California to Florida Road Trip Budget

The road trip from California to Florida is one that always promises to quench one's spirit of adventure, generously feed your curiosity, and at the same time expose you to some of the best attractions the USA has to offer. It is a long distance that will take you a couple of days, but in the end, it is always a worthwhile trip. The distance is approximately 2,750 miles, so you will have to get used to the asphalt, long stretches of it.

To come up with the road trip budget let's look at a few key areas which will in the end influence the final budget. These are gas prices, accommodation along the way, entertainment and activities, food costs, and some carry-on cash.

Gas Prices and Tolls

Using the travel math calculator. Traveling from California to Florida will approximately cost $440 for a one-way trip. This calculation is based on the assumption that you are using a car with average fuel consumption. You can use other road trip fuel consumption calculators to get the average cost including for a round-trip.

When calculating money for fuel, remember to also add money for tolls. When using any major bridges or tunnels you will be charged toll fees. You can download free toll calculator apps that will help you get the exact toll cost to Florida.

Accommodation on the Way

This may be in the form of vacation rentals, camping sites, hostels, or motels. If you are traveling as a family vacation rentals will be the most ideal for you. A four-person vacation rental averages $710 or $ 70 per person.

There are also many free camping sites along the way that you may use for the nights. If you decide to rent a van, you can use Harvest Hosts and pay their yearly membership to be able to access more than 1900 places spread across the country, where you can park your car and spend the night. Their yearly membership fee is $79. For deals on RV and van rentals in the USA visit Rental24h.com for unbelievable offers. However, before you begin the trip, plan carefully where you expect to spend the night by calculating the average distance you intend to cover a day.

Entertainment Activities

Entertainment activities will largely depend on what you want to engage in. This may vary from hiking in free places which will cost you nothing to visiting theme parks which will cost you hundreds of dollars.

The outdoors is a good source of activities and offers the best and cheapest places to have fun. Choose an example of the beach where you can shoot the breeze as you soak in the sun, sipping your favorite drink at no cost.

Food Costs

Another item that will significantly affect your budget is food costs. Bringing along some snacks for the road trip will help bring down the food costs a little bit as compared to always eating out. If you choose to stay at vacation rentals, you may want to consider buying groceries and preparing your meals to try and bring your food costs lower, plus it will be even more healthy. The average food cost for an adult in the USA is $8 per day.

Conclusion

The cost of a road trip from California to Florida will mainly depend on the factors discussed above. Fuel, accommodation, and food will comprise the biggest percentage of the budget. Fuel will mostly be constant and you can’t tinker with it much as it will mostly depend on the consumption of the car you plan to use. The price is calculated in dollars per gallon.

You can, however, try to find cheaper options for accommodation, food, and activities you may engage in. To move around you will require a car and this being a long trip, get a van for the extra legroom and baggage space because you are going to need it. There are many vans for rent companies in the USA and this will not be a problem. Get one and hit the road to beautiful Florida.