Travel Cost Calculator

Planning a trip is more fun when you know what it’ll really cost. This Travel Cost Calculator helps you estimate your total budget in USD by combining your transportation (driving, flying, or train) with your biggest daily expenses: hotel nights, eating out 1–3 times per day, local transportation, and sightseeing/activities.. If you’re road-tripping, you can sanity-check fuel assumptions with AAA Gas Prices, and if you’re not sure about your car’s efficiency, FuelEconomy.gov is a quick way to confirm MPG. It’s designed for real-world planning, so you can quickly see your grand total, plus per-person and per-day estimates. Use it before you book to compare options (for example, driving vs flying) and avoid surprise expenses.

What the calculator includes

• Transportation: Driving (gas + tolls/parking), Flying (tickets + bags/fees + airport transport), or Train (tickets + station transport)
• Hotel: Nightly rate + estimated taxes/fees
• Meals: Eating out 1–3 times/day + optional coffee/snacks
• Activities: A simple daily sightseeing budget (museums, tours, passes)
• Extras: Add specific one-time activities (like a boat tour) + misc costs

How to use it (simple steps)

1. Enter your travelers, trip days, and hotel nights.
2. Choose your transport method: Driving, Flying, or Train.
3. Fill in the fields you know (or use realistic averages).
4. Add your hotel, meals, and activity budgets.
5. Check the breakdown to see where your money goes, then adjust until it matches your plan.

What each input means

Trip basics

• Travelers: Total people on the trip. This affects per-person costs like airfare, meals, and activities.
• Trip days: How many days you’re traveling (used for daily spending like meals and sightseeing).
• Hotel nights: Number of nights you’re paying for lodging (often one less than trip days).
• Local transport (per day): Daily transportation at the destination (rideshares, metro, bus passes, parking, short rentals).

Transportation

Driving

• Round-trip miles: Total distance there and back (add extra miles for side trips if you want a more realistic number).
• Vehicle MPG: Your car’s fuel efficiency (if you’re unsure, check your model on FuelEconomy.gov).
• Gas price (per gallon): Use a realistic average for your route—AAA Gas Prices is a fast reference.
• Tolls + parking (total): All toll roads + parking fees for the entire trip.

Flying

• Airfare (per person): Round-trip ticket price per traveler (you can compare routes quickly on Google Flights).
• Bags/fees (per person): Checked bag fees, seat selection, or airline add-ons.
• To/from airport (total): Parking, rideshare, taxi, or shuttle cost for the whole group.
• Other flight costs (total): Extras you want included (upgrades, lounge day passes, etc.).

Train

• Train ticket (per person): Round-trip ticket per traveler (for U.S. routes, start with Amtrak).
• To/from station (total): Parking, rideshare, taxi, or transit to the station.
• Other train costs (total): Seat upgrades or additional fees.

Hotel

• Hotel rate (per night): Nightly cost for your room (or total per night if you’re booking multiple rooms).
• Hotel taxes/fees (%): Estimate lodging taxes + fees as a percentage; always double-check the final total on the hotel’s booking checkout screen before you commit.

Meals

• Eating out (times/day): Choose 1, 2, or 3 meals/day.
• Average cost per meal (per person): Your realistic average per meal (include tip if you want the estimate to feel “all-in”).
• Coffee/snacks (per person/day): Small daily spending for drinks, snacks, quick bites.

Activities

• Sightseeing & activities (per person/day): Your daily “fun budget” for attractions, tours, museums, day passes. If you’re visiting U.S. national parks often, the National Park Service pass can be a smart fixed-cost alternative to paying per park.
• Other misc costs (total): One-time expenses like souvenirs, SIM cards, beach chair rentals, or gear.

Mini FAQ

How do I estimate gas cost for a road trip?

Use this simple formula:
Gas Cost = (Round-trip miles ÷ MPG) × Gas price per gallon
Then add your tolls + parking to get a more realistic driving total. For quick price reality checks, use AAA Gas Prices, and for MPG accuracy use FuelEconomy.gov.

What’s a good daily activity budget?

It depends on your travel style, but these ranges are a solid starting point (per person/day):

• Budget: $10–$25 (free sights + one paid spot)
• Mid-range: $25–$60 (museums + occasional tour)
• Big-experience days: $60–$150+ (boat tours, theme parks, guided excursions)

Why are hotel nights usually less than trip days?

If you travel for 5 days, you often pay 4 nights (for example: arrive day 1, leave day 5). If you’re doing late check-outs or overnight flights, adjust nights accordingly.

Should meals be per person or per group?

Meals are typically per person, so the calculator multiplies by travelers × days × meals/day. If one person is paying for everyone, the total is still accurate—just the payer is covering the group cost.

How do I estimate airfare if I haven’t booked yet?

Use a realistic average from your usual routes or run the calculator twice (low vs high). For a quick price scan and date comparison, Google Flights is an easy starting point.

What if we’re splitting hotel rooms?

Set hotel rate per night to your total nightly hotel cost (for example, two rooms at $140 each = $280/night). The calculator will still give you the correct trip total and per-person estimate.

Tip for better accuracy

Run the calculator two ways:

• Lean budget (cheaper meals + fewer paid activities)
• Comfort budget (more dining out + tours + extras)

That gives you a realistic range so you don’t under-budget your trip.