22 Nov Road Trip on a Budget: 10 Easy Tips to Save Money

Looking for information on how to plan a road trip on a budget? Well, then you are in the right place! While road trips can be full of incredible experiences such as discovering national parks, hiking to waterfalls, visiting new cities, etc., they also can cost a lot of money. It is all too easy for expenses to add up in relation to gas, food, and lodging. Trust me, I know from personal experience when I road tripped around Iceland for nine days and road tripped three times around the US for 14 days, 16 days, and an entire year. Take a glance through this post to find out some tips and tricks to help you craft your own personal road trip budget.

In addition to pondering how you will manage to go on a road trip on a budget, you might also be thinking about what in the world you need to pack. Check out my summer road trip packing list as well as my winter road trip packing list to reduce the stress of packing.

Contents:

1) Pack Snacks

2) Shop at the Grocery Store 

3) Travel with Friends or Family

4) Be Flexible with Your Lodging

5) Buy a National Park Annual Pass

6) Plan Out a Fuel-Efficient Route

7) Travel During the Off-Season

8) Turn an Empty House Into an Income

9) Grab a Toll Pass

10) Obtain Multiple-Attraction Passes Within Cities

1) Pack Snacks

My first recommendation to achieve a cheap cross-country road trip is to pack snacks.

Food is a necessary yet often overlooked expense. That being said, paying money to eat out at sit-down or even fast-food restaurants every day on a road trip can quickly become EXPENSIVE and eat into (pun intended) your wallet. A simple alternative to constantly eating out is to pack a cooler as well as bags full of snacks when you first begin your trip. Of course, being able to pack these items depends on the size of your vehicle and available space.

Example items to include in a cooler: sandwich items; lunchables (it turns out they are NOT just for kids), pre-made subs from the store, fruits, and veggies. Example items to include in a snack bag: breakfast items (cereal, granola bars); snacks (chips, nuts, trail mix), something sweet (personal favorites are the family size bag of sour patch kids or gummy bears).

I have the ultimate sweet tooth, yet I recognize sweet snacks are not sustaining for a road trip. You might be driving for six or more hours a day, hiking to scenic viewpoints, and utilizing what energy you have left to sing along to your road trip playlist at the top of your lungs. It is thus beneficial to bring small snacks that pack a punch (aka offer some sustenance). One of my favorites is trail mix, especially when there is chocolate mixed in there. 

Walking through Garden of the Gods in Colorado

2) Shop at the Grocery Store – Road Trip on a Budget

The snacks you packed at the beginning of the trip might just run out halfway through your trip. When that happens, do not fear – find a grocery store that is near. First, you can refill snacks and other items such as sandwich items, fruits, veggies, breakfast foods, etc.

Second, you can buy a hot and ready meal. Many grocery stores are expanding their offerings to include hot meals, which you can order and pick up in a matter of minutes. Another alternative is to buy a rotisserie chicken. One of my roommates (and best friends) back in college would buy a rotisserie chicken and eat it right out of the carton. Turns out that could actually be a great option for your cheap road trip meals.

However, I do also want to acknowledge that eating cheap on a road trip is often not as easy or convenient as grabbing take out from a restaurant. You need to plan when to stop at the store, consider whether you even have enough space left in your car to store food, etc. But you got this! Taking a little bit of extra time to plan for groceries can save you dozens or even hundreds of dollars in the end. 

I have one last note for this tip on eating cheap on a road trip. You can also cook your own meals. I know, I know. This requires even more effort and planning. However, it will also keep you from throwing heaps of money at your food expenses. A dinner of chicken, rice, and veggies is far cheaper than a dinner from a restaurant.

View of Iceberg Lake from the trail

3) Travel with Friends or Family

A solo road trip can be a wonderful and empowering experience. However, it can also be a financially draining experience. Going solo on the road also means going solo on all expenses, of which lodging and gas are a main concern.

For example, a hotel room for one person might cost $60, yet a hotel room for four might cost $120. Splitting such a room between four people would result in each person only paying $30 for the night. That is HALF of what you would spend going solo. For another example, imagine you spend $40 to fill up your tank of gas. By yourself, that is a whopping 40 dollars. Split between four people? Well, now that is only $10. 

Another bonus? You travel with friends and/or family! You will make memories that last a lifetime, truly learn about your friends’/families’ music preferences, and of course have blooper moments where you laugh so hard you cry. I did a 14-day US road trip with friends, a 16-day US road trip with family, and a one-year US road trip with my partner. Trust me, each road trip brought me memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. For example, I still have vivid memories of my friends and I sledding (and sometimes crashing) down the sand dunes at Great Sand Dunes National Park. For another example, I also remember arriving at Mount Rushmore with my cousin and aunt only to see NOTHING as the fog and clouds completely blocked our view of the memorial.

Celebrating the fact I made it to the top of Angels Landing

4) Be Flexible with Your Lodging

Another tip for how to plan a road trip on a budget is to be flexible with your lodging. You might have one hotel chain that has captured your heart. Maybe it is because they offer waffles with their continental breakfast or the fact they shape their towels like animals. Nonetheless, I urge you to consider other options if you need to remain within a tighter budget.  Check out options on these sites:

Booking.com (which is a personal favorite)

Hotels.com

Airbnb

I understand some might have hesitations with non-chain (or even some chain) hotels, especially young women or LGBTQ+ individuals traveling alone or in small groups. I thus also recommend typing the hotel name into google and checking the reviews. One of my rules is that the hotel needs to have at least three stars for reviews. However, please ensure you book a room at a place in which you feel 100% safe and comfortable. Your safety is far more important than saving a few dollars. 

Furthermore, if you are up for it, you could sleep in your car or camp out at a campsite. Some places, such as hotels or bed and breakfasts, allow you to park in their lot for a small fee. This fee is often a lot less than the cost of a room. Additionally, you can search for campsites along your route, pitch a tent, and curl up with a sleeping bag while enjoying a night under the stars. 

Need some ideas for your next road trip? Then head to Glacier National Park to hike the Iceberg Lake Trail and/or the Avalanche Lake Trail. To extend the road trip, you can even travel a bit south to Yellowstone as well as Grand Teton National Parks.

Driving through Sequoia National Park

5) Buy a National Park Annual Pass – Road Trip on a Budget

The United States has some BREATHTAKING national parks spread out all across the country (but shout out to the southwest as they win in terms of quantity). These parks can become quite expensive, especially if you plan to visit three or four over the course of your trip. With some parks costing $35 (such as Glacier and Zion), a simple visit to four parks would cost a total of $140.

However, there is hope. The National Park Service offers an annual entrance pass to national parks and federal recreation lands. Even better news – it is only $80. The pass thus pays for itself after a visit to three parks. Buy the pass online or at a national park entrance. Two people can own the pass, meaning you and one other person can utilize it. Additionally, the pass covers the entrance of three additional people in the car, with those under 16 able to enter for free. See the NPS annual pass FAQs for more information.

Furthermore, there are discount or free passes available for individuals in the military and their dependents, older individuals, individuals with permanent disabilities, and individuals who have service hours with federal agencies that participate in the pass program. More information can be found on the NPS site.

View from Hidden Lake Overlook in Glacier National Park

6) Plan Out a Fuel-Efficient Route

Let me state the obvious – there are a lot of roads in the world, including the United States. You can thus road trip across the US in about 1,324,543,232…. routes. Okay, maybe there are not actually that many routes. But sometimes it feels that way. Another one of the best cheap cross-country road trip ideas is to plan a fuel-efficient route. This idea is twofold.

First, it is beneficial to plan out where you want to go before you actually hit the road. I know some people are a bit more spontaneous and want to see where their travels take them. However, the most cost-effective option is to plan a general (or very specific – shoutout to my type A people) route so that you do not ever find yourself backtracking.

Second, google maps often flag when one route is more fuel efficient than another. Obviously there are a lot of factors that go into choosing a route. However, it might be worth driving an extra 10 or 15 minutes for a fuel-efficient route vs. other routes available.

Gas can be one of the most expensive budget categories of a road trip, sigh. That being said, finding ways to cut down here and there can easily add up over time.

View of Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah

7) Travel During the Off-Season – Road Trip on a Budget

I know – you might not be a fan of some of these tips for a cheaper cross-country road trip, including this one. You might ask – but if I travel in the off-season, will I really get to enjoy a location to its full potential?

My short answer is yes. My longer answer is that the off-season is actually a vast majority of the year for most places. You thus still have some flexibility in terms of when you can visit.

For example, most places have a peak visiting season in summer simply because that is summer vacation for families with kids in school. Moreover, holidays such as Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc. as well as spring break weeks tend to be busier times for travel. Lastly, some places have a peak visiting season due to their weather. In short – the “on” season for travel is generally summer, holidays, spring break, and times of the best weather.

Now you might be thinking – well, that did not help narrow it down too much. Do not worry – I have one more piece of advice! Travel in the shoulder seasons, aka spring or autumn. These seasons often boast moderate weather with smaller crowds. What do smaller crowds mean? Lower prices, especially for accommodation.

I speak from experience on this one. For example, I traveled to Redwoods National Park in November as well as North Cascades National Park in October, etc. etc. The trips were wonderful – just take a look at the picture below.

Basking in the morning sunlight at Tall Trees Grove Trailhead in Redwood National Park

8) Turn an Empty Home Into an Income 

Unfortunately this tip for how to budget for a cross-country road trip tends to be easier for those who own a property. For everyone else, do not worry as I am right there with you! I have not yet been able to use this tip for myself.

First off, I would guess that 99% of you reading this have heard of Airbnb or even stayed in an Airbnb before. If you are planning a more long-term road trip (three weeks, a month, a year, etc.), you can list your home on Airbnb. As a host, you can specify your property’s exact dates of availability. You can thus list your home only for the duration of your trip. Nevertheless, there are a few caveats. For example, you would need a property manager, cleaning company, or friend to help out after one Airbnb booking ends and before the next one begins. You would also need to prep your home beforehand for guests and section off any areas, such as a garage, where you do not want to allow guest access.

Second, there are platforms similar to Airbnb where you can list your home. For example, two other platforms include VRBO and HomeAway.

Third, you can sublet your apartment if you are on a road trip for multiple months. Finally, a tip for those who do not own their own property! However, there can be caveats to this as well. Not all apartment complexes allow you to sublease your apartment.

Taking in the views at Diablo Lake at North Cascades National Park

9) Grab a Toll Pass – Road Trip on a Budget

Alas, toll roads. I used to avoid them like the plague, but now I hop on a toll road every now and then if it saves me a considerable amount of time. There are 38 states in the US that have toll roads. It is thus quite likely you will encounter a toll road at some point during your road trip.

Moreover, there are now toll passes you can obtain that work on various toll roads. You buy the pass, add money to it, and then breeze through as the electronic toll will automatically deduct the funds from your toll pass. For example, the E-Z Pass works in states in the eastern, midwestern, and southern United States. The Electronic Tag works in Texas, and the Uni Toll Pass works in 19 states.

Unfortunately, there is not one toll pass that covers all toll roads in the US. You thus might have to purchase two passes or more to cover the entire span of your road trip. However, the purchase will be well worth it as toll passes offer a discount compared to paying in cash or pay-by-plate. The discount ranges drastically depending on the toll road, but it is generally around 20% to 50%.

As mentioned previously, I have taken a few toll roads throughout my US road trips. For example, they have helped me save time when traveling to Acadia National Park in Maine as well as Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

View of Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse in Acadia National Park

10) Obtain Multiple-Attraction Passes Within Cities

The next tip for how to budget for a cross-country road trip is a bit more specific. You can only take advantage of this if you are visiting cities and then also are planning to visit multiple paid attractions within those cities.

For example, if you are planning to visit Seattle, then you can buy a city pass that offers entrance to attractions such the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Science Center, MOPOP, and more. This is not for free of course. However, you can purchase a pass that offers entrance to multiple attractions for a discounted rate when compared to purchasing entrance separately for each individual attraction.

Moreover, each city is going to be slightly different. For example, there are going to be different passes offered in St. Louis vs. San Diego vs. Dallas, etc. It is best to look up each city and the passes they offer to see which is the best option. Nevertheless, City Pass is one of the few sites that does offer passes for multiple different cities. Check them out for your next adventure into the concrete jungle.

There you have it – follow these tips and you can plan your road trip on a budget! 

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Be sure to plan a stop in the Pacific Northwest: The Best Hikes near Seattle, Washington.

Did you know Ohio has a national park?: Blue Hen Falls in Cuyahoga National Park.