Last Updated: 10/16/2018 | October 26th, 2018
The great American road trip is a rite of passage in the States. We Americans have a unique fascination with the open road. It’s built into our cultural DNA. In Jazz Age America, the car was a symbol of freedom – a chance to escape your small town and the watchful eyes of parents. As the highway system was developed in the 1950s, a wave of kids set out on the road to explore the country, giving new life to America’s car and road trip culture. Today, many still dream of getting in a car and driving into wide open spaces for months on end.
And I got to do just that — for four and a half months and 13,000 miles, I traveled to all corners of this country.
In diversity and scale, the United States is magnificent.
But this isn’t a post about fawning over the U.S. (this post is). This article is about how you can travel around the U.S. on a budget because, as it turns out, this country is incredibly easy to travel on the cheap.
In this post, I’ll explain how much I spent, how much a road trip costs, and show you how you can save money on your road trip.
How much did my cross country road trip cost?
After 116 days traveling around the united states, I spent $6,262.67, or $53.98 per day. While that is slightly higher than $50 a day, there were many parts of my budget I splurged on (see analysis below) which skewed the number up. I think you could visit the country even cheaper if you don’t have my addiction to Starbucks or Sushi. Here is how the numbers from my U.S. road trip break down:
Accommodations: $1,036.36
Food: $3,258.23
Drinks: $438.94
Gas: $696.98
Parking: $253.00
Starbucks: $75.26
Miscellaneous (movies, toothpaste, shampoo, conferences, etc.): $170.00
Attractions: $269.40
Taxis: $41.00
Bus: $17.50
Subway: $6.00
A couple of things hurt my budget. My Starbucks addiction* was unnecessary and added to my costs. Moreover, as a lover of sushi, trying various restaurants throughout my road trip drastically raised my food costs. Sushi, after all, is not cheap. In general, I ate as if I wasn’t on a budget and rarely cooked, which is why my food expenses were so high relative to everything else. I would have definitely gone below $50 if I bothered to cook more often.
But, while I splurged in some places, three other things really helped me to keep expenses down: First, gas prices were low, averaging around $2.35 a gallon over the duration of my trip (Update 2016: They are even lower now!). Second, once you leave the big cities, prices for everything drop by nearly half. Third, I Couchsurfed and used hotel points often to keep accommodation costs down.
Overall, while I could have done better, I didn’t do too bad and am happy with how much I spent. So as you can see, it doesn’t need to be expensive to travel around America but how do you keep your costs down? What are the tips and tricks?
How to Save Money on Your Road Trip
There are numerous ways to travel around the US and keep your cross country road trip costs down. Whether you want to do it cheaper than I did or splurge a bit more as you travel, there are always ways to cut your expenses and focus your spending on what matters most to you. That’s the secret to budget travel: knowing where to save your money and knowing when to spend your money. When you master that, you master travel!
Here’s how to cut your road trip costs without cutting into your experience:
How to Save on Accommodation
This will be your biggest fixed cost on your road trip, and lowering it will do the most to lower your overall expenses. Luckily, you have plenty of options:
Couchsurf — Couchsurfing is a service that allows you to stay for free with locals. Using this website or similar ones is the best way to lower accommodation costs, as you can’t get cheaper than free. More than that, it’s a wonderful way to meet locals and find off-the-beaten-track stuff to do in the area you’re visiting. The site is a double win: you meet cool people and save money at the same time! I Couchsurfed in Richmond, Napa, Reno, Phoenix, and a few other cities. There are so many hosts across the United States, you’ll rarely find problems finding someone to put you up.
Use Airbnb — A more comfortable alternative to the cheap hotels listed above, Airbnb is a service that lets you stay in people’s homes and apartments. It’s far cozier than any hotel! You can find a lot of single rooms as well as shared spaces for $30–40 per night. I used this option a lot on my road trip. The prices are affordable, you’re staying in a nice house, you have access to a kitchen, and you get to meet cool people.
Stay in cheap hotels — When you can’t find a Couchsurf or Airbnb to use at the last minute, there is a plethora of cheap roadside hotels such as Motel 6 and Super 8 to the rescue. Rooms start around $40 a night, but including tax, they work out to be $60 on average. Rooms are basic and always look well worn. You’ll get a bed, bathroom, TV, tiny closet, and maybe a desk. They are nothing to write home about, but for a quiet place to sleep for a night, they do the trick. Tip: Even if you’re traveling with someone, always say the room is for one person, as these hotels charge you more for two people.
Hotel points — Be sure to sign up for hotel credit cards before you go and use those points when you travel. You can get upwards of 70,000 points as a sign-up bonus, which can translate into a week’s worth of accommodations. The points came in handy in places where I couldn’t find an Airbnb, hostel, or Couchsurfing host. This saved my butt in big cities around the country. I was glad I had accrued so many hotel points before my trip. Be aware that most hotels in big cities charge parking fees if you have a car, and adjust your budget accordingly. (To learn how to get lots of how to get lots of hotel points, read this post.)
Hostels — There aren’t many hostels in the United States, and most of them are overpriced. A dorm room typically costs around $30 a night, which means you can obtain a similar private room on Airbnb at the same price. If you are traveling with others, it’s often more economical to get a budget hotel than a bunch of dorm beds. However, if you are traveling solo and want to meet others, the social benefits may outweigh the lack of value. There were just some times I didn’t want to be alone – I wanted to be around other travelers. Some hostels I loved: Sweat Peas (Asheville, NC), South Beach Hostel(Miami), India House (New Orleans), Jazz Hostels (NYC), International House (San Diego), and The Green Tortoise (San Francisco and Seattle).
Camping — Around all the national parks are inexpensive campsites, so if you have a camper or gear, my recommendation is to camp when visiting the parks. Campsites are between $10-30 per night. Additionally, you can find a TON of RV parks and campgrounds around the national country via the company KOA for $20–30 per night. Moreover, check out the sharing economy website, Camp in My Garden, where you can camp in people’s backyards for a small fee.
My recommendations for keeping prices down: Try to Couchsurf as often as possible, use Airbnb or hotel points in major cities, stay in hostels when you want a good social scene, and camp at the national parks. You can also rent cheap RVs using RVshare. It’s like Airbnb but for RVs.
How to Save on Food
Cook your own meals and avoid expensive meals and restaurants as much as possible. If you are looking to find cheap food, use Yelp!, ask people on websites like Couchsurfing, or inquire at the desks at hostels. Avoid Whole Foods. Avoid trying to eat sushi like me everywhere! Don’t feed your Starbucks addiction and cook often. Food in the United States is very affordable and there’s no travel hacking ninja techniques to help here. Simple cook, save, and be happy.
How to Save on Sightseeing
There are three ways to lower your sightseeing costs:
A National Parks pass — For $80, you can purchase an annual National Parks pass that provides access to all 59 national parks (as well as any other recreation areas administered by the National Park Service). At $15–20 a visit, seeing five during your trip makes the pass a money saver. When you visit your first park, simply buy the pass and you’re good to go. There’s no need to order it in advance. The U.S. national park system is amazing and really highlights the diversity of landscapes in the country. You can’t travel across the country without stopping at many of the national parks, especially as you get out west. Though there are a lot of options, I highly recommend Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, Glacier, Redwood National Park, Zion, and the Grand Tetons.
City tourism cards — City tourism cards allow you to see a large number of attractions (and often include free public transportation) for one low price, usually $30–40. They provide free access to museums, reduced access to attractions, and restaurant discounts. Be sure to look into them if you plan on doing a lot of sightseeing, as they generally will save you money. They can be purchased at tourism information centers or online before you go.
Free museums and events — Inquire at tourism centers, use Google, or ask hotel or hostel staff for information about free events and museums. Many museums offer occasional free or discounted admission throughout the week. There are always tons of free activities in any city in the United States.
How to Save on Transportation
Getting from point A to B in the U.S. isn’t always easy, as our infrastructure isn’t that robust. (I wish we had a national rail system!) Sadly, to really see the country, a car is a must. We have few non-car options outside the major cities, and besides organized tours, it’s hard to get around the countryside and to the national parks.
If you aren’t on a road trip and still looking to travel America, here’s how to do:
Hitchhike — This isn’t something I did on my trip, as I had a car, but it’s very doable (and relatively safe). Here’s a post by my friend Matt who hitchhiked across the United States explaining how to do so and come out alive.
Rideshare — Taking on riders can be a way to lower your costs. On my first trip across the U.S., I offered rides to people I met in hostels. On this trip, I had friends and readers join me along the way. You can post ads on Craigslist and Gumtree and at hostels to find riders. This not only makes the trip more enjoyable but lowers your gas costs. Or if you are a rider, you can use the same services to find rides to get you places.
Get a car — You can buy cheap used cars from car dealers or owners on Craigslist. There are lots of listings, and you can resell the car at the end of your trip to recoup some of your initial purchase cost. While this is easy in other countries, it’s hard to do in the United States, so remember a couple of key points:
- You’ll need a U.S. address for registration documents to get sent to. I would use a hostel or hotel address and then set up a forwarding address with the Post Office.
- You’ll have to buy car insurance, which can greatly add to the costs of your trip.
Another option is to use a car relocation service. This is when you take someone’s car and drive it across the country. You are usually paid, and gas is covered. The downside is you don’t often have a lot of leeway on timing, so you might not have much time to stop and sightsee along the way. Car relocation options are also usually limited. Two companies worth checking out are Transfercar and Hit the Road.
Miscellaneous Tips for Your Trip Across the States
- The highways are filled with junk food restaurants. I’m not proud to say I ate at Subway a lot on my trip. Stock up on sandwiches at grocery stores to avoid having to choose between Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and Subway.
- Parking costs add up. I didn’t really find a super awesome way to lower parking costs when I was in major cities overnight, but if you have suggestions, leave them in the comments.
- Take a metal water bottle to refill along the way. Plastic water bottles add up!
Don’t let the U.S. fool you – it’s one of the cheapest Western destinations in the world! A road trip across the United States is a fun way to see a lot of diverse landscapes, experience different cultures, and meet interesting people. Traveling America isn’t very expensive once you are outside the big cities and you can easily travel the country on a budget by using the advice in this article.
READ NEXT —> WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN THE U.S. ON A BUDGET
READ NEXT —> 21 CHEAP AND DELICIOUS PLACES TO EAT IN THE UNITED STATES
*Note: I actually don’t drink coffee. I’m just hooked on their iced green tea lemonade!
Book Your Trip to the USA: Logistical Tips and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner or Momondo to find a cheap flight. They are my two favorite search engines because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned. Start with Skyscanner first though because they have the biggest reach!
Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the biggest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
- World Nomads (for everyone below 70)
- Insure My Trip (for those over 70)
- Medjet (for additional repatriation coverage)
Looking for the Best Companies to Save Money With?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.
Want More Information on the United States?
Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on the US for even more planning tips!
Clay
Thanks for the awesome guide Matt, just in time for my road trip!
Wynne
Sounds like you had a great time! It was a fun road trip to follow. I’ve driven cross-country a few times and used Motel 6 and Super 8 all the way (this was pre-Internet, before some of the other options were around).
Curious: why not simply stay in your own apt. in NYC?
Michelle
For people interested in camping along the way, a good start is to search for free camping. For instance, in the San Francisco Bay Area, the Bicentennial Campground in the Marin Headlands is free with an equally incredible view as Kirby Cove Campground (25$ a night). Many campgrounds in BLM land are free or at least much cheaper than national parks (less likely to be nice amenities like showers though). Dispersed camping is free in National Forests (with the cost of a fire permit), but obviously then, there are not even toilets!
Great guide, I’m gonna be driving California >> Washington >> Kansas in two months, then probably hitchhiking on to Georgia (although I might look into car relocation services also).
Noelle Brah
Matt – One way I have found to lower parking costs is to use Parking Panda (it’s a website). There you can search parking by area and cost, and pay for it in advance. I paid $54 for parking for a whole weekend in NYC, whereas other times I have paid $40 just for one day (so $120 for a weekend). It can help you find the best deal for parking near where you need to be.
Sam
Thanks for the great tips Matt! One site that I really like is Roadtrippers because you can kinda plan as you go along. Also, a little bit more expensive than camping or coachsurfing, but often cheaper than Airbnb is HotelTonight, a mobile app for last minute hotel rooms (often discounted!) Splunkett5 will get you $25 your first booking and there’s sometimes a coupon or two floating around. Check it out!
Drew
We enjoyed reading this post and comparing it to our current year as we travel the USA and Canada in our van. Our budget it $33 per person per day. Since we live in a van, we do not have to pay for accommodation, but all other things are equal. We greatly agree that cooking yourself will save a bundle. One of our favorite things to do is pack a picnic and enjoy it while having an incredible view and the National Parks are the perfect place. As for parking, we completely believe that you can find parking almost anywhere in cities that you do not have to pay for. It’s a matter of just looking a bit and reading signs carefully. We have lots of practice from living in LA. Why pay even $5 when you can take an extra 10 mins to look around. We can’t even park in majority of the small spots out there that a car could. For example, we parked our 21 foot van in Manhattan and Brooklyn for a week without having to pay. You may have to walk a bit, but it’s better for you and often times we discover something incredible along the way.
Clare
Hi Matt,
Thanks so much for this! We’re deep in the midst of figuring out how to road trip America at the beginning of next year and this is so helpful – especially the ride sharing and car relocation tips. Thanks for doing the Starbucks-fuelled legwork!
AJ
Great tips! Interesting what you say about AirBnb. I’m heading stateside in just over a month but found budget hostels delivered much better results than AirBnb in almost all west coast locations – they were cheaper and more conveniently located to downtown. As a solo traveller most AirBnb options seemed to come out at about $50+ a night compared to the $25 a night for a hovel backpackers or $40 for something more plush. Would love to give Couchsurfing a go one day though.
Ashley
One potential parking solution would be to look up locations in cities where they have safe parking programs for the homeless, due to being transient you would qualify. Churches frequently host these programs.
Kathy Condon
One thing you didn’t mention…….an ice chest. I have one that fits in the backseat on the floor. It has saved me countless dollars. I am a woman and meals that are served are usually way to big for me. More than once I’ve eaten the same thing in one day and when you are on a great adventure….who cares.
Bernie
Great article and great ideas. 50$ per day isn’t too much and when you look at how many different things you could afford when traveling, it’s definitely cheap.
Edwin
These are great numbers! I’ll share this up to facebook. We tried doing a smallest budget trip in Puerto Rico (we live here afterall) and we were surprised by the amount we saved just by using a reusable water bottle, preparing our food and sticking to the main road. Thankfully parking is free around here.
George Lauscher
What kind of car did you have that averaged over 40mpg?
NomadicMatt
Honda Civic but I did split gas with some people a few times.
Jeroen Vogel
Nice breakdown. I’ll be in the United States in October for the American leg of my “Expedition America”, and have simply booked Greyhound + cheap hotels as I’m sticking to a maximum of $40 a day for accommodation alone. You spent three times more on food than on accommodation, so I might have to look into couchsurfing. What I missed in your breakdown was the car: which has to be bought, or hired. That would drive up the daily expenditure for foreigners in the US.
Ben
Traveling the across the states on a $50 or less is definitely possible. If you take Megabus you can sometimes get $1 tickets from city to city and couchsurfing is very popular here too. If you take advantage of them you can travel the US on way less than $50 a day.
Brittany
Awesome and comprehensive guide! I took my first roadtrip in the western US earlier this year and it certainly is as awesome as it’s chalked up to be…and it’s great that you’re helping make that experience accessible to more people. Thanks for the advice!
Eddie
Hi Matt
I want to head over to the US for a 3 week trip after finishing my ski instructor course in Canada next year, however I am quite frankly scared about driving in another country on the other side of the road (I’m Australian btw) and I am only 20 so hiring a car is virtually impossible over there cos u have to be 21 (same as drinking, thats a shame!) so is there another way to travel. Europe was so easy but US seems a lot harder.
I was mostly looking to head south from Vancouver maybe flying or taking the train to San Francisco before slowly making my way to LA via Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon and maybe a couple of other places. Can this be done without a car?
Cheers
Eddie (=
NomadicMatt
Yes but it will be costly but you can take the train to LA, bus to Vegas, and a day tour to the Grand Canyon!
Karen G
Thank you so much for all this info! I am just starting to plan a drive through the US and Canada with my daughter for next year. She is 21 and has a mild cerebral palsy. She will have just graduated with her undergraduate degree and it is the perfect time to hit the road and see our beautiful Country 🙂 We are going to drive with a tent and also stay at Airbnb’s. We are lucky beause we have a year to 15 months to really take our time. I am very interested to see how accessible the National Parks are. She would like to do some light hiking too.
Klaudia
I’m planning to travel around the USA for 2 months. Probably I’m going alone (girl, 20years old) and I’m wodering how to travel on budget but still safely. Can you give me some tips? I use couchsurfing, but there is no option for hitchhiking without anybody. I don’t mind traveling by bus but I heard that bus stations are not entirely a good thing for a lonely girl. Is that true?
Coletta Herbold
My fiance and I are in our mid 40’s and currently living in Montana. Been here for almost 2 years due to an ill parent but she passed away and we are ready to get the hell outta here. We moved here from Southern California and while we have realized that we want to live somewhere warm…we really are not keen on moving back to SoCal and are thinking about taking a month long road trip this spring to figure out where we want to move to.
Our budget is going to be very tight and we have a small dog……but the thought of heading out and seeing the south and the east coast has me beyond excited…..
I want to end up somewhere along the Gulf of Mexico!
Barbara
Hi Matt, great blog. My partner and I, here in the UK, are in our late 60s now, and have been travelling for 3 or 4 months each year since our retirement. We’ve focussed so far on SE Asia, as our budget is restricted. But now it’s time to do the much longed-for US road-trip, before we get too decrepit. Any advice for oldies like us? Barbara
Natasha
Hi Matt,
My husband and I are planning a road trip in June and want to do some camping and hiking. We were thinking east coast or inland a little as we will be attending a family reunion in MI for the 4th July. Would you have any suggestions of places to definitely stop and see. I’m from Australia but my husband is from Indiana but has lived in Australia for almost 7 years.
Any suggestions would be great!
Brie
I just traveled with 3 kids from TN toCA and back. We used visitor centers as food stops. We ate hot dogs out of a thermois and I had soup and hot leftovers for lunch every day from my thermos. We never paid for breakfast (hotels) or lunch. We are planning another trip with a pop up camper.
Lies
Hi Matt,
Very nice blog ! A great source of information for our upcoming trip to see the great national parks. We are going to buy an annual park pass but I was wondering if the vehicle fees are included as well ? Because they are expensive I read on the park’s websites.
Thanks !
megan
Walmart. Free overnight parking at nearly all Walmart locations. and since Walmart is nearly everywhere that’s the best for free parking. ALSO, most walmarts are near bus stops. If you make it to a bus stop you can ride the bus around to areas, pretty cheap. or take a bike with you attached to the car.
Megan Ross
Just drove from Toronto to Florida down 1-75 for the quintessential Spring Break with my pre teen/teenaged children. As a single mother I needed to cut expenses as much as possible, Florida tourism is some of the most expensive (outside of NYC) that I have experienced. We try to travel a lot , mostly driving, mostly within the US ( a country we have come to love deeply) A few tips is to save money is to not stop until gas fill up time, destination or to sleep. Find a Big Box store and stock up on beverages and snacks, buy a cooler and bags of ice along the way. Gas station snacks can add up but if you plan your gas stops outside major cities you can always find a mom and pop diner to eat for relatively cheap. Don\’t forget about happy hours (ie Sonic/Taco Bell) and when travelling with kids look up where kids eat free or a couple of buck (ie Golden Corral on Mondays/Tuesdays) Sign Up for all the free reward programs (gas and hotel) they may not pay off at first, but trust me they will and my saving grace for safe accommodations when travelling alone with kids is the coupon books at rest stops. They are at every state I have been to so far. I really want to do the whole summer hitting as many States as possible, if not all on the mainland. I may have repeated a few suggestions already posted. My mother and I used to use hostels when I was young and that was always budget friendly and safe. In my opinion the worst thing to do is pre-book your rooms online…you will never get the best price plus it limits your freedom.
Thanks for the article and all the ideas, we will for sure put them to use!
Ming
This is a great article. As I just purchased a 2010 Mini Cooper to do exactly this – TRAVEL and visit this beautiful land and country. I am planning my first trip back to the Bay Area from Atlanta, GA and I can’t wait. I’ll be going alone, that’s if I don’t adopt a fur baby by then :-)….These are all great tips….I hope you all safe travels and great memories on the road!!!!
Lindsay
I am taking my kids (10 and 14) on a road trip this summer and I am anticipating between 11,000 and 13,000 miles. We are starting in California and heading to Pennsylvania to Florida and then back to California via the southern route. We are anticipating 6-7 weeks and utilizing the National Parks Pass that all 4th graders get right now. We will be able to stay with friends and family in a few places (Montana, Virginia, Texas and Arizona). Any suggestions on must see places, best ways to save on hotels, average miles to drive a day that won’t drive us crazy etc. We are saving NY and Niagara Falls for another trip . However, we will definitely do Disney World. I want this to be educational and fun for us so historical sites are a must. Any suggestions are welcomed.
Shane
This might be the best article I’ve seen on inexpensive travel – and I LOVE it! There are so many ways to cut dollars off the budget without sacrificing the quality of experiences. This is how I traveled through most of my 20’s, and the experience were amazing. Thanks for sharing all this – I’m always encouraging others to look into traveling. The dream vacations might not be nearly as expensive as you think.
Laurie
I don’t know if someone else posted about this, but there’s a fabulous app I’ve used a couple times called Parking Panda. Great way to keep parking costs low in big cities as you can reserve cheap parking in advance at participating parking decks and lots- of which there are many!
Jeannine
Love your tips, thanks! My husband & I are looking at coming over from New Zealand to try & see some of your beautiful country. Time will be limited as we both work, & so will the budget, but we’ve decided what we want to try to achieve & really appreciate the advice on this site. Can anyone tell us first of all if April May is a good time? We are starting in the Blue Mountains of Canada where my sister lives & apart from a quick trip through NY, Detroit & Chicago we then want to go down the west coast – San Francisco, LA, Vegas, Arizona & the Nat Parks (Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon), then we want to travel the Blues Hway (Nashville Tennessee to New Orleans). Is a campervan (RV) using campsites an economical option rather than Air BnB or cheap motels? Any tips welcome :-)Thanks.
Rebecca Ann Neuser
You can also use WWOOF!.com. World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It’s a site like AirBNB but it’s FREE! Of course it does have a yearly subscription and it is in exchange for labor in the market gardens and farms you’ll be staying on or in. You can stay inside a private room or even outside in an RV or just camp outside. This site also offers travel insurance and access to parks and museums. You can negotiate how long your stay is and the work is only a few hours a week, less than a part time job! I haven’t tried it myself, but when I do grasp my dreams of traveling I will totally use this site to the best of its ability!
Akshay
Hi Nomadic Matt,
I was just planning a trip to the US but my budget didn’t allow me but after reading your post I got many Ideas that how I can save my money while traveling in the US with a low budget. Thank you!