading.
- Plan on a pickup window, not a fixed hour. Carriers run several cars on one truck, so pickup is scheduled as a window. If you’re leaving on a fixed date, book early enough that the car can be collected before you go — or leave the keys with the person you named.
- Decide whether the car should arrive first or after you. If it might arrive before you do, name someone at the destination who can receive it. If you’d rather meet it yourself, choose a later pickup.
- Book early in busy seasons. Fall prices heading south are often higher, when many people send their cars to Florida for the winter. A quote is held for 7 days; once you sign, Price Lock protects it — if the carrier’s rate goes up before pickup, we cover up to $200 per vehicle.
- Pack light. Up to 100 lbs of personal items, in the trunk or below the window line; more only if your dispatcher confirms it in writing with the carrier (it may cost extra). They travel at your own risk and aren’t covered by the carrier’s cargo insurance, so keep anything you can’t do without with you.
The Amtrak Auto Train: who it’s for
The Auto Train carries you and your car on the same train, nonstop between Lorton, Virginia (near Washington, DC) and Sanford, Florida (near Orlando). It runs daily, and Amtrak lists the trip at 17 hours 29 minutes. Your car rides in an enclosed auto carrier, and you drive it off at the other end. Amtrak says the trip saves about 900 miles of driving.
What to know before you book (from Amtrak’s vehicle and check-in requirements):
- One route only. If you’re starting in Michigan, Ohio or Indiana, you’d first drive to northern Virginia — for many Midwest trips, that’s a large part of the distance to Florida anyway.
- Arrive early. Check-in starts at 11:30 a.m. on the day of departure and closes at 2:30 p.m. for standard and extended vehicles, and at 2:00 p.m. for motorcycles, oversized vehicles and Priority Offloading. Amtrak makes no exceptions.
- Size limits. Standard vehicles up to 16 feet long, extended vehicles (trucks, vans, 3-row SUVs) up to 18 feet, all no more than 85 inches tall and 84 inches wide including mirrors. Vehicles over 18 feet need special arrangements and an extra payment. Dual-wheel, gull-wing and scissor-door vehicles aren’t accepted.
- No access to your car on board. Pack an overnight bag. Amtrak says belongings left in the car are your responsibility.
- Price. You pay a passenger fare plus a charge for the vehicle, and it varies by date and accommodation. Check amtrak.com for your dates.
An example. From Manhattan, the Auto Train means about 260 miles to Lorton — around half a day of driving — then the overnight train, then a short drive from Sanford to Orlando. If you live in the DC area, it removes almost the whole drive. From the Midwest, the detour to Virginia usually doesn’t pay off.
Is it safe to ship a car?
Shipping is safe when you know who’s carrying the car and how it’s covered. Three things matter:
- Insurance. Your car is covered by the assigned carrier’s cargo insurance. With us that’s at least $100,000, confirmed with the carrier’s insurance agent — ShiftHaul itself doesn’t insure vehicles. See insurance and claims.
- The Bill of Lading. Walk around the car with the driver at pickup and note its condition, and inspect it again before you sign at delivery.
- The carrier. Check that the company is registered and that the truck that shows up belongs to the carrier you were told about. Our guide on how to avoid car shipping scams walks through it step by step.
On every load we verify the carrier: an SMS to their FMCSA phone, insurance from the agent, the driver’s location at pickup, and a VIN-plate check against the carrier’s insured vehicles. See how our verification works.
Route guides to Florida
- Michigan to Florida and Florida to Michigan
- Ohio to Florida and Florida to Ohio
- Indiana to Florida and Florida to Indiana
- New York to Florida and Florida to New York
Try your own ZIP codes in the calculator, or get your price.