Any Tips for reducing road trip costs?

[Two2Three]

I'm trying to plan a week long road trip up and around lake michigan and back home, and the biggest hurdle seems to simply be cost. I know the basic route, roughly which city to shoot for each day, and what roads to take to stay off the interstate and just cruise along enjoying the scenery.

I thought I'd see if anyone has suggestions, sites, apps, etc. for finding cheaper lodging, or suggestions for reducing day to day cost on the road. I could camp of course, and might consider it if I cound find the tent that I swear I purchased a few years ago when I was going to be all about 2-wheel camping. but so far I haven't found it.

I'm figuring:
- an average of $30/day for gas, basically a tank and a half on average covering about 300 miles a day
- an average of $30/day for food (but hoping I can just go into a grocery store and take care of breakfast or lunch on the cheap with some fruit or whatever.
- an average of $125/day for a hotel (this is the spot I'd really like to find a solution for)

Thanks for any ideas! I'd really love to be able to travel on my own for under $100/day, but that's probably impossible.

[oldguyinTX]

Well, if you don't mind staying in a Motel 6 or similar just to sleep, you could probably cut lodging by half. Probably right on with gas, fast food for less.

[vito1943]

Lots of RV parks have cabins which while more costly than renting an RV space, are usually much cheaper than even a basic motel. KOA parks in particular seem to be a good choice for this type lodging. Tenting would be even cheaper if you can tolerate that, and at an RV park you would have bathrooms and showers available at a truly low cost.

[chipveres]

booking.com or hotels.com can meet your price point. Maybe plan your rydes to stay in smaller towns rather than big cities where there is a great demand for lodging.

[Columbia]

Stay out of cafes and restaurants.
I prepare food at home which covers breakfast.
Lunch is a tortilla wrapped around a dry-ish cheese, e.g. mozarella, often with some salami or other sausage that doesn't demand refrigeration.
Dinner is picked up at a grocery store, usually a small steak or brats, a couple carrots, perhaps a potato if I have a fire (or a tortilla if I don't.)
I camp most of the time and use equipment from my days climbing and backpacking.
Easy. Something I enjoy. Cheap. ("Cheap" is my middle name. Not frugal; cheap.)

[Navydad]

I spend weeks and even a couple of months on the road at times. Granted I haven't been on a long adventure since this last inflation crap hit. I would camp two or three nights and then get a motel for a night. Lots of Walmarts etc. have a deli section where you can get just the right amount of meat, cheese, or whatever for a decent meal. Same goes for some fruit. Don't spend big $$$ on camping stuff because this just defeats the purpose. Remember, you want a place to sleep for a night, you are not buying the place. If you like Holiday Inns, Hamptons, etc. and all the stuff they offer then your in for an expensive night. If you are traveling with a buddy, double up and split the cost. State park campgrounds can often be very inexpensive and I have pitched my small tent for as little as $5 per night at some very nice places. Sign says "sorry full up" ask anyway. I have often been allowed in and shown a nice little spot out of the way because of the bike and tent. Lunch? pick up something in the grocery and find a shade tree. One BIG thing to do. Talk to the locals especially in a small town. They can guide you to the inexpensive places around an area. I always ask directions to a good chow spot. They may say McDonalds just up the street and you counter with No No I want to know what little places the local folks like. I have found many hidden gems just by chatting up the local folks.

[BamaJohn]

Last month I did a 4500 mile trip on the Spyder out west....so I sympathize with you about trip costs these days. I hope you find a combination that suits your needs and allows you to have a great trip!

[Bfromla]

Became member of choice hotels rewards program decades ago working field service racked up lot of perks & free nights. Surprisingly even after year or so not using was able to start right back up same # & all , didn’t read as many free nights but still fairly good program & chain of hotels. discount & guaranteed RSVP

[2dogs]

Unless you're tent/camping you're pretty much stuck with what you've got. That being said, a good night's sleep on a soft bed makes the next day's ride much much more enjoyable. Been there and done that both ways.

[pegasus1300]

If you don't want to tent a KOA cabin is cheap and you have all the bathroom facilities available. They run $60 to $80 a night. You have to supply your own bedding towels and soap. Bunk a Biker can be a good option for low cost or free.www.bunkabiker.org. Back in the day I have slept on roadside park tabletops, park benches, under bridges and in culverts and once on the front porch couch of a motel that said "no vacancy". Not sure I would try any of those today. If you decide to buy a tent, I would get something you can stand up in. This will probably be bigger then the usually 2 or three man tent most solo riders go for. I found a 2 man tent was only good if you were very small men or little boys. I like a little room and now I like to stand up when I dress so my current tent is big enough to do that in. As to gas costs, slow down. The Spyder gets much better mileage under 70mph. In order to meet your price point you will have to be very creative. It would make a very interesting set of posts to read your experience when you are through with your trip. I would especially like to hear what your daily cost ended up being and what you did to make that happen. Good luck on your trip. Solving these problems and the experiences you have on the road implementing your solutions are what make for a real adventure, more then just a road trip.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

About 30 years ago when I moved to Louisiana from Illinois I stayed in a hotel for several weeks while house hunting. I did the same as many of you for meals, including cold or frozen dinners, etc. I had a hot plate and styro cooler in the room. After about 6 weeks or so I added up the cost of grocery shopping vs. an estimate for restaurant eating. Lo and behold I had saved very little money. I would say eating frugally at restaurants isn't going to cost more than shopping at stores, and it's less hassle and stress.

[rjinaz86323]

Many, many years ago we did our first trip to Sturgis. We tried to be thrifty and watch our meals and did the tent thing, once we got there. That was the last time in a tent. We decided we are too old to sleep on the ground, and too spoiled to eat ****ty food. Now when we go to Sturgis, we eat what we want, sleep where we want, and just don't worry about it. I know everyone cannot do this, but we can, so we do. We have been back to Sturgis many times, the most recent was last year, before my shoulder surgery. We figure a two week trip to Sturgis and back, many times with a side trip on the way home, will cost us in the neighborhood of $4k (around $1200 of this is for 4 nights in Sturgis area motels). We are not extravagant on food or lodging, but are not cheap either. We ride for enjoyment so we do/pay what we need to to accomplish that. That is what works for us, as long as we can continue to ride.

[delkhouri]

Airbnb and vrbo can sometime be cheap. In Michigan there are also tons of cabins/resort places which are basically just a few cabins on the same property. I personally would also check out Hipcamp. It’s a like air bnb but for campsites. There is a filter to choose cabins and I’ve stayed in basic cabins for like $40 a night. I do mean basic tho. A shed with a bed in it kind of basic but it doesn’t require sleeping on the ground.

[canamjhb]

I spent last August on the road. Traveled more than 4,200 miles and spent 3 nights at my sisters house. I kept track of all expenses. It cost me $134.87 each day on the road. I was happy with that as I anticipated it would be more like $200 per day. I ate restaurant and sometime fast food (but never McDonalds). Used Bookings.com and tried to stay at small independent motels. Usually booked a room the day before arrival. I don't think cost this year are much different than last year. Good luck and enjoy..... Jim

[bikerbillone]

Oh so right, if you can keep that machine under 3K rpm, big fuel savings. However, at that speed it's really a flower sniffing event that takes patience, but keeping on the back roads if you're not in a hurry is pleasant.

[Fatcycledaddy]

Have you looked into Airbnb? https://www.airbnb.com/s/michigan/ho...nations_search
you can get it ti under 50 per night in some places.
We stayed for two weeks in Japan in Airbnb with the avarge price of $89.00 for an entire house.

[blacklightning]

I will be keeping my eyes on this post. I am looking to do a 6-8 week cross country trip within the next 2-3 years (gotta get it in before the 60th birthday). I am hoping one of my retired buddies will be able to go with me and that will cut the cost of lodging by 1/2. For food, I am not one to spend a lot on food and have no problem eating from a local fruit stand or deli when possible. The gas is the one item that I am really thinking about. If I take the spyder seems like I will be looking at about 200 miles on the 7 gallon tank. If I take the BMW K1600B, I am looking at 300 miles on that same 7 gallon tank. The biggest issue that I am looking at for either one is the fact that the service network for either bike is really weak when it comes to finding one, if there is a mechanical issue.

[2dogs]

Just in comparison, in the 70s and early 80s, my wife and I budgeted $20 a day. Gas, food (Burger King) and KOA. If that doesn't make you sick I don't know what will. That didn't count the babysitter because we watched their kids when they went on vacation. Today we can afford just about any motor home we'd want, but we enjoy the wind in the face and the freedom of the road and that's what it's all about.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I love sardines , boneless, skinless, in olive oil..... I sometimes eat them, for Desert ...... They are a very healthy food..... come in an easy open container, that usually have an " eat by date " a couple of years later .... I get mine at Costco of sale, six cans to a package ..... a little over a dollar per can. Of course if you don't like Sardines ..... Mike

[K80Shooter]

I love sardines , boneless, skinless, in olive oil..... I sometimes eat them, for Desert ...... They are a very healthy food..... come in an easy open container, that usually have an " eat by date " a couple of years later .... I get mine at Costco of sale, six cans to a package ..... a little over a dollar per can. Of course if you don't like Sardines ..... Mike

Sardines with Texas Pete and soda crackers was my lunch for a long time back when I was broke. I called it a Seafood Platter.

[RiderDuke]

Sardines with Texas Pete and soda crackers was my lunch for a long time back when I was broke. I called it a Seafood Platter.

I'm not broke anymore, and I still eat them for lunch.. Texas Pete, Mustard and Olive oil... (variety).. OH, I like Club Crackers with them...

[K80Shooter]

I'm not broke anymore, and I still eat them for lunch.. Texas Pete, Mustard and Olive oil... (variety).. OH, I like Club Crackers with them...

Oh I still eat them and think they are GOOD! If I had not been broke, I never would have found out just how good that they were.

[Two2Three]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
I did finally find my camping gear, so I've got my Sierra Designs ultralight tent set up downstairs to air out, and the blow-up pad works. Not sure if I'm up to sleeping on the ground at this point, but I figure I can give it a shot at least once!

Hipcamp.com is really cool, and the suggestions for WalMart, deli meat, canned fish, etc., are also good. I probably can't cross into Canada with any food, so I'd have to plan that accordingly, but otherwise it's coming together. We'll see what happens.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
I did finally find my camping gear, so I've got my Sierra Designs ultralight tent set up downstairs to air out, and the blow-up pad works. Not sure if I'm up to sleeping on the ground at this point, but I figure I can give it a shot at least once!

Hipcamp.com is really cool, and the suggestions for WalMart, deli meat, canned fish, etc., are also good. I probably can't cross into Canada with any food, so I'd have to plan that accordingly, but otherwise it's coming together. We'll see what happens.

Well if you are camping ...... Get a pkg. of " Knoor's " - Spanish Rice ( with seasoning's ) get a can of Black Beans ( Walmart brand ) .... you end up with Rice & Beans ..... Tasty & very healthy ..... This feeds two very hungry people for less than $ 2.00 ...... ......Mike .....

[ARtraveler]

Lots of options given here. My opinions will differ a bit.

I don't like cheap and "sleazy." To me this refers to the motel scene. I tend to stay away from the trucker, and crime type of motels. I want to have a good night's sleep, not a potentially dangerous or scary one.

Camping is probably a better alternative. I did a LOT of boundary water canoe trips in the day. Camping was the ONLY option there. Eventually, I got pretty good doing it. Once again, there are good campgrounds and bad ones. I am not into the hundred spaces filled with motor homes, 5th wheels, and party crowds.

A steady diet of junk food, which really is not cheap either, is not the way to go. I have to have at least one good meal a day.

I have done a couple motorcycle trips lasting a week or more. One was in the Black Hills and we travelled from Northern MN for that one. We used medium priced motels, and ate well at least once a day. The other trip was a thousand mile trip from Anchorage AK to Whitehorse Yukon Territory and back. One can really "rough it" in AK, but we also stayed at the "best" we could find along the way and in Whitehorse itself. We also had a few memorable meals along the way. The hamburger lunch in the old brothel in Skagway AK comes to mind. The buffalo burgers and Indian Fry bread at the Cedar Pass Lodge in Badlands National Park in the Black Hills was not bad either.

Vacations should be fun and not an "ordeal" of the day. Enjoy the vacation, save the money other ways for rest of your activities.