How Much Does a Road Trip Cost in 2026?

How to calculate road trip gas cost

Fuel is the easiest part to estimate. The math is:

Gallons = miles ÷ mpg, then fuel cost = gallons × price per gallon.

On October 20, 2026, AAA put the national average for regular gas at $4.28 a gallon, up from $3.04 a year earlier. The average new vehicle gets 27.2 mpg in real-world driving, a record, according to the EPA (model year 2024). At those numbers, fuel costs about 15.7 cents a mile (our calculation).

Source: AAA, prices as of Oct 20, 2026.

Your car’s mpg matters a lot. For a 1,000 mile drive at $4.28, a 25 mpg vehicle uses about $171 in gas, while a 35 mpg vehicle uses about $122 (our calculation). Use the calculator above with your own car’s highway mpg, which you can find on its window sticker or at fueleconomy.gov. Driving an EV? Our electric vs gas car cost guide compares the per mile costs.

Prices also vary by state. Among states AAA listed, Hawaii averaged $5.63 and Delaware $4.02 on the same day, so check prices along your route.

Lodging: the biggest cost on longer trips

Once a trip goes past a night or two, hotels usually cost more than gas. The average U.S. hotel room went for $161.78 a night in August 2026, up 1.5% from a year earlier, according to CoStar. That is an average across all hotel types, from roadside motels to luxury hotels, and it does not include taxes and fees.

For a budget reference, the federal government’s standard lodging rate for most of the country was $110 a night in FY2026 (October 2025 to September 2026). Chain motels near highways are often closer to that figure than to the national average.

In the calculator, enter the number of nights and your expected nightly rate. If you are sharing one room, count it once, not per person.

Food costs per day

A useful reference is the federal per diem for meals and incidentals (M&IE), which is what government workers get for food on the road. For FY2026, the standard rate was $68 per person per day, with rates of up to $92 in more expensive areas.

That assumes eating out for all three meals. Families who pack a cooler for breakfast and lunch can spend far less. Enter your own food budget per person per day, and the number of people, in the calculator above.

Tolls, wear and tear and other extras

Tolls. Toll costs depend completely on your route. Some states have almost none, while bridges, tunnels and turnpikes in the Northeast can add a lot. Check each state’s toll website or a route planner that shows tolls before you go.

Wear and tear. Every mile also wears your car. AAA’s 2025 Your Driving Costs study puts maintenance, repairs and tires at 11.04 cents per mile for a new vehicle. That is about $110 for every 1,000 miles (our calculation). For a fuller look, see the true cost of owning a car.

IRS mileage rate. The IRS business rate for 2026 is 72.5 cents per mile. It is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of running a car, including costs you pay whether or not you take the trip, so it is much higher than what a single trip really costs you. It is useful for business travel, not for budgeting a family trip.

Other extras. Parking, park entry fees, attractions and snacks add up. Leave some room in your budget for them.

Sample road trip costs

Source: Our calculation using AAA regular gas ($4.28, Oct 20, 2026), EPA 27.2 mpg, CoStar $162 a night (Aug 2026, one room), GSA $68 food per person per day (FY2026, nights plus one days) and AAA 11.04 cents per mile for wear.

Food is the biggest line for groups, and lodging is the biggest for couples on long drives. Gas is usually the smallest of the three.

How to save on a road trip

1. Pack meals. Cutting even one restaurant meal a day per person makes a large dent in the food line, especially for families.
2. Fill up before you hit the highway. Stations near interstate exits and in high-price states cost more. Use AAA’s state averages to plan where to fill up.
3. Drive steady. Smooth acceleration and moderate highway speeds get you closer to your car’s rated mpg.
4. Pick the right car. If you have two vehicles, take the one with better mpg, as long as everyone fits.
5. Book lodging with free breakfast and parking. These perks save more than a slightly lower room rate.
6. Set a trip budget first. Decide what you can spend before you plan the route. A plan like the 50/30/20 budget can help you set aside money for travel each month.

See how we research every number on our method page, or browse more travel costs.