Budget Travel Tips for your Road Trip *

*Collaboration

If you know me, you know I love any excuse for a road trip; one of my favourite ones being a few years back where a few of us hopped in our cars, and drove to our favourite brewery in Wales. From there, we stopped at numerous places along the way and then stayed in various places on the journey back to make it more of a road trip. We had so much fun and since then, that same group of friends have done plenty more road trips to vineyards and festivals together! There’s just something about having the freedom to stop wherever and whenever you want!

But what are my budget tips for when we go on these road trips, let me divulge…

Plan your Route in Advance

Plan your route to avoid unnecessary detours and optimise fuel efficiency. With the likes of Google Maps now showing you the most fuel efficient route, this makes this part a lot easier! If you’re in the UK use Confused.com to help see the best petrol prices for where you are, or if you’re in the USA then using apps like GasBuddy can help you find the cheapest gas stations along your route.

Maintain your Car Properly

You can improve your fuel efficiency by checking tyre pressure before you leave, as the better inflated your tyres are the better MPG you will get, and it’s better for the environment too!

These next few tips are courtesy of my mum as she’s always checking on my that I have an emergency kit with essentials like a first aid kit, torch, and blanket in the back of the car just in case we do break down, so make sure you have a few essentials to hand. Mum is also always adamant that we have a roadside assistance plan for peace of mind and potential savings on unexpected breakdowns.; you won’t believe how many times we’ve actually had to call them for various car issues when out on long drives!

If you’re car isn’t up to road tripping and you’re in the market for a new one to up your game then Vizion Finance are on hand to make car finance easy! You can get a completely free quote to see what is available to you, and there’s no impact to your credit score if you do so.

Plan your Accommodation in Advance

If you’ve used my previous advice of pre-planning your route, then booking where to stay along the way won’t be a problem! When you book in advance, use booking sites to find deals and book the best rates; often booking directly means a free breakfast or occasionally a free upgrade!

If you’re really looking to budget then you could consider camping or staying in hostels instead of hotels to save money or if you have friends or family along the route, consider staying with them.

Food and Dining

For us, the food and drink on our road trips always adds up to be the most expensive part, so we’ve recently purchased an in-car fridge that we can fill with snacks, drinks, and pre-made meals to reduce the need for eating out. Plus, if we are taking the dog, it means we can keep her food cold too!

If we are doing a longer term stay, like when we go to Shropshire, we stay in one location and take daily road trips out from there, which means we can shop at grocery stores and prepare our own meals of an evening or even make packed lunches to take out with us too.

It is lovely to eat out when you’re travelling, so check restaurant websites for offers (lots do offers midweek!) or voucher sites such as Groupon.

Entertainment and Activities

I am an absolute stickler for an itinerary, and will spend hours planning where we go and what do; I find it so rewarding!

When I’m looking for what to do, I often check the areas we are visiting for free or low-cost attractions, such as national parks, museums with free admission days, and local festivals. Many museums offer free entry, which is a great way to spend time, especially if it’s raining! You can also consider purchasing city or attraction passes that offer discounts on multiple attractions if you’re going to be in one location for at least a day or so,

Planning your own hikes, beach days, or other outdoor activities don’t cost much either. You van take your own lunches along with you too, which saves even more money.

We do also have English Heritage and National Trust memberships, so when in my planning mode, I check to see if there are any sites near to where we will be and tickets are often more expensive than the cost of a monthly membership!

Hopefully these few tips help you on your next trip!