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Eight Money Saving Tips for Your Next Road Trip
With the economy still on uncertain ground and the weakness of the dollar making foreign travel increasingly expensive, many Americans will be looking for affordable travel alternatives within the United States. For families on a budget, few vacation options can come close to the value provided by a well-planned road trip, particularly now that gasoline prices are more reasonable. How can families stretch their travel dollars even further on their next major road trip? Here are eight tips that can put money in your pocket without detracting from the overall experience. Use Priceline to Minimize Lodging Costs
Beyond collecting this type of information, consumers should be aware that often the best Priceline deals are scored at the last minute. Hotels typically give Priceline blocks of unused inventory shortly before a travel date if it looks like they will be unable to fill the rooms at regular "rack" rates. On your next trip, take along a laptop computer or use a hotel's business center to bid on rooms for the next day. While there may be more uncertainty associated with where you will stay, the savings can amount to hundreds of dollars over a typical vacation.
Minimize Gasoline Costs
One of the major expenses for any road trip is gasoline. While the price of gas may not be above $4/gallon anymore, there is still no reason to pay any more than you have to. Gasoline prices can vary widely depending on local competition and it is very difficult to know where to get the best deal if you simply wait until the gas gauge reads empty and then exit the interstate. A better approach is to use GasBuddy.com to plan your gasoline stops. GasBuddy will allow you to enter the specifications for your vehicle and the starting and ending points for the trip. The system will then calculate the best gas stops based on your fuel needs and route. Since fuel costs can change often, I like to use GasBuddy.com to plan out the next day's drive when I am on a road trip.
Avoid Convenience Stores at Gasoline Stops
You've been driving for 250 miles without a stop and pull into a gasoline station to refuel. It's a fairly certain bet that everyone in your car will get out and buy drinks and snacks in the convenience store attached to nearly every gasoline station. This is one of the easiest ways to waste money given that a bottle of water may cost $1.50 and a candy bar will be at least $1. Instead of paying convenience store prices, stop at Wal-Mart or another big box retailer prior to your trip to stock up on bottled water, soda, and snacks. Each item will be a tiny fraction of convenience store prices. If you have four people in your car and each spends $2.50 at each gas stop, you could easily save $15 to $20 per day.
Opportunistic Camping
Most people either love camping or hate it. Those who dislike camping object to the lack of private bathroom facilities, exposure to the elements, and the need to carry a large amount of equipment. What I call "opportunistic camping" can avoid many of these objections. Simply pack a tent and sleeping bags in your car, and leave the rest of your equipment at home. If the weather looks nice and there is an attractive campground nearby, just use it to pitch a tent and sleep there overnight. Eat your meals at restaurants as you normally would. Never camp out more than one night in a row to limit objections to the lack of showers in campgrounds lacking full facilities. While this approach isn't for everyone, it is possible to save significant money and have fun at the same time.
Ditch the Car in Big Cities
A car is a major liability in most big cities. You will have trouble navigating the unfamiliar traffic and often pay exorbitant prices to simply park your car. While in the city, most people will just leave their cars in the hotel gathering dust. Most major cities have commuter rail stations in suburbs and, with a bit of planning, one can park at a station and take the train into the city. For example, if you are visiting New York City, leave your car at Metropark, New Jersey and take New Jersey Transit into the city for $16 round trip. Parking is $9/day, a fraction of what hotels will charge for parking in New York City. If you are traveling with children, most will consider the train ride a highlight of the trip.
Eat with the Locals
Why eat at the major national chains when you are on the road? While it is true that chains offer the assurance of a predictable meal, it is often possible to save money and have a better experience by eating with the locals. Yelp.com is a great way to discover the best local places to eat, but it is even better to simply ask the people you encounter when arriving in a town or city. Most people are eager to help.
Visit Free or Low Cost Attractions
While the purpose and goals of every road trip will differ based on the preferences of your group, it is almost always possible to plan interesting activities that are either free or very low cost. For example, when you are visiting a state's capital city, it is often possible to visit the state capitol building and in many cases there are museums and other attractions nearby. National Parks are a wonderful low cost destination for families. The $80/year National Park Pass will entitle you to enter any park in the country. This is a very hard deal to beat when planning a summer vacation, particularly to the Western United States.
Maintain Your Vehicle
This tip almost goes without saying, but there are far too many travelers who do not monitor air pressure in their tires, fail to replace dirty air filters, and never check their oil level. Not only can you save money by simple steps such as inflating your tires and using clean filters but you can also prevent a break down. Even the best planned vacation will be ruined if you are stranded at a truck stop for hours waiting for a mechanic to find the parts required to fix your car. Have your local mechanic check out your car prior to any major trip.
With some advance planning and a bit of flexibility, it is possible to make your next road trip more interesting and affordable at the same time.
You've been driving for 250 miles without a stop and pull into a gasoline station to refuel. It's a fairly certain bet that everyone in your car will get out and buy drinks and snacks in the convenience store attached to nearly every gasoline station. This is one of the easiest ways to waste money given that a bottle of water may cost $1.50 and a candy bar will be at least $1. Instead of paying convenience store prices, stop at Wal-Mart or another big box retailer prior to your trip to stock up on bottled water, soda, and snacks. Each item will be a tiny fraction of convenience store prices. If you have four people in your car and each spends $2.50 at each gas stop, you could easily save $15 to $20 per day.
Opportunistic Camping
Most people either love camping or hate it. Those who dislike camping object to the lack of private bathroom facilities, exposure to the elements, and the need to carry a large amount of equipment. What I call "opportunistic camping" can avoid many of these objections. Simply pack a tent and sleeping bags in your car, and leave the rest of your equipment at home. If the weather looks nice and there is an attractive campground nearby, just use it to pitch a tent and sleep there overnight. Eat your meals at restaurants as you normally would. Never camp out more than one night in a row to limit objections to the lack of showers in campgrounds lacking full facilities. While this approach isn't for everyone, it is possible to save significant money and have fun at the same time.Ditch the Car in Big Cities
A car is a major liability in most big cities. You will have trouble navigating the unfamiliar traffic and often pay exorbitant prices to simply park your car. While in the city, most people will just leave their cars in the hotel gathering dust. Most major cities have commuter rail stations in suburbs and, with a bit of planning, one can park at a station and take the train into the city. For example, if you are visiting New York City, leave your car at Metropark, New Jersey and take New Jersey Transit into the city for $16 round trip. Parking is $9/day, a fraction of what hotels will charge for parking in New York City. If you are traveling with children, most will consider the train ride a highlight of the trip.
Eat with the Locals
Why eat at the major national chains when you are on the road? While it is true that chains offer the assurance of a predictable meal, it is often possible to save money and have a better experience by eating with the locals. Yelp.com is a great way to discover the best local places to eat, but it is even better to simply ask the people you encounter when arriving in a town or city. Most people are eager to help.Visit Free or Low Cost Attractions
While the purpose and goals of every road trip will differ based on the preferences of your group, it is almost always possible to plan interesting activities that are either free or very low cost. For example, when you are visiting a state's capital city, it is often possible to visit the state capitol building and in many cases there are museums and other attractions nearby. National Parks are a wonderful low cost destination for families. The $80/year National Park Pass will entitle you to enter any park in the country. This is a very hard deal to beat when planning a summer vacation, particularly to the Western United States.
Maintain Your Vehicle
This tip almost goes without saying, but there are far too many travelers who do not monitor air pressure in their tires, fail to replace dirty air filters, and never check their oil level. Not only can you save money by simple steps such as inflating your tires and using clean filters but you can also prevent a break down. Even the best planned vacation will be ruined if you are stranded at a truck stop for hours waiting for a mechanic to find the parts required to fix your car. Have your local mechanic check out your car prior to any major trip.
With some advance planning and a bit of flexibility, it is possible to make your next road trip more interesting and affordable at the same time.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lauren Dec 20th 2009 2:02PM
I love camping myself, but I like the idea of "Opportunistic Camping" as a way for non-campers to gently wade into the waters. I'd still pack along a simple backpacking campstove and some fuel, though, for boiling water for my instant soup at night and morning cup of coffee. A few simple comforts will make camping that much more tolerable. I use MSR's Pocket Rocket, which is around $35 and fits in the palm of your hand. And remember it often gets cold at night in the mountains and the desert, so don't scrimp on a sleeping bag - go for a good down-filled bag. Mine is from Marmot.
Another great way to cut costs on road-tripping is to arrange bed and breakfast homestays. The organization I started is Casa Casa, where travelers stay in comfortable homes, with a home-cooked breakfast, and pay a small gratuity of just $15 a night to their hosts. This is a fraction of the cost of a real bed and breakfast. Check it out at http://www.casacasa.org.
Ron Dec 22nd 2009 2:29AM
Opportunistic Camping is a great idea that makes this story a nice interesting read. In practice, it's probably not going to save that much money.
Consider that a typical KOA charges almost more than $20 per night, and that with hotel competition, and that it's often typical to find a Motel 6 type place to stay for near $35.
The real money saver is to just KEEP ON TRUCKIN. If you are driving without a backup driver, utilize a rest area and sleep in the car (for free). Use truck stop showers (they're private) if you need a shower, but not an expensive hotel.
If you are driving with companions, make a rotation, and keep it. If somebody gets too tired, then pull off and nap.
But I don't understand the point of shelling out good money for a camp site just to sleep on the ground and get going the next day. If you're that cheap, then why not sleep in the car somewhere that's free?
Having a good road trip car that is comfortable to sleep in makes this much easier. VW Jetta would be THE worst car for this strategy. But then again, if you're driving to somewhere that requires an overnight, then you probably don't have room in the trunk for a tent and sleeping bag in a VW Jetta.
Also, tents and sleeping bags are not free, so it's not really a money saver if you go out and buy those items.
So, in my opinion, opportunistic camping is more a conversation starter than a practical way to save money.
Also, is there a web site that tracks the price of gas station soda like gasoline? Some gas stations have fountain soda 32 oz for less than $1. That's cheaper or closer to the cost of some grocery store items even in bulk. And if you buy 1 "overpriced" something and eat that one item, it's still cheaper than buying a case of that item at a grocery store and eating it just because you have it.
Also, on ditching the car in the big city: Just find a convenient place to park the car that isn't the hotel. There's bound to be a cheaper garage nearby your hotel if you just look. You don't have to mess with the inconvenience of riding a commuter train. You're on vacation for Pete's sake. But I would never leave a car unsecured for days on end at a commuter lot. You're just asking for your car to get robbed in the evening when all the other cars have gone home for the day. The savings from parking there will be eaten up quick by the costs of recovering from a broken window or missing items.
For example, there is free parking in New Orleans under the big highway that goes over the river, and it's really convenient to the trolley. Would you trust your car to sit there for a week?
Scott Dec 23rd 2009 5:31AM
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Nicole K. Phillips Feb 3rd 2010 12:27PM
Lots and lots of useful information for the trip takers who go bumping down the road from time to time and are interested in finding ways to save money while having a good time.
rajashree Jul 18th 2010 1:01AM
hi ravi .i like the simple straight forward talks which u have expressed . i liked your idea of avoiding cars at major cities ,even we do it and take the local trains. and also that unnenecessary junk expenses here and there at gas stations at stores there could be avoided .thats 100per true.!