Flying vs. Driving To Myrtle Beach: The Pros & Cons

By MyrtleBeachHotels.com Staff • March 24, 2023

Deciding between flying and driving to Myrtle Beach is an eternal debate without an easy answer. While driving may reduce traveling expenses, flying has its perks too. Start by settling on the best time to visit Myrtle Beach based on your budget, the available things to do, and your tolerance for crowds.

If you’re a numbers person, you may appreciate having a mathematically sound way to compare flying and driving to Myrtle Beach. The Fly or Drive Calculator does all the work for you; just enter your travel information, and voilà!—you have solid figures to weigh each option against. While you’re crunching numbers, take a look at these pros and cons to help you decide whether it’s better to fly or drive to Myrtle Beach.

Flying to Myrtle Beach

People choose to fly to Myrtle Beach for many reasons, especially if they see the car ride as a punishment rather than an exciting road trip. Delayed flights and lost luggage are some of the drawbacks of flying to Myrtle Beach or anywhere, but a flight will get you on the beach faster, especially since there are many hotels near Myrtle Beach International Airport. Here is a rundown of the pros and cons of flying.

The Pros of Flying to Myrtle Beach

Saving time is the main reason people choose flying to Myrtle Beach over driving, and the recently updated Myrtle Beach International Airport is easier for vacationers to navigate. Here are four other pros of flying to Myrtle Beach to remember:

Avoid the dreaded bumper-to-bumper traffic in Myrtle Beach and book a prime window seat on the plane, and then hop in a rideshare to get around once you’re here.
Frequent flier miles and credit card reward points make flying cheaper than ever, and in some cases can be the most efficient way to get to your vacation destination. Look for mileage programs to reap rewards and save on airfare, and watch for last-minute flight deals.
The convenience of reading a book or watching a movie and then arriving at a new destination instead of watching traffic or road signs is a luxury, and your travel day won’t leave you feeling too worn out to enjoy your first day of vacation.

The Cons of Flying to Myrtle Beach

Whether you just don’t like flying, you hate being crammed into a small airline seat, or an airline has lost your luggage in the past, flying is just not everyone’s favorite mode of travel. Even though it’s usually faster, there are a few drawbacks to keep in mind before booking your flight to Myrtle Beach:

Having checked bags lost in transit is a major headache and may leave you without your things for a day or two.
You’ll be confined to what you can bring in your luggage as TSA regulates liquids and other items, plus going over the weight limits can cost you big overage fees.
Kids—especially young ones—can require a lot of accessories (car seats, boosters, strollers) that are cumbersome to pack and to get through airport security.
A delayed flight can leave you stranded at your home base, causing you to lose a day of vacation while you wait for a later flight.
Airplane seats can feel cramped and uncomfortable and you never know who you’ll be traveling next to.
You’ll need to be mindful while shopping at Barefoot Landing or Broadway at the Beach so you’ll be able to fit all your souvenirs inside your luggage without exceeding the airline weight limits.

Driving to Myrtle Beach

If you’re wondering whether you can drive to Myrtle Beach, the answer is yes—it just depends on your personal preferences. Some people love hitting the open road to drive to the Grand Strand while others find the time behind the wheel to be a waste of a perfectly good vacation day. The expense of paying for five airline tickets for your family will never be as cheap as the tank or two of gas it takes to drive to Myrtle Beach, but if your time is limited or your family isn’t the type to enjoy a road trip, a flight may be preferred. Review these pros and cons of driving before booking your rental car or flight to Myrtle Beach.

The Pros of Driving to Myrtle Beach

Unless you find an unbelievable airline deal, the cost of driving will almost always beat the price of plane tickets—especially for a large family. Besides the cost, though, there are other pros to keep top of mind as you plan your vacation to Myrtle Beach. Consider these benefits of driving:

Driving can become its own vacation. Stop at every attraction on the way to your destination and enjoy the area’s shopping as you make your way to your hotel.
You won’t need to transfer your things to a rental car or shuttle when you arrive in Myrtle Beach—simply drive to your resort and unpack.
Don’t limit your itinerary to nearby activities or worry about paying costly rideshare fees to reach the things to do around the Grand Strand.
Driving to your vacation destination in a spacious vehicle gives everyone more room for packing all the must-haves, and the extras.
Driving your car or even renting one lets you avoid the uncomfortable, upright seating on an airplane, sidestep germs in airport bathrooms and on plane seats, and sing at the top of your lungs without being stared down by strangers.

The Cons of Driving to Myrtle Beach

Though driving is cheaper, it isn’t free, nor is it fast. People wondering how far it is to drive to Myrtle Beach may be surprised to learn a trip from the Midwest states can take a full day’s worth of nonstop driving, and those arriving from anywhere past the Rocky Mountains are in for multi-day travel. Keep the time, mileage, and these other cons in mind when deciding to drive to Myrtle Beach:

Learning to navigate a new city is a stressor some vacationers just don’t want to deal with, and would rather leave up to shuttle and rideshare drivers.
Gasoline is expensive and can really add up if you’re traveling a long distance; and, unless you have many drivers in rotation, you’ll need to rent hotel rooms on your way to and from Myrtle Beach.
You may need to pay a daily fee to park at your hotel, plus public parking at beaches or other attractions in the area may also be expensive.

In the end, flying or driving to Myrtle Beach is up to you. Weigh your budget and the travel time to decide what method gives you the best vacation for your dollars. Springing for cheap, red-eye flights can save you some dough, and hotel deals can offset some of your travel costs too. Once you arrive, put your travel days behind you and relax at your oceanfront hotel or unwind while the kids wear themselves out at the resort’s waterpark.