How to Take a Cheap Road Trip

Santa Claus, Indiana (Really!)

My boys and I went on the ol' cross-country road trip. Everyone should do it. There were times when we splurged a bit, but for the most part, we discovered how to road trip cheap. Here are some steps to save money when travelling by car.

Things You'll Need

• A car or van
• The open road

Instructions

1. **Make Room for a Cooler**

   Keep a cooler (ice chest) in your car. This is not only a source of instant cold drinks on a hot day, but is a really easy way to keep food costs reasonable. Some stores carry dry ice, which can keep you good and cold for days.

   A styrofoam cooler could work, but gets pretty beat up, pretty quickly, so consider getting a Coleman, or something equally substantial.

2. **Consider a Camping Stove**

   As long as we're mentioning Coleman, think about picking up a stove as well. This makes sense, especially if you're planning on a lot of camping, where you won't have a McDonald's within easy reach. But if you're mostly hotel-hopping, a stove might be more trouble than it's worth.

3. **Join the Club**

   Chain motels like Best Western and Super8 have reward programs for frequent sleepers, I guess you call them. You can get discounts and even free rooms. Restaurant's can have them too, like Denny's Breakfast Club. You might be able to get gas discounts as well, by using special offers from gasoline companies and credit cards.

4. **Bring the Laptop**

   No...not for checking your office emails! But free wireless is everywhere when you're travelling. The laptop is a great way to check what accomodations are available in your area, what discounts are available, and you can even find coupons for your next days activities (use the hotel's printer if you don't have your own with you).

   Believe it or not, you can even use your laptop to visit a site called couchsurfing.com where you can find someone offering space to crash on their couch, if you're in to that sort of adventure.

5. **Get the Pass**

   If you're going the National Park route, then by all means, buy their annual pass for the National Park Service website. It will save you a bunch of money over paying the individual entrance fees at each park you visit.

6. **Rough It**

   On a balmy summer night, you don't need much in the way of equipment to sleep under the stars. In a pinch, a picnic table for a bed, and a sweatshirt for a blanket will do the trick, but it's even better if you have a bit of padding under you to make it more comfortable. A night or two away from the hotels not only saves money, but can be a magical part of your cheap road trip adventure.

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   Make sure to check the "Related Articles" and "More Articles Like This" features elsewhere on this page, for more information and ideas on how to take a cheap (but really great!) road trip.