Road Trips Turn Out to Be More Expensive Than People Think. Here are Typical Expenses per Vehicle, & a Few Cost-savings Ideas
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Written by
Gianetta Palmer
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Reviewed by
Joel Ohman
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UPDATED: Nov 15, 2020
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Taking a road trip is generally regarded as a cheap vacation option, as it can save you a lot of money on airline tickets and fees, but there are many expenses involved that can make it a bit pricey, such as food, gas, and lodging, so people often end up spending more than expected.
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Adding up Everything Becomes Expensive
With restaurants, hotels, toll fees, fuel, and entertainment, road trips may cost up to $2,000 – $3,000, which makes traveling by car more expensive than flying, but very few consumers are aware of this fact.
A survey that was recently conducted by RetailMeNot, the online coupon service, showed that most Americans spend much more money on their road trips than they have originally planned.
The survey was conducted in collaboration with The Omnibus Company, with 95% of respondents saying that they believe that people don’t stay within budget during their road trips.
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Typical Expenses of a Road Trip With Different Vehicles
| Honda Passport | Motorhome / RV | Toyota Prius | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gas | 2,000 miles divided by 25 miles per gallon times $3 per gallon = $240 | 2,000 miles divided by 8 miles per gallon times $3 per gallon = $750 | 2,000 miles divided by 45 miles per gallon times $3 per gallon = $133 |
| Lodging | $100 | $200 | $360 |
| Food | $350 | $350 | $400 |
| Recreation | $0 | $0 | $160 |
| Total | $690 | $1,300 | $1,053 |
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72% percent of respondents said that food/restaurants was the highest expense associated with road trips, while gas topped the list of expenses for 62% of them. Food and gas were followed by hotels (40%) and entertainment (40%).
Trae Bodge, senior lifestyle editor for The Real Deal by RetailMeNot, said that 38% of those who took part in the survey intend to go on a road trip this summer.
Driving May Seem to Be a Road Trip Cost Saver, but Usually Isn’t
“While the cost of traveling by car may seem cheaper compared to the cost of airfare, there are a variety of other factors to consider when budgeting for a road trip, like souvenirs, food costs, fluctuating gas prices and even car maintenance issues that often arise,” she added.
Another interesting finding this survey provided is that almost everyone who took a road trip last year intends to do it again this summer and expect to spend at least as much as they spent on their 2016 vacations.
Parents are much more likely to spend more money on road trips (particularly European road trips) this year than those without kids, and are twice as likely to stop at least once an hour.
Making stops while driving significantly increases the overall cost of people’s road trips.
73% of respondents said that they make stops every two to three hours, with most of them usually stopping to eat or to do some shopping.
33% of respondents stop to buy a souvenir from a local attraction, 41% stop to eat at local restaurants, and 39% like to eat at famous chain restaurants.
Almost a third of those surveyed make stops for an interesting activity, and 28% go shopping at retail stores along the road.
As far as what aspect of their road trips they are having most difficulties with, 50% of respondents cited staying within budget, followed by affordable gas (38%), and finding restaurants with affordable prices (17%).
Some of the Most Beautiful & Best Road Trip Places in America
| Rank | Cheapest Road Trips in America |
|---|---|
| 1 | Historic Route 66 in Middle America |
| 2 | Mount Washington Auto Road in New Hampshire |
| 3 | Historic Columbia River Highway in Oregon |
| 4 | U.S. Route 1 in Florida |
| 5 | Black River National Forest Scenic Byway in Michigan |
| 6 | Route 100 in Vermont |
| 7 | Pacific Coast Highway 1 in California |
| 8 | Arkansas Highway 7 Scenic Byway |
| 9 | Hana Highway in Hawaii |
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Even though traveling by car can be expensive, there are a lot of ways to cut costs and stay within budget.
Here are Some Cost-Saving Ideas:
| Road Trip Cost-Saving Ideas | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pack Food When Possible |
| 2 | Use Airbnb instead of Hotels |
| 3 | Go Camping |
| 4 | Stay With Family or Friends |
| 5 | Locate Free and Affordable Attractions |
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You can use a smartphone app to locate the cheapest gas stations along the way, avoid eating at famous restaurants and bring a lot of healthy snacks and sandwich fixings, instead, and try to drive as economically as possible to reduce fuel consumption.