Road Trip Cost Calculator
Work out the fuel cost of a road trip and split it between everyone travelling.
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The road trip cost calculator estimates how much fuel you’ll use on a route how much it will cost and how much each passenger should pay. It works in pounds with miles and imperial gallons, in dollars with miles and US gallons, and in euros with kilometres and litres.
An example
London to Edinburgh is about 400 miles, so 800 miles there and back. With a car doing 45 mpg and petrol at £1.45 a litre:
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | 800 / 45 × 4.546 | 80.82 litres |
| Cost | 80.82 × 1.45 | £117.19 |
| Split between 4 | 117.19 / 4 | £29.30 each |
What it leaves out
It only covers fuel. Tolls, parking at your destination and wear on the car are extra, and on a long trip they can add up to as much as the fuel. If you share a car with someone who is not the owner, it is fair to add something for wear; ride-sharing platforms take that into account when they suggest a price per seat.
How to use Road Trip Costs
- 1
Choose the unit system
Pick EUR (kilometres, L/100 km and €/litre), UK (miles, mpg and £/litre) or USA (miles, mpg and $/gallon). When you switch system, the consumption and price adjust to each country's typical average.
- 2
Enter the distance and consumption
Type the kilometres or miles of your route and your car's consumption, in L/100 km (Europe) or mpg (UK and USA). Tick Add return trip to double the distance instead of adding it by hand.
- 3
Enter the fuel price
The price per litre (€/L, £/L) or per gallon ($/gal) depending on the chosen system. Use the price at the pump for a realistic estimate.
- 4
Split it among passengers
Enter how many people are travelling and the calculator shows the total cost and how much each person pays.
Frequently asked questions
How is the trip cost calculated?
The fuel used is estimated and multiplied by its price. In Europe, distance divided by 100 times consumption (L/100 km) times the price per litre. In the UK and USA, the miles and the mpg consumption are converted to gallons and multiplied by the price.
What's the difference between L/100 km and mpg?
L/100 km measures how many litres you use every 100 kilometres (lower is better). mpg measures how many miles you travel on one gallon (higher is better). They are inverse measures, so they can't be compared directly.
Are the UK and US gallons the same?
No. The British imperial gallon is 4.546 litres and the US gallon is 3.785 litres. That's why the same mpg figure means different costs depending on the country, and the calculator takes this into account.
Does it include tolls, lodging or wear and tear?
No. The estimate covers fuel only. Tolls, parking, lodging or vehicle wear should be added separately.
What consumption should I enter if I do not know it?
Check the trip computer, which gives the real average. If all you have is the official figure, add 10 to 20%: official consumption is measured in conditions real driving rarely matches, especially at motorway speeds or with a loaded car.