Multi-Leg Road Trip Cost Calculator
Budget a multi-stop road trip by adding up to three driving legs, then layering fuel, lodging, and daily food costs into a single total trip estimate.
Last updated: May 2026
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About this calculator
A road trip budget combines a distance-driven fuel cost with lodging and food. The three legs (leg1Distance, leg2Distance, leg3Distance) are summed into total miles; set any unused leg to 0. Total fuel used is that distance divided by fuelEfficiency (MPG), and fuel cost is the gallons times gasPrice. Lodging is entered as a single total for the trip, and food scales with the trip length as foodCostPerDay x numDays. The grand total is fuel cost plus lodging plus food. Splitting the route into legs lets you model out-and-back or multi-city trips accurately rather than guessing a single round-trip distance.
How to use
Picture a trip with legs of 600, 350, and 200 miles (1,150 miles total) in a car that gets 30 MPG with gas at $3.50. Fuel is 1,150 / 30 = 38.3 gallons, costing about $134. Add $450 in hotels and food at $60/day for 4 days ($240), and the total trip cost is roughly $134 + $450 + $240 = $824. Change the legs, MPG, or daily food budget to match your own itinerary and see the total update.
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate the total cost of a multi-stop road trip?
Add up the driving distance across all your legs, divide by your car's MPG and multiply by gas price to get fuel cost, then add your lodging total and your daily food budget times the number of days. This calculator structures the trip into three legs plus lodging and food so you get a realistic total instead of just a fuel figure, which is usually less than half the real cost of a longer trip.
What should I budget per day for food on a road trip?
A common range is $40 to $75 per person per day depending on whether you eat at restaurants or self-cater with groceries and a cooler. Cooking some meals and packing snacks can cut the food line item substantially. Enter your realistic daily figure and the calculator multiplies it by your trip length, since food is one of the costs that scales directly with how long you are on the road.
Why split a road trip into separate legs instead of one distance?
Multi-city or out-and-back trips rarely follow a single round-trip distance, and lumping them together makes it easy to undercount miles. Breaking the route into legs lets you add each segment precisely, including detours and side trips, which gives a far more accurate fuel estimate. Any leg you do not need can simply be left at zero without affecting the result.