Yeah
Flying would be so much easier--it's only 2 hours that way. Not willing to risk screaming baby on an airplane or losing $600+ of plane tickets though. Baby logistics suck.
In my experience, the younger the baby, the easier it is to fly. They don't need their own seat (depending on the airline), they don't need to move around a lot, and in all likelihood they are just going to sleep through it all. We flew a couple times while Justin was under 6mos old, and it was easy peasy. Once he started crawling/walking/more attentive to his surroundings, however, it is more work to hold his attention for a plane flight. Still, we took a flying vacation over his second birthday this summer, and he was fine. He only cried at the landing of the second flight home because of his ears, and by that I really mean "cried", not "screamed". There is a big difference.
The only real downside of traveling by plane is the extra bulk of stuff you have to carry through the airport. It's near impossible to fly with a baby completely carry-on. I definitely recommend taking advantage of the plane-side checking for the stuff you have to have in the terminal, but not necessarily on the flight.
In contrast, we had to take an 8-hour drive by car when he was about 4mos old. All in all, he did just fine, but it actually was logistically more difficult. Frequent stops for diapering/feeding/etc., which isn't a deal on the plane because you can handle that stuff while the plane is still flying. lol In the car, you have to stop every time. Again, it wasn't a PROBLEM, per se, because Justin was basically asleep as long as he wasn't stinky or hungry. It just does make the trip longer.
As he's gotten older, car trips have gotten easier and plane flights more complicated, but I wouldn't say one is definitely easier over another... we just base it on distance.
Hope that helps!
ETA: Also, never feel like you have to base your travel plans around "other people". Obviously, you are courteous as you can, and do the best you're able. However, honestly, you aren't going to "ruin" anybody else's vacation because your baby cried on the plane. Have you ever gotten to your destination and thought, "This trip is going to SUCK and I'm going to HATE every minute of it because I had to hear a cranky baby on the airplane! UGH!" or arrived home thinking, "My wonderful vacation was DESTROYED by that kid on the flight home. What a waste of a week off." No. People don't take a vacation to fly, they fly to take a vacation. You won't be ruining anything for anybody. Frustrating them? Maybe. But no long-term damage will be done. Ever. Remember that.