Road Trip
Road Trip Planner
Build a full trip budget in seconds — fuel, hotels, food, tolls and activities — split per person, per day, all shareable.
- Updated for 2026
- US units
- No signup
- Transparent assumptions
Trip Budget Planner
Your estimate
Total trip cost
$1,720
5 days · 2 travelers
Per person
$860
Per day
$344
Fuel
$148
Hotels
$580
Cost breakdown
Where the money goes
A live pie of the five biggest line items so you can trim the right one.
Fuel
$148
Hotels
$580
Per person
$860
Per day
$344
- Fuel9%
- Hotels34%
- Food32%
- Tolls2%
- Activities23%
How we calculate this
- Inputs
- All values are user-supplied — change MPG, distance and price to match your situation.
- Defaults
- Pre-filled with average US fuel prices and EPA-style MPG so the page is useful at first load.
- Units
- US miles, gallons, MPG and USD throughout. No conversions are applied silently.
- Rounding
- Displayed to the nearest cent or whole mile; internal math keeps full precision.
Sources & assumptions
- EPA fuel economy data — City / highway / combined MPG and MPGe baselines.
- U.S. Department of Energy (fueleconomy.gov) — Vehicle efficiency and EV range references.
- AAA gas price trends — Recent national and regional retail fuel averages.
- EIA electricity rates — Average residential per-kWh prices used for EV charging.
We summarize publicly available data — no scraping, no external API calls. Figures are calibrated periodically; use the calculators above for your exact inputs.
Frequently asked questions
Is a road trip cheaper than flying?
For 2 or more travelers going under about 800 miles, driving is usually cheaper once you add airline fees, checked bags and airport transfers. See our drive vs fly calculator for the exact break-even.
How much should I budget per day on a road trip?
US travelers typically spend $180–$260 per day per party of two once fuel, hotel, food and gas are included. This planner personalizes that using your inputs.
How accurate is the toll estimate?
Tolls are estimated at ~$3.50 per 100 miles — an average of toll-heavy corridors (I-95, I-90, FL, PA) blended with toll-free interstates. Real tolls depend on the exact route.
Can I share this budget with my travel partner?
Yes — click 'Copy link' at the top of the calculator. The URL contains your full plan so they see the same numbers instantly.