Use the full driving distance
Include the return leg, local driving and planned detours. A one-way map result will understate time, fuel and cost for a round trip.
Free road-trip budget tool · No signup
See all free tools Road trip cost calculator: fuel and total budget.
Estimate fuel, tolls, parking and the full trip budget from your own costs. See drive time and per-person costs, without signing up.
Road trip cost calculator for fuel, tolls and drive time
Estimate moving time and planned stops, calculate fuel from distance, efficiency and price, then add lodging, tolls, parking, food, activities and other costs. Nothing is uploaded, saved or matched to a route.
Enter every price below in this currency; no exchange rate is applied.
Choose the system used by your distance and vehicle estimate.
Count everyone sharing the trip costs.
Include arrival and departure days when they have costs.
Use zero for nights already covered or not needed.
Enter the whole route, including the return leg and planned detours.
Use a realistic moving average for the route, not the highest speed limit.
Count fuel, food, charging, driver swaps and other planned stops.
Use one practical average; add unusually long delays separately to your plan.
Use your realistic highway or combined miles per gallon.
Use an expected average for the route, not only the price at home.
Use the group price after known taxes and fees.
Include road tolls, ferries and overnight or attraction parking.
The calculator applies this daily amount to every traveler.
Include tickets, tours, rentals and required reservation fees.
Add roadside cover, pet fees or other known trip costs.
Keep the cushion visible instead of hiding it inside a category.
$2,794.00 for the road trip
Your estimate
$2,794.00 for the road trip
Drive time and fuel are calculated from the values above. The result is an estimate, not a live route, traffic forecast, pump price or booking price.
- Drive time with stops
- 23 hr 9 min
- Moving time
- 21 hr 49 min
- Planned stop time
- 1 hr 20 min
- Fuel needed
- 40 gallons
- Fuel cost
- $140.00
- Per traveler
- $1,397.00
Cost breakdown
- Fuel$140.00
- Lodging$1,080.00
- Tolls and parking$100.00
- Food and drink$770.00
- Activities$350.00
- Other costs$100.00
Useful comparisons
- Fuel plus tolls and parking: $240.00.
- Driving cost per mile: $0.20.
- Per traveler per day: $199.57.
- Budget before buffer: $2,540.00; contingency: $254.00.
- Largest entered category: Lodging at $1,080.00.
Entries stay in this page only and clear when you reload.
What this estimate does not know
It does not read a live route, traffic, elevation, weather, fuel prices, vehicle load, exchange rates, taxes, fees or availability. The speed input is your moving average; congestion and unplanned delays are not predicted. Real travel time and consumption can differ from the values you enter.
Confirm the full driving distance and current prices before leaving. For an electric vehicle, use a charging calculator based on your vehicle, route, charger prices and expected losses instead of treating MPG or L/100 km as an EV estimate.
A worked road-trip budget
Driving costs are only part of the trip budget.
This example uses the calculator’s starting values for 2 travelers, 7 days and 6 paid lodging nights. Illustrative USD amounts, not current prices or a quote. Replace them with your own costs.
Fuel first, then the driving subtotal
1,200 total miles ÷ 30 MPG = 40 gallons.
40 gallons × $3.50 = $140.00 in fuel.
Add $100.00 for tolls and parking: $240.00 in driving costs. This is the fuel and tolls/parking subtotal, not an additional cost to add again to the full budget below.
| Cost | Group amount (USD) |
|---|---|
| Fuel | $140.00 |
| Tolls and parking | $100.00 |
| Lodging: 6 nights × $180 | $1,080.00 |
| Food: 2 travelers × 7 days × $55 | $770.00 |
| Activities | $350.00 |
| Other costs | $100.00 |
| Subtotal before buffer | $2,540.00 |
| Separate buffer: 10% of subtotal | $254.00 |
| Complete trip including buffer | $2,794.00 |
Split equally, the complete trip is $1,397.00 per traveler, including the buffer. The $240.00 driving subtotal does not cover lodging, food, activities or other costs.
Use the total distance for the whole trip, including any return leg and detours. Enter your own fuel price, tolls and parking: this tool does not look up a route, live prices or traffic. Currency selection does not convert amounts. Keep all prices in one currency and do not use MPG or L/100 km as an EV charging estimate.
How the time and fuel estimates work
Match the units and assumptions before trusting the total.
Moving time is distance divided by average speed; planned stop time is added separately. For miles, fuel used is total miles divided by MPG. For kilometers, it is total kilometers multiplied by L/100 km and divided by 100. The calculator then adds the rest of your road-trip budget.
Only need the drive's fuel estimate? Use the focused fuel cost calculator for one-way or round-trip distance, MPG or L/100 km, fuel price, multiple vehicles and a per-person split.
Planning more than one driving day? Start with the free road-trip planner to name each overnight stop and estimate the time for every leg, then bring the total distance and stop plan back here for the budget.
Use a realistic moving average
Enter an average speed for the route, then count planned fuel, food, charging and driver-change stops. The calculator does not predict traffic or delays.
Use a route-wide fuel price
Enter an expected average per gallon or liter, then add tolls and parking separately so the driving subtotal stays understandable.
Comparing a flight or train too?
Use the general trip calculator