Vacation Traveling: Saving Money on Road Trips

Posted by André Nosalsky :: October 20, 2008 @ 8:52 am

Having gone on many road trips, ranging from one-hour to 36-hour drives, I have picked up a few tips about road trips that might be useful to you on your next trip. Continuing with our vacation series, here are some suggestions:

• Rent a car instead of using your car. There are many reasons for renting a car instead of taking yours, especially if your car is older. One, you don’t have to worry about the maintenance of the car. And you don’t have to pay a mechanic for a tune-up if anything is wrong. If your car breaks down, which has never happened to me after many years of renting, the rental companies have roadside assistance and will provide a new car for you. Two, you won’t put too many miles on your own car; this will help when you want to resell your car. Three, because of the higher gas prices, the rental companies are dropping prices to attract renters.
• Fill up the car with four adults. With four adults, you can split the costs of the trip four ways and everybody still has a cheaper trip. You can also switch off on the driving and continue driving through the night. This will save on having to stop and reserve hotels until you arrive at your destination.
• Bring your own food and entertainment. On the way out of town, stop at Costco, Wal-Mart or similar stores and stock up on snacks and drinks. This way, you will not have to buy food at gas stations, which are usually overpriced, and you can also eat healthier. Also pack your iPod and laptop or DVD player. On longer trips this is a must for passengers. Make sure to bring an in-car power strip and headphones splitters so more than one person can listen to the same DVD or music.

Road trips are supposed to be fun, so from the beginning you should set the expectation that no matter what, everybody is going to have fun. If you get lost, need to take a detour or your car breaks down, it will not ruin the entire trip. Have you taken a good road trip lately, and if so do you have other tips to share?