If you are planning to take a road trip this summer, then you are probably going over in your head just how much that is going to cost you and what you need to do to save money but still have a great time with your family or travel companions.

Whilst you may think that a completely cheap road trip is out of reach, you may be able to save some money by making a few tweaks here and there to pull it off.

So, without further ado, here are some tips on how to road trip on a budget.

What to Include in Your Road Trip Budget

Before you think of ways to save money, you will need to think about what will be factored into the cost and how that will impact your choices.

Where You Are Going

If you are planning on a small road trip, maybe to some local national parks or to a little resort, then you will need probably only need to factor in the cost of fuel.

However, if it is a long road trip that may include overnight stays, then you will need to think about not only gas prices but hotel rooms, meals, and car rental insurance (if you are not bringing your own car).

Once you compile these together and check out what the price of fuel is at each of the gas stations you will have to stop at, you can then plan ahead of time to see which roads you can take, and which ones you can miss out on to reach your destination faster.

How Long You Are Going For?

Shorter trips will mean less money spent on food, so you can save money bringing your own meals and snacks and won’t have to stop as much at diners and food stands.

Going for a longer time with a lot of it spent in the car will mean frequent stops, this is especially true if you have children with you as they can get restless and will require food and hydration.

Planning water and food costs will be important, so keep that in your budget.

If you are taking a rental car, then you will have to determine how much it will be to rent it for the time you need, and how that could affect the rental car insurance costs as well.

How Many People Are Going?

When you are thinking of saving money, you need to think about how many people are coming along with you on this road trip.

A Road Trip With The Family?

If it is a family road trip, then your budget may have to be a bit larger.

This will grow larger still if there are multiple families going, even if they will pay for themselves, there is always the potential for overlap.

Despite bringing your own food, you may still need to buy extra.

Think About Activities

If you are planning on a few activities during your road trip, then you may want to see which ones are cheapest or free, so you are able to save money but still have fun.

There are free walking tours in many big cities, a variety of national parks, discounted admission museums, and so on.

Do a quick Google search and see what you can get. You may even be able to have some money off if you book ahead.

Will You be Staying Overnight?

As mentioned before, if you know that you will need to stay overnight, you have to plan on where you will be staying on how much that could cost you.

With any budget road trip, you don’t want to be paying over the odds for a boutique hotel room that you found as you turned off the highway.

It will be a better way to save money by booking ahead of time at an Air BnB or a campground, so you aren’t paying too much for a one-night stay.

You can compare prices online and find accommodation that saves money.

What Style Are You Road Tripping in?

Obviously, you are driving in your car for your road trip, however, by style, I mean what comfort level are you traveling in?

If you can forgo some of the luxuries you are used to and can get by just doing basic things, e.g. not using the showers on the campground to save money, checking out of a hotel early for a discount, etc., then you will be able to make your budget road trip work for you and your family.

Ways to Save Money For Cheap Road Trips

Now that you are aware of what you need to think about before you go on one of your road trips, you need to look at some ways that you can pull this off and make your road trip one of the best ones yet.

Keep Track of Your Budget

Once you know what your money will be spent on for your road trip, you need to keep track of all your expenses so you do not go over budget.

How To Track It

You can download apps to help you manage it or you can ask someone you are traveling with to write down how much is being spent and when.

Look at Things Like The Cheapest Gas Prices

You may have searched for cheap gas costs before leaving so you are able to reduce your gas expenditure when on the road.

Keep a list of these on your phone so you have them to hand whenever you are in a pinch so you know where to go if in need.

It always comes back to gas nowadays, especially as it keeps rising and it is one of the crucial elements of a road trip.

Plan Your Road Trip Routes

Google maps are going to be your best friend here for your next road trip. It will help you plan your routes, see if there are any obstructions, and keep you updated if you need to re-route somewhere else.

There are roads that you can alternatively go on if needs be, so sticking to what Google says is important.

Get Someone To Be In Charge Of The Route

Have someone keep the map up on their phone, if you are the one in the driver’s seat, and tell them to let you know if there are any changes, as well as entrust them to Google any other additional information so you can make an informed decision as you drive, rather than make constant stops that could lengthen your time on the road.

Avoid Going During Holidays

If you are going on a road trip with your family, then you probably can’t avoid going during the holidays as you will have kids who have to be in school at low-traffic times.

However, if you are going with friends and adult family members, then you have a bit more leeway in that sense and will be able to go during the off-peak season which can help you save money and keep within your budget.

Take a Campervan Rather Than a Car

Fancy yourself a bit of an outdoors person?

A campervan may be your best bet here as you will not have to worry about booking a hotel room for the night, you can sleep in your campervan instead which will help you save money in the process.

Bring Your Own Food

Don’t have enough money to keep spending on food? Bring your own road trip food and snacks to keep you full as you travel.

If you are stopping at a campsite, you can bring tins with you and cook meals over a camp stove which will stop you from overspending on food in a restaurant as some of them can be quite pricey, and the more people you have the more it will cost.

Bring Plenty of Water With You

This may sound like an odd request, but bringing your own bottled water will mean that you won’t be constantly buying bottled water for your family when visiting attractions or cities.

Get yourself some reusable water bottles that can be refilled, and save on buying plastic water bottles that aren’t helping the environment and will clutter your car up.

Download Road Trip Apps

There are plenty of road trip apps out there that can come together and help you plan your road trip in an effective manner.

They can help with route travel, what amenities there are on your route, and find attractions that you can stop at.

As mentioned before, you can download a budget app to help you with your road trip too, so apps certainly seem like the way to go to keep your road trip on course.

Conclusion

Now that you have seen what you will need to do before you take to the road for your road trip, hopefully, you are able to compile all your necessities together and save yourself some money.

Whilst it may feel stressful at the start as you will have a lot to think about, don’t forget to enjoy yourself and relax a little bit.

Money is important, but spending time with your loved ones and enjoying their company is an essential part of life, so don’t let that slip away.

Have a great time and don’t worry so much.