Price Guide: Road Trip in Southwest USA
There are many variables when it comes to a road trip. This post will show what the road trip expenses were driving solo versus expenses shared with another person.
Bare in mind that the itinerary for these 2 Southwest road trips weren’t 100% the same.
Table of Contents
COST BREAKDOWN FOR 1 PERSON
Disclaimer: These prices reflect my travel style and might not tailor your travel preferences.
ROAD MAP
I started and ended the road trip in Denver, Colorado because I was living there at the time.
States Covered: Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona
Method of transportation: Car only
Date: September 2018
Trip Duration: 4 days
- Arches National Park (B)
- Canyonland National Park (C)
- Monument Valley (D)
- Horseshoe Bend (E)
- Zion National Park (F)
- Great Basin National Park (G)
FOOD
If it’s your first time traveling to national parks, keep in mind that decent restaurants are almost non-existent in rural areas and near national parks.
My first dinner was food I prepared at home. Every dinner after that was purchased at a restaurant. Before dinner time, I ate dried fruits and nuts. No alcohol or any beverage was purchased during this trip.
| DINING EXPENSES | PRICE |
|---|---|
| Dinner in Arizona | $12 |
| Dinner in Nevada | $15 |
| A slice of pie | $4 |
| Dinner in Colorado | $13 |
| TOTAL | $44 |
LODGING
TOTAL = $0
This might shock you but I camped in the rental car. At night, it was the right temperature for me.
It was a calculated risk I was willing to take for a couple of reasons. I saved money and time. There are several places you can park your car overnight. One is at 24-hour Walmart Supercenters. You’ll find several RVs and other vehicles sleeping overnight as well.
How did I save time?
By avoiding staying in an actual facility, I can stay closer to where I’m heading to next and get there before the crowds settle in. This could involve any of the following:
- Avoid packing and unpacking
- Avoid having a shower
- Will need to brush your teeth at a gas station or nearest fast food restaurant
- Replace breakfast with water and less perishable snacks (e.g. homemade nut trail mix, fruits)
TRANSPORTATION
Rented a Nissan Versa (economy car) from Enterprise in Denver and returned it back to the same location. Drove a total of 1,840 miles (2,961 km).
| TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES | PRICE |
|---|---|
| fuel | $18.47 |
| fuel | $22.82 |
| fuel | $19.45 |
| fuel | $21.45 |
| fuel | $14.31 |
| rental car | $134.77 |
| TOTAL | $231.27 |
OVERALL COST FOR 4 DAYS = $275
COST BREAKDOWN FOR 2 PEOPLE
ROAD MAP
We started and ended in Las Vegas, Nevada. Flew in from Houston.
States Covered: Nevada, Utah, Arizona
Method of transportation: Flight + Car
Date: End of November – early December 2018
Trip Duration: 5 days (2 days spent going to-and-fro Vegas)
- Lower Antelope Canyon (A)
- Horseshoe Bend (B)
- Grand Canyon National Park (C)
- Zion National Park (D)
FOOD
The only restaurant I can recommend is Ramen KoBo in Las Vegas. The cuisine is Japanese. Small shop and they are always packed.
The other restaurants we went to were trash or sub-par.
| DINING EXPENSES | PRICE |
|---|---|
| Dinner 1 | $21.97 |
| Dinner 2 | $21.44 |
| Dinner 3 | $26.08 |
| Dinner 4 | $22.74 |
| Lunch (KoBo) | $19.97 |
| TOTAL (for me) | $112.20 |
LODGING
Prices below are the total costs and NOT per person. There was a discount on each.
| LODGING EXPENSES | PRICE |
|---|---|
| 1 night @ Hampton Inn & Suites (AZ) | $59 |
| 1 night @ Best Western Grand Canyon (AZ) | $95 |
| 2 nights @ Hampton Inn & Suites (UT) | $140 |
| TOTAL | $294 |
TRANSPORTATION
Flight was through Spirit Airlines ($157 roundtrip per person). No delays or cancellations.
Rented a Nissan Sentra (midsize car) from Las Vegas Airport. Gas prices were around $3 per gallon in Utah.
| TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES | PRICE |
|---|---|
| fuel | $68 |
| fuel | $32.49 |
| fuel | $2.99 |
| rental car | $162.56 |
| TOTAL | $266.04 |
OVERALL COST FOR 5 DAYS (FOR ME) = $392
FINAL THOUGHTS
- Biggest cost driver when it came to going with another person was lodging
- Driving with another person gives you an opportunity to drive less and split costs especially with lodging and transportation.
- In terms of driving alone, I only saved more money because I eliminated lodging and chose to spend less on food. Otherwise, it’s more expensive to travel solo if you’ll be paying to stay in hotels (or Airbnb).
- Eliminating accommodation meant I could arrive to national parks as early as I wanted to avoid hotter temperatures, full parking, lines at fee station, and crowds.
- Another alternative to staying at a lodging facility is to camp. There are many free campsites across the US.
- Cost savings tip: Purchase America the Beautiful Pass if you’ll be visiting more than 3 national parks or federal recreation sites. Price is $80 and expires on the same month the following year.
Have you been to this region of the States? Let me know down below!
3 Comments
Johanes
Interesting! Going around national parks has always been part of my bucket list. I’m glad to know there are some budget-friendly options! Will have to tack this for future trips!
Ann
It’s such an incredible experience visiting national parks. Thanks for stopping by!
Ana
Hi
Did you find it safe as a solo traveler? Any recommendations on security?