Tips for saving on road trips

[bjl584]

Pack a cooler with food and avoid eating at restaurants along the way
AAA or AARP (if eligible) can save on rental cars, lodging, eating, etc.
An app such as Upside can help you shop for cheaper gas
Not for everyone - but car camping can save on lodging (ioverlander app can find cheap campgrounds)
Stay within budget and save up pre-trip for expenses

Feel free to add your ideas below

[james.hendrickson]

Great points. So I'm planning a camping trip this weekend, and its likely that I'll have my kids with me. The major costs is buying them dinner - so a fast food meal for three can be like $40 easily. The way around this is to bring snacks in the car, or bring dinner along so we don't have to stop at McDonalds.

[ua_guy]

Specifically, for RV travels, we run with the rig ready to go (water tank full, kitchen fully stocked). That way we can "eat at home" on the road.

When we're in transit to a destination that takes multiple days to reach, we will sometimes choose to park at a truck stop rather than pay for an RV site in a traditional RV campground. Specifically, Love's offers a low-cost RV site with utility hookups at some of its locations. Perfect for arriving late and getting a good/safe night of sleep, with the ability to dump out the tanks, fill up on water and fuel, and recharge. On our route to California, there is a casino truck stop where we pull in for the night, for free. No utilities there, and we don't set up camp, just boondock with the slides in. We usually get in around 8pm after driving all day, sleep until 5am, and get back on the road. Just us and the truckers.

[myrdale]

I don't travel much beyond day trips, but I do have AAA. On a couple of occasions I have gotten discounts at hotels with it.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Great points. So I'm planning a camping trip this weekend, and its likely that I'll have my kids with me. The major costs is buying them dinner - so a fast food meal for three can be like $40 easily. The way around this is to bring snacks in the car, or bring dinner along so we don't have to stop at McDonalds.

Pack stuff to make sandwiches or make burritos the night before.

[cypher1]

For car rental, I've recently found more better rates with Costco membership discount when making reservations. Or reserve with a travel credit card for better insurance and protection. I always buy a larger water container with a spout like a 2.5gal size for hiking, even for solo travel. Very convenient to refill my water bottle or bladder pack. Save even more with a family that have their own water bottles to refill than buy a large pack of bottled water to go through quicker and end up with more trash.

Keep a first aid kit on hand, not just band aids but allergy medicine, prescriptions, tylenol extra strength or other pain relief, cough medicine, or even a tourniquet. I hate buying medicine or supplies when on vacation, especially when I had some at home. I don't expect others to keep, but I have a small bag of auto tools, along with jumper cables. Most of these items are not really to save money, but more to prevent inconvenience of down time or extra stops.

[msomnipotent]

I save up credit card points to cash in for gift cards when they go "on sale". Most of our road trips are free or very cheap using my gas and restaurant gift cards. I use hotel gift cards occasionally, but we visit rural areas that don't always have any chain options. I would rather use my points for the gas and restaurants.

We've worn out our collapsible cooler. I just bought one today and a different one last week. They've paid for themselves many times over by not having to buy drinks or food and keeping the kids in the car instead of them wandering into the gas station and begging for expensive candy. They fold up to nearly nothing when not in use, but we usually wind up using them as extra storage on the way back. On a related note, don't fill fabric coolers with rocks or fossil unless you want to rip the lining.

[pacerob]

Good cost-saving approach with packing food, using fuel apps and camping to cut travel expenses. Planning ahead and tracking budget makes trips much smoother. For alternative travel savings, comparing options early helps lock better deals. CruisesOnly offers cruise vacation booking with itinerary choices, bundled pricing for destinations and cabins, helping plan all-inclusive trips and manage costs in a structured way similar to budgeting a road trip.

[bjl584]

Good cost-saving approach with packing food, using fuel apps and camping to cut travel expenses. Planning ahead and tracking budget makes trips much smoother.

We always pack a cooler on long road trips
Whenever we stop for gas or a bathroom break, we'll usually pull off to the side or back of the parking lot to make a quick snack.
It saves time and money, and it is a lot healthier than fast food

[rob62521]

We try to use different hotel pricing apps to find the best deal. We pack snacks and take water bottles with us so we don't buy unnecessary drinks. We look for things to do other than our initial purpose of the trip so it makes it more of an adventure. And we research! Sometimes buying tickets online for something is cheaper than buying them in person.

[QuarterMillionMan]

Los Angeles to Las Vegas (4 to 5 hours drive) for me. I bring a coffee maker and a heating iron to boil water for cup noodles or other instant soups or tea, etc. I bring fruits, or make overnight oats w/raisins, brown sugar, etc. I bring a small cooler to fill with ice from the hotel ice dispenser and I bring 16 oz tumblers to fill with ice and I bring 1/2 case of bottled water. And I'll make a few sandwiches with deli meats, fried eggs, and cheese and keep in hotel's mini fridge. Freeze a 1/2 gallon jug half ice half liquid water for the drive. Empty apple juice container for #2 for the drive non-stop each way (TMI). Small bucket with chamois & rag to clean my windshield from bug splatter (I hate a dirty windshield which makes visibility diminished). Prior to trip inflate tires including spare, top off fluids, Clean inside & out windows. Full tank of gas makes it without refueling and 1/8 to 1/4 tank remaining upon arrival.

[james.hendrickson]

All, I just wanted to acknowlege that I'm terrible about this. I don 't plan to get the best or cheapest gas and I'm constantly overpaying for coffee and caffinated sodas at gas stations.

[QuarterMillionMan]

I used to bring a new serpentine belt, top & bottom radiator hoses, 2 gallons of water, floor jack, tire plug to fix a flat, 1000 watt battery jumper, new wiper blades, etc.

[QuarterMillionMan]

If flying I bring homemade sandwiches, fruits or carrot sticks to eat at airport and on the plane. Or I'll buy burritos from Taco Bell or Del Taco and bring to the airport. I don't buy airport sandwiches at $19, ouch. I'll freeze a Nalgene bottle and fill with water at airport. Sometimes I'll bring my heating iron to boil water to make freeze dried coffee or tea or even make cup noodles which I can do it on the plane if it has electrical outlets.

[james.hendrickson]

If flying I bring homemade sandwiches, fruits or carrot sticks to eat at airport and on the plane. Or I'll buy burritos from Taco Bell or Del Taco and bring to the airport. I don't buy airport sandwiches at $19, ouch. I'll freeze a Nalgene bottle and fill with water at airport. Sometimes I'll bring my heating iron to boil water to make freeze dried coffee or tea or even make cup noodles which I can do it on the plane if it has electrical outlets.

Dude, QMM, how do you even have room to make a cup of noodles on the airplane. The seats don't have that much space.