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Road trip cost
Gas from miles, mpg and the price per gallon — plus tolls, motels and food, split between everyone in the car
Name: [YOUR NAME]
City and state: [CITY, STATE]
Prepared on: [DATE]
1. Your numbers
What Your number
Distance one way, miles [NUMBER]
One way or round trip [CHOOSE ONE]
Your car's miles per gallon (highway) [NUMBER]
Gas price, $ per gallon $ [AMOUNT]
Tolls and parking for the whole trip $ [AMOUNT]
Nights in a hotel or motel [NUMBER]
Price per night (with taxes) $ [AMOUNT]
People sharing the cost [NUMBER]
Food and snacks per person per day $ [AMOUNT]
Days on the road [NUMBER]
2. The trip in dollars
Step Result
Miles driven [RESULT]
Gallons of gas (miles ÷ mpg) [RESULT]
Gas [RESULT]
Tolls and parking [RESULT]
Hotel or motel (nights × price) [RESULT]
Food (people × days × per day) [RESULT]
Trip total [RESULT]
Each person pays [RESULT]
Gas cost per mile [RESULT]
The rules (checked October 21, 2026) • Gas = miles ÷ mpg × price per gallon. Use highway mpg from fueleconomy.gov and lower it a little for a full car. • Gas prices change every day: EIA publishes weekly averages by region. • Many toll roads are cashless and bill by license plate — check each state on the route. • Holiday weeks are the busiest on the road: leave early and keep a buffer in the budget.
3. Before you leave
Done Check
☐ Tires, oil, wipers and spare checked
☐ Toll transponder or plate-billing account set up
☐ Emergency kit: water, blanket, jumper cables, charger
☐ Who pays what agreed before you leave (Venmo, cash, card)
☐ Hotel booked with free cancellation
☐ Car insurance card and registration in the glove box
A trip budget, not a quote. Gas price and mpg are your inputs; sources: fueleconomy.gov, EIA, checked October 21, 2026.