Road trip cost calculator
This road trip cost calculator shows what your drive costs in total: gas, driving time and driving days, lodging, food and everything else – broken down per person and per mile.
Source: Wikipedia – Fuel economy in automobiles (Umrechnung mpg ↔ l/100 km: 235,215 / mpg). Updated: .
How it is calculated
A 1,000-mile road trip at 28 mpg and 3.50 per gallon costs about 125 in gas alone – lodging, food and tolls come on top. The road trip cost calculator adds everything up and splits it among the travelers.
How it is calculated
- Gas: distance ÷ miles per gallon gives the gallons, times the price gives the cost. With metric units distance × consumption ÷ 100 gives the liters. Units are converted internally (235.215 ÷ mpg = l/100 km).
- Driving time: distance ÷ average speed. Divided by the hours you want to drive per day, that gives the number of driving days.
- Lodging and food: nights × price per night for the whole group; food per person per day over all travel days (nights + 1).
- Tolls, parking, admissions: as a lump sum for the whole trip.
Total cost divided by the number of people gives the cost per head, divided by the distance the cost per mile. Add a buffer for surprises and enter the gas price of the area where you will drive most.
Related tools: fuel cost for a single drive, the travel budget, split costs among passengers and the packing list.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the cost of a road trip?
Gas from distance, fuel economy and price, plus lodging, food and tolls. The calculator adds all items and shows the total per person and per mile.
How many driving days do I need?
Pure driving time is distance divided by average speed. Divide it by the hours you want to drive per day and round up.
How do I convert miles and gallons?
A mile is 1.609 km and a US gallon 3.785 liters. The calculator divides mpg into 235.215 to get liters per 100 km.
What about tolls and parking?
Enter a lump sum for the whole trip, for example from the toll information for your route. The calculator does not spread it over single days.
Are breaks and traffic included?
Only through the average speed, which should include short breaks. Traffic jams, detours and weather can raise driving time and fuel use considerably.
Sources and legal basis
As of: · Editorial policy
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