Spending money for Roadtrip SF-LA-LV

oscarcats154

Hi all,

I am going on a Roadtrip with my mum through California/Nevada in the next few days. It's 12 nights in all, 4 in SF, 2 in LA and 4 in Vegas with 2 x 1 Nt stops between SF and LA. I have booked all Car hire, Hotels and excursions (alcatraz, scenic tour, show in vegas etc).

Having booked everything I am not entirely sure how much money to take. I have the pre-requisite Credit card for hotel incidental deposits and the Car hire. So really, it's cash for food, gifts and petrol.

We have planned for $2200, from previous experience does anybody reckon that won't be enough? :eek:

All help much appreciated.

cubegame

Depends how big your car is.......a big car will require $30 to $40 of petrol daily......we got 15 mpg out of our SUV last year. But then it doesn't really sound like you are doing a road trip of the trueist sense, rather just using your car to get between your three locations. It would probably be cheaper to fly.

However, taking into account food, even eating three good meals a day you should easily get by for $2200.

misa.blue

oh my god, you are scaring me. $2200! I hope I to manage same trip for half!:eek:

neilbond007

$2200! Jeepers... that's some good spending money!!

Gas in CA is just over $3 gallon. If you're highway you should get 20+ miles / gallon.
Food wise - A lot of chains do specials, especially happy hour (normally 3pm - 6pm). Eat then! And don't order alcohol with your meal. Gets expensive, quickly. If you fancy a drink buy something from a grocery store and drink it back at the hotel.

Spursman180

Don't forget Vegas, $2,200 is about £100 a day probably very comfortable if you don't include Vegas.

My friend took a $1,000 in one dollar bills and when questioned by security at the airport as to why he had so many? his reply was one word "strippers", true.

oscarcats154

Thanks guys, I suppose my main worry is food costs but this is my trip of a lifetime and I want to do it in style!

No strippers in Vegas for me (unless they are male) so I should save some money there

Gloomendoom

Two of us only spent about $1200 over 16 days on a proper road trip roughly following your route. That was food, drink, accommodation, petrol, trips, entry fees etc.

We didn't go hungry.

misa.blue

Gloomendoom wrote: »

Two of us only spent about $1200 over 16 days on a proper road trip roughly following your route. That was food, drink, accommodation, petrol, trips, entry fees etc.

We didn't go hungry.

Hurayy! :T That's more like it:D Looks like my estimate, glad to hear that!

Gloomendoom

misa.blue wrote: »

Hurayy! :T That's more like it:D Looks like my estimate, glad to hear that!

Errrrrrrrr.... I have to admit that I made a slight, but significant, mistake in that post.

The '$' in front of 1200 should have been a '£'.


Sorry!

misa.blue

Gloom: that is still ok bearing in mind that it included accommodation, petrol, food!;)

Do you have any tip on accommodation?Did you book in advance or dropped in motel on way?

blindman

misa.blue wrote: »

Gloom: that is still ok bearing in mind that it included accommodation, petrol, food!;)

Do you have any tip on accommodation?Did you book in advance or dropped in motel on way?

Here's a TR of a 15 day road trip I did last year.

Excluding flights the cost was around £1,600 for gas, accom and food.

Stats:
Total cost: £1,800 (Flights, food, gas, hotels etc).
Drove 4,600 miles over the 15 days. Gas prices varied from $2.50 to $3.30 per gallon.

The post above it gives ideas as to how I save before the holiday.

In the lonely Planets guide there is usually a cost per day (with budget\good and plush)scenarios to give an idea.