31 Ways to Take a Cheap Road Trip on a Budget
There’s nothing else quite like a family road trip! Long road trips hold a special place in our familys’ collective heart - so much so that when we’re home for a while our daughter often tells us she’s “roadsick” (as opposed to homesick😍). And because we like to be on the road, we’ve found a lot of ways over the years to take cheap road trips, allowing us to adventure longer while staying within our budget.
This guide will help you do the same by teaching you how to determine the cost of your planned road trip, while offering a ton of ways to save money before and after hitting the road, so you can take a cheap road trip that will fit your own travel budget.
DeterminE the Cost of Your Road Trip
We have a post outlining How Much a Cross Country Road Trip Costs our family with the way we travel (big surprise - we’re cheap). However, road trip costs vary greatly depending on a few things:
Where are You Going
Example: A road trip across the southern US will be generally cheaper than around the western, northern, or east coast because the cost of fuel and general cost-of-living is lower.
How Far To Get There
Obviously the longer your road trip is, the more variable expenses like food, fuel, and accommodations you’ll need to budget for.
How Long You Will Be Gone
This is a bit counter intuitive - slowing down and taking your time can actually result in a lower per-day cost. Generally, if your time is limited you’ll be more inclined to “pack everything you can” into your road trip.
Example: Compare camping for free in one spot for 5 days, cooking your own food, and relaxing vs. driving 100-200 miles per day for 5 days (high fuel costs), eating out on the road (higher food costs), and going to multiple attractions each day (higher entertainment costs).
The Number of People Coming Along
The more people, the more food, entertainment, and lodging expenses. However, if you’re traveling with adult friends or family you can share these costs, reducing your individual road trip expense.
Where Will You Sleep (Accommodations)
Pit Stops with family members and friends (this is a great way to keep a road trip cheap)
Hotels vs Airbnbs
Developed campgrounds vs free or cheap dispersed campsites
Your Style of Travel and Comfort Level
You can save a TON of money and take a very cheap road trip if you’re okay with sacrificing a little comfort along the way (e.g., camping without access to traditional showers - here’s a complete guide on How to Bathe while Camping and Traveling)
How to Save Money Before Your Cheap Road Trip Even Begins
Make a Road Trip Budget
This is step one to saving money on a road trip, as it will help you stay reflective on your spending while you travel. A good road trip budget should include the following categories:
Fuel
Food
Accommodations
Entertainment
Miscellaneous (fees, ferries, tolls, etc.)
Emergency Fund - We generally recommend setting aside a minimum of $1000 for an emergency fund to help with mechanical repairs, plane tickets home, or random medical needs that may arise on your road trip.
Plan to Track Expenses As You Travel
Tracking your road trip expenses helps keep your mind on what you’re spending and also allows you to reflect on your travels afterwards to better plan and budget for your next road trip.
We’ve typically just saved all our receipts and hand written our costs in a travel journal, but there are two great apps called Travel Wallet (Android) and TravelSpend (iOS) that can make the process of tracking your road trip budget a lot easier.
Don’t Travel on Peak Traffic Days
Holidays - Generally holidays bring higher fuel costs, higher lodging costs, more traffic, and generally more hectic driving conditions, in metropolitan areas especially.
Weekends - While not as bad as holidays, weekends also average slightly higher fuel prices, lodging prices, and increased traffic congestion. If possible, we typically try to find cheap accommodations (more on this below) early Friday and avoid moving until the following Monday. This also allows you to relax and enjoy the local hikes and attractions before moving on.
Plan Ahead to Maximize Your Road Trip Budget
Simply Googling “ways to save when going to…[insert awesome locale you want to visit]” or “visiting [insert popular attraction or metropolitan area] cheaply” can yield a TON of ways to save money while road tripping to specific and often higher priced locations.
Avoid Heavily Touristed Areas Whenever Possible
These areas often have inflated prices on nearly everything, from hotels to hotdogs.
If you're going to a “tourist trap,” like Walt Disney World for example, try to plan your arrival during the off-peak season to take advantage of discounts or lower prices.
Pack Smart to Save Big
Avoid buying specialty gear on the road
Items like quality supportive hiking boots that are right for you can take time to find, so make sure to find and pack a pair before you hit the road to find the best deal.
Plan to rent what’s not practical to pack
Having larger gear like a canoe, kayak, paddle board, or bike strapped to your vehicle can have a real impact on your vehicle’s fuel economy, so consider how frequently you’ll use these items on your road trip vs. the cost to rent these items as needed.
Consider the weather along your planned road trip route
Research the regions and elevation changes along your road trip route and pack appropriately. Quality Cold Weather Camping gear and wet weather outer shells like rain jackets and pants can be pricey and a real bummer to have to buy along the way - so if you have it or you can borrow it, don’t forget to pack it!
How to Save Money on Road Trip Fuel Costs
Compare Gas Prices Along Your Route to Find Cheap Gas
If you use Google Maps to plot out your road trip route, hit the search icon, type in “gas stations,” and Google Maps will provide available gas stations and pricing along your route so you can find the cheapest fuel stops.
The Gas Buddy App is another great option - it can help you compare fuel prices along your route in near real-time.
Go Easy on the Skinny Pedal
Drive at a Reduced Speed
If you’re not in a rush, driving at a reduced speed is an easy way to keep your road trip as cheap as possible. Most vehicles get the greatest fuel economy at 55mph, so staying as close to this speed as possible will often yield the highest MPGs.
Avoid routes with a lot of stops or traffic congestion
The worst fuel economy occurs when a vehicle is accelerating from a stopped position so taking highways with less traffic, stop signs, or traffic signals can improve your fuel economy.
Make Your Road Trip Vehicle More Fuel Efficient
Get a tune up and ensure your vehicle is in prime mechanical condition - this will help you yield better fuel economy and lower your total road trip fuel costs. This will include things like:
New Spark Plugs & Wires
New/Clean Air Intake Filter
Fresh and Full Automotive Fluids
Ensure Your Tires are Properly Inflated (this should be checked and maintained throughout your road trip to ensure optimal fuel efficiency throughout elevation changes)
Ensure Your Engine’s Intake/Exhaust Valves are Properly Adjusted
A Cleaning of the Intake Throttle Body and Mass Airflow Sensor (or Carburetor if you’re road tripping in an older vehicle)
Leverage Gas Station Discount Fuel Cards, Credit Cards, or Pay-with-Cash Discounts
Fuel Discount, Rewards, and Credit Cards
Walmart/Sam’s Club offers discounts on fuel when paying with Walmart Gift Cards and Walmart Credit Cards.
Costco offers a Citi Anywhere Visa Gas Saver Credit Card with 4% cash back on the first $7000 of fuel purchases each year.
Many Nationwide gas station chains like Love’s or Casey’s offer credit cards or rewards programs that also include discounts on fuel purchases.
Take advantage of Pay-with-Cash Discounts - many stations offer deep discounts (sometimes 10 cents or more per gallon!) for cash payment.
Use Public Transit Whenever Possible
Don’t waste time and money battling traffic in congested cities
Park on the outskirts of the city (where parking is cheaper or even free) and take advantage of public bus, rail, or subway system routes to explore these urban attractions on your road trip
Consider a Local Road Trip
You’d be surprised by the number of amazing local and regional adventures and attractions that are waiting right in your own backyard. Pick up a local guide book, visit your city or town's visitor’s center, or simply pick a town on the opposite side of your state or region that sounds interesting and try to plot a route that consists of mostly back roads. You’ll be amazed what you’ll find and how fun and budget-friendly this type of cheap road trip can be!
How to Save Money on Road Trip Food
Be Equipped to Cook Your Own Meals
This doesn’t need to be complex. Here’s How to Set Up a Camp Kitchen Box and here is a list of 12 of the Best Camping Stoves for a variety of different road trip adventures. This simple combo can literally save you hundreds of dollars on a long road trip.
Have a Cold Food Storage Plan
Invest in a 12v Camping Fridge (Here’s a guide on How to Choose the Best Camping Fridge) or a quality insulated cooler.
If you don’t want the hassle, here are over 100 No Fridge Camping Foods that would be great for budget road trips too.
Save Money on Groceries While Road Tripping
Use free grocery discount cards - many chains like Kroger, Safeway, Meyers, etc. offer discount cards for free and the savings can really add up.
Shop local farmers markets along your road trip route - the produce will be fresh and often cheaper than the supermarket.
Seek out discount grocery chains (we love Aldi) for resupply stops.
Cook Cheap and Easy Camping Meals on Your Road Trip
Here are 60 Easy Camping Meals we use regularly while road tripping across the country, these easy prep meals will keep you from spending more on the convenience stops and fast food.
Ways to Save Money at Restaurants on a Road Trip
Avoid the allure of fast food and chain restaurants as much as possible - this is one of the best ways to cut costs and keep things cheap on a budget road trip (fast food adds up fast!).
When you do go out, take the opportunity to enjoy local or regionally unique cuisine (think crab cakes in Maryland, or Po’boys in Louisiana).
Stop and ask someone local what budget-friendly restaurant they would recommend - this is typically faster and more accurate than parsing reviews online.
Split a meal - often dinner portions are substantial and can easily feed two, so ask for a second plate and split the meal (and dessert!), especially if you know you can’t easily store and reuse the leftovers.
Eat off the lunch menu - at many restaurants, lunch prices are lower (and you may be able to save the leftovers for dinner too!).
If you do stop for fast food, do a quick search online for coupons (Subway, Burger King, and Arbys generally have coupon codes available to help save money).
Leverage Continental Breakfasts and Kitchenettes on Your Road Trip
If you do stay at hotels try to get a room with a continental breakfast included (and save the leftovers when you leave as a mid-morning snack on the road).
If your Hotel or AirBnb offers a kitchenette, take advantage by making your own delicious meals without the expense of going out.
Keep Healthy Road Trip Snacks Packed and Easily Accessible
The cost of gas station snacks quickly add up on a long road trip across country, so packing some tasty snacks for the road can help cut costs, and they’ll be a lot healthier too! Here are 30 Healthy Camping Snacks you can easily pack on a budget road trip to keep the munchies at bay.
Avoid Stops for Coffee and Make it Yourself Instead
Retail coffee shops like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts are everywhere and can be a very tempting fix for your morning caffeine dose. But the costs of these frequent stops will quickly eat away at your road trip budget. Instead try one of these 7 Ways to Make Delicious Coffee each morning, and make extra to keep in a thermos for the road.
Pack Your Own Water and Sodas
Much like stops for coffee, the costs of buying bottled water and sodas at convenience centers and gas stations will quickly add up.
Use refillable water bottles - pack a Nalgene or other reusable water bottle and ask the gas station attendant if you can refill - often it’ll be free or very cheap, plus you can add ice too!
If you need sodas, buy them in bulk at the grocery store instead and toss a few in your cooler or 12v fridge for the road - the price will be significantly cheaper than buying from gas station coolers and vending machines.
How to Save Money on Road Trip Accommodations
Travel in a Self-contained Overland Vehicle, Truck Camper, or Camper Van
If you plan to road trip often, having a vehicle that’s self-contained is a major long-term money saver while traveling. The major benefits are:
No hotel or Airbnb expenses (or far fewer)
It’s easy to cook your own meals
Provides easier access to (and more comfortable use of) free camping sites
Check out our Truck Build Page to see how we outfitted our travel vehicles for cheap road trips and budget overland travel.
Stay at Free Camp Sites
We have an entire guide on How to Find Free Camping all over the US, including how to find spots in:
National Forest Land
BLM Land
State Wildlife Management Areas (WMA)
Parking Lots
Walmart
Cabelas
Camping World
And more
Use free camping apps or websites to find cheap or free campsites on the road:
Find Cheap Hotels & Airbnbs
Consider opting for an Airbnb, as they’re typically a little cheaper than a traditional hotel room and often include kitchenettes to help save on food costs too. Just be sure to keep an eye on any additional fees and charges your host has listed in their pricing.
Compare Pricing with Hotel Aggregators to find the cheapest road trip hotel options. Here are our favorites:
The Hotel Tonight App (for iOS or Android) helps hotels fill vacant rooms, last minute, by offering deep discounts, but you typically can only book a room 7 days (or less) in advance.
Stay with Family or Friends Along Your Road Trip
This is one of our favorite ways to save money while taking a budget road trip! You get to reconnect with family or friends that you may not seen regularly, often have great meals, and they’ll usually have tons of tips on local attractions or events to check out while you’re there.
We are not advocating being a mooch! Always offer to pay, chip-in for groceries, and help out around the host’s house with anything that needs to be done. And never exceed your welcome unless a genuine offer to extend your stay has been made by your host.
With that said, go and leverage your social network - both online and IRL, and don’t be afraid to reach out!
How to Save Money on Road Trip Entertainment
Find Free Entertainment
Stop at the local visitor’s center - many towns have a visitor’s center that can provide a wealth of info on free or inexpensive local attractions like:
Free Live Music Concerts
Farmers Markets
Hiking or Biking Trails
History or Art Museums
Libraries
Historical Monuments
Fireworks Displays, Parades, or Other Holiday Festivities
Tour a local college or university - many universities offer free theater, art exhibits, and music performances.
Spend a day at the local lake, river, or beach
Take Advantage of Happy Hour
A quick google search for “Happy Hour in [insert planned location]” can yield tons of local spots to save money on cocktails.
Happy Hours can also be a great opportunity to connect with locals and get tips and info on other cheap local road trip attractions and entertainment while sharing a drink.
Tour Local Breweries, Wineries, or Distilleries
Often the cost to fill a growler, buy a six-pack, or sample a glass of wine or spirits will be significantly cheaper than at the bar or grocery store.
Ways to Save Money on Other Road Trip Expenses and Costs
Save Money on Rental Cars
Shop around online to compare prices, and use aggregators like rentalcars.com to find the lowest price.
Forgo the Rental Insurance
Many personal auto policies cover rental vehicles, so check with your car insurance provider to see if you’re already covered.
Many credit cards also offer car rental insurance as a “perk” if used for the rental car payment, so check with your credit card company before opting for the additional coverage.
Avoid Tolls
Most GPS and mapping apps have the ability to adjust routing to avoid tolls, and depending on your planned road trip route this can save a surprising amount.
Get a National Parks Pass
If you’re planning to hit more than two national parks or national monuments on your road trip, picking up a National Park Pass is a great way to save some cash on entrance fees.
Carry Emergency Roadside Assistance Coverage
A good roadside assistance membership like AAA or Good Sam Roadside Assistance (which we’ve used for years) can provide peace of mind and can be a real money saver if you do happen to have a mechanical breakdown in the middle of nowhere - or simply run out of gas (it happens).
There you have it - 31 ways to take a cheap road trip across country or locally! If you know of any other money savers while road tripping, share in the comments below!
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As always, thanks for reading!
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