8 Road Trip Tips to Save Money on The Road

You are going to do a road trip but do not know what to prepare? Don’t worry, we are here to help you on how to save money on a road trip

From our experience, after a season of working hard, studying hard, everyone usually chooses a road trip. But it is important to know the way to save money on a road trip since the bill for gas and other stuff is not cheap.  Let’s get started on how to road cheap cheaply!

8 Tips To Save Money On Road Trips

1. Choose The Right Car

You should determine how many people will go on the trip to choose a car. If you are a group of 4 – 6 people, you should go for a minivan. If you are single or a group of 2 people, an economy car is enough. Other than that, define what kind of road trip is a good start for how to plan a cheap road trip. If you go to the mountain, desert… It is better to use an off road car. But if you go for camp, a big car with a bed is completely better. 

ways to save money on a road trip
If you are a group of 4 – 6 people, you should go for a minivan. Photo Credit: Travis Burke

Some people prefer a bigger car than usual for the same number of people since it is more comfortable. But our tip is, use the most fuel efficient car that will fit your stuff. 

2. Plan The Activity You Will Do

Where you will go, what you will do affects a lot in how to budget for a road trip. Make sure the place you will go, do you need to pay a fee for the entrance ticket or the price of the activity you will do. Write down on the list to prevent any exceeding fee.

road trip money saving tips
Write down on the list to prevent any exceeding fee. Cre: GETTY

Moreover, you need to make clear what you will eat is important too. Make a budget for it to make sure you do not overspend. 

3. Make a Clear Budget To Prevent Unnecessary Spending

A clear budget plan is one of effective road trip money saving tips. You need to determine many factors.

The first is how many miles you will travel. By that you can calculate the money for fuel. Most people who wonder how to save money on a road trip do not think about it. Usually, they just go to the gas station and fulfil the gas tank. You should put this fee into the list. 

how to road trip cheaply
A clear budget plan is one of effective road trip money saving tips. Photo: Courtesy of Dino Reichmuth/Unsplash

4. Unforeseen Cost To List

After you make a budget for your road trip, Don’t forget to factor in extra time (and money) for attractions you weren’t planning on visiting. You’ll probably hear about some en route from other road trippers and travelers. Some unforeseen cost to face is tolls, the fee for repairing the cars in case you get trouble on the way. Fee for music or other apps that help you to relax and find the road on the way. So you should add it into road trip costs.

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5. Prepare For The Road

Asking the other tripper is a good way to identify the road and save money for fuel. So now you know how to save money on a road trip. There are many forums for you to dig into and ask for the experience.  People there already traveled and they know which way to go, where to go. But you should read carefully because the experience of them may not fit you. Pick the thing you think you want to experience at the reasonable price. Reasonable price here is what you are willing to pay but still in your budget.

Beside, you can use some applications to help you find the road to go there. For example, Google maps is a great app for finding attractions on your road trip route.

6. Check The Car Before The Trip

That’s important! For sure you do not want to stop the car on the highway and call for the support. SO check the car and be careful before you go. There is a simple way, it is to bring your car to the garage, they will do their job. Or you can do it by yourself at home. Choose the most convenient way for you.

cheapest way to road trip
Checking your car before the trip by yourself or bringing it to the mechanic. Source: The Sun

If you are going to do it at home, you can check and fill properly the tires, battery, engine, brake… They are all important to make sure you have a smooth trip. It sounds simple right? But actually it takes a lot of time but also is the cheapest way to road trip.

7. Decide Where To Sleep

Thinking about where you sleep before the trip to manage the fee. If you go camping, it’s a free accommodation fee. But you still need to prepare the camp. Do not forget it, otherwise you have to sleep in the car. There are many things else you need to carry on such as: blanket, pillow, light, … Food is also important to prepare in advance. 

how to budget for a road trip
Choose where to sleep before the trip such as a camp, car, hotel, motel… Source: Astro Talk

There are both free campsites and paid campsites. There are numerous free campsites out there where you can catch some much-needed Z’s without having to pay a penny. Some even have facilities you can use. Paid campsites are still much cheaper than hotels and often have hot showers, nice toilets and places to cook.

If you want to find an accommodation, there are many application platforms where you can find a good place to sleep at a reasonable price such as Airbnb, Booking… That is one of our tips on how to save money on a road trip.

8. Have Fun

You already make a good plan, well prepared. What do you need more to make your trip successful? You need to enjoy it, otherwise, the thing is that trying to save money is meaningless. And actually, Having fun can actually save fuel, too—a relaxed driver is less likely to aggressively (and unnecessarily) brake or accelerate quickly, wasting precious fuel.

Sum Up

We have just introduced to you 8 tips on how to save money on a road trip. Read them carefully and make a plan for yourself to have a nice road trip. Do not forget to follow driving tips to fulfil your driving knowledge.