Road Trip Planner — Budget, Packing & Timing

Budget Tips

• Cook some meals. Many motels have microwaves and mini-fridges. Supermarket deli counters do excellent prepared food for a fraction of restaurant prices
• National Parks pass. Since January 2026, overseas visitors pay a $100 per-person surcharge at eleven popular parks unless they hold the $250 Non-Resident Annual Pass (details below). The $80 pass is now for US residents only
• Happy hours. Many US restaurants offer discounted food and drinks from 3–6 PM. A great way to eat well cheaply
• Free activities. Hiking in National Forests (different from National Parks — free entry), scenic drives, town exploring, beach days
• Booking. Book accommodation and car hire as early as possible for the best rates

National Park Fees for UK Visitors (2026)

From 1 January 2026, non-US residents aged 16 and over pay a $100 fee per person at eleven of the busiest national parks, on top of the normal entrance fee, according to the National Park Service. The eleven are Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion. The alternative is the America the Beautiful Non-Resident Annual Pass, which costs $250 in 2026 and covers entrance and the non-resident fee for everyone in the pass holder's car for a year. The $80 annual pass is now for US residents only, and free-entry days no longer apply to overseas visitors.

For two adults visiting two of those parks, the surcharges alone come to $400, so the $250 pass is the obvious buy. If your route only includes parks outside the list, such as Arches, Canyonlands, Olympic or Crater Lake, compare the pass with paying each park's standard fee. Buy the pass on Recreation.gov before you fly or at the first park gate, and sign it: it's valid only with the signed holder in the car.

How Far Per Day?

• Motorway/interstate driving: 400–500 miles is achievable but exhausting. Not recommended daily
• Scenic/highway driving: 200–300 miles is comfortable with stops
• Mountain/coast driving: 100–200 miles allows time to enjoy the scenery
• National Park days: Plan 50–100 miles of driving plus hiking and exploring

Rule of Thumb

Budget 150–250 miles per driving day for a road trip that feels like a holiday, not a motorway marathon. Google Maps time estimates are accurate for interstates but optimistic for scenic routes — add 30–50% for stops, photos, and wrong turns.

Breakfast

• Diners serve enormous American breakfasts ($8–14): eggs, bacon, pancakes, hash browns, toast, and unlimited coffee refills
• Fast casual: Waffle House (South), IHOP, local cafés
• Self-catering: Supermarket pastries, fruit, yoghurt from the motel fridge

Lunch

• Food trucks and carts — often the best-value meal of the day ($8–15)
• Supermarket delis — sandwiches, hot food, salad bars ($6–12)
• Fast casual restaurants — Chipotle, Shake Shack, In-N-Out (California), Whataburger (Texas)

Dinner

• BBQ joints, taco stands, seafood shacks — often the most memorable meals and rarely expensive ($12–25)
• Sit-down restaurants — entrees $15–30, plus tax and tip
• Tipping: Standard tip is 15–20% of the pre-tax bill. This is not optional — servers earn a fraction of minimum wage before tips. 15% for adequate service, 18–20% for good service

Water

• Tap water is safe to drink everywhere in the US. Refill bottles freely from taps and water fountains. Don't waste money on bottled water in cities

Phone & Data

• Get a US SIM card or eSIM before or on arrival. T-Mobile and AT&T have good tourist plans ($30–50 for 2 weeks with data)
• Alternatively, check if your UK provider offers affordable US roaming (some now include it)
• Download offline maps for your route — mobile signal is non-existent in many western and rural areas