Everyday
Road Trip Cost Calculator
Budget a road trip's fuel, tolls, hotel, and food, split it per person, and compare driving against flying or the train.
How it works
Behind the numbers
Fuel is distance divided by MPG times gas price: 600 miles at 28 MPG and $3.50 a gallon costs $75. Tolls add as a lump sum, hotel is nights times the nightly rate, and food is days times travelers times the daily budget. The drive total is the sum of the four, split evenly per person.
The comparison prices the alternatives for the same group: flying is round-trip airfare times the number of travelers plus a rental car at the destination, since the drive side includes ground transport; the train is round-trip fare times travelers. The cheapest of the three is flagged.
Two presets fill in common trips: a weekend getaway of 600 miles over 3 days, and a cross-state run of 2,400 miles over 7 days. Edit any field after applying a preset. Parking, baggage fees, and road snacks are not included, so treat the total as a planning baseline.
FAQ
Questions, answered
How do you calculate the cost of a road trip?
Add four parts: fuel (miles / MPG x gas price), tolls, hotel (nights x rate), and food (days x travelers x daily budget). A 600-mile weekend for two at the default rates totals $740, or $370 per person.
Is it cheaper to drive or fly?
It depends on distance and group size. Driving splits one car's fuel across everyone, while flying multiplies the airfare per person. For the default weekend trip, driving costs $740 total versus $950 to fly two people with a rental car; on a 3,000-mile solo trip, the $370 flight wins.
Should I use round-trip or one-way miles?
Round trip. The calculator expects the full distance you will drive, both directions. Doubling a one-way distance is the most common mistake in trip budgets.
Does the calculator include the rental car for flying?
Yes. The fly total adds a rental car at the destination so both options cover ground transport. If you will not need a car there, set the rental cost to zero.