Road Trip Cost Calculator

Plan your road trip budget with multi-leg routes, per-person costs, and fuel-saving tips.

Trip Details

Number of People

Trip Duration (days)

Fuel Price ($/gallon)

Estimated Tolls ($)

Estimated Parking ($)

Route Legs

Trip Cost Summary

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Total Trip Cost

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Cost per Person

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Fuel Cost

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Total Miles

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Daily Average

Leg Breakdown

Leg	Distance	MPG	Fuel Cost	Gallons

Fuel-Saving Tips for Road Trips

Drive at 55–65 mph — fuel economy drops sharply above 65 mph due to aerodynamic drag.
Use cruise control on highways to maintain a steady speed and avoid micro-accelerations.
Check tire pressure before departure — under-inflation reduces MPG by up to 3%.
Pack light — every 100 lbs extra reduces fuel economy by about 1–2%.
Use GasBuddy or similar apps to find cheapest stations along your route.
Fill up in states with lower gas taxes (rural areas often cheaper than city/highway stations).

How to Budget a Road Trip

Beyond fuel, the biggest road trip expenses are lodging ($80–$200/night), food ($30–$60/person/day), and activities. Fuel costs are often 20–35% of the total trip budget. Using a fuel cost estimate as your anchor and multiplying by 3–4x gives a reasonable full-trip budget estimate for domestic US trips.

Optimal Highway Speed for Fuel Economy

Most vehicles achieve best fuel economy between 50–65 mph. Aerodynamic drag increases as the square of speed — going from 65 to 75 mph increases drag by 33%, which translates to roughly 10–15% worse MPG. On a 1,000-mile trip at $3.50/gallon with a 30 MPG car, driving 75 instead of 65 costs about $19 extra in fuel.