How to Save Money on a Road Trip

Most of my trips these days have been through the air.  But I still like a good road trip every now and then, and I still remember the road trips we used to take when I was younger.  In fact, I did not fly until I was in my late 20’s.  So some of my fondest vacation memories were created from the back seat of a Ford.

So if you are planning on a road trip soon, maybe you are doing it for the fun of it or maybe it is because air travel can get expensive with a family.  Either way, I thought that these tips on saving money on a cross-country road trip would come in handy.  By using a little planning and common sense you can get great value for your money since this could still be a big expense.

So here are four tips that I have used to save money while traveling, check them out and let me know if you have used any of them.

1. Plan Your Accommodations Wisely.
   Do you like to camp?  You can usually save a lot of money at campgrounds as opposed to hotels.  Still want to stay at a hotel?  Use a property that you have travel or reward points with when you book.  Even if you don’t have the points for discounts yet you will be building for that future trip.  Another way you can save on accommodations is to go through a cash back site such as Dubli.  We saved around $200 on a week stay in Las Vegas this year.
2. Watch Your Speed.
   One of the fastest way to eat up the gasoline in your tank is to drive fast.  You would be surprised at how much difference there is between 65 mph and 75 mph.  And you don’t save that much time with the extra speed.  And we all know that gasoline is one of the major expenses on a road trip.  Also, keeping your car well-tuned can help save gas and make things run more smoothly.
3. Have a Picnic.
   Another big expense on road trips is food.  Eating at restaurants can add up quickly, especially with a large family.  Why not bring a cooler, fill it with drinks, snacks, and sandwich fixings and stop at a roadside table  It can be fun and save money at the same time.
4. Check Out the Discounts.
   You can almost always find discount booklets at hotels and restaurants on the road.  You should never have to pay full price for an attraction.  Another good source of discounts are sites like Best of Orlando, which offers online discounts specific to a given city.  Other discount sites include Groupon and Living Social, just make sure you sign up for the cities you will be visiting so you can receive the discounts.

So here are just a few tips on how to save money on a road trip.  While I am sure there are many more ways you can find to save while taking a road trip, these have worked well for us.

How do you save money on your road trip?

This article originally appeared on MoneyNing.com.