Road Trip Cost Calculator

Calculate fuel cost, driving time and cost per person for road trips. Split costs easily.

Last updated: April 2026 · Source: HMRC — Travel and mileage rates

Cost Per Person

£28.01

Total: £56.03 split 2 ways

Fuel Cost

£46.03

Fuel Needed

34.1L

Cost/Mile

15.3p

Drive Time

6h 0m

Disclaimer

This calculator is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial or tax advice. All calculations are performed locally in your browser — no personal data is collected or sent to our servers. Rates and thresholds are sourced from HMRC and GOV.UK and are updated for the current tax year. Always verify results with HMRC or consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.

How It Works

Planning a UK road trip budget means accounting for fuel, tolls, parking, accommodation and food. Fuel is usually the largest variable cost: divide your total distance by your car's MPG, convert to litres (multiply by 4.546) and multiply by the price per litre. A 500-mile trip in a 40 MPG car at £1.40/litre costs approximately £80 in fuel.

Major UK tolls include the M6 Toll (£8 for cars), Dartford Crossing (£2.50 online), Humber Bridge (£2.00), Severn Bridge (free since 2018) and the Mersey Gateway (£2.00). Parking costs vary hugely: free in rural areas, £5-£15/day in towns and £20-£50/day in city centres. National Trust and English Heritage car parks are free for members.

This calculator lets you plan your entire trip budget by entering your route, vehicle details, number of nights, accommodation budget and planned stops. It produces a complete cost breakdown and per-person split for shared trips.

Example: London to Edinburgh and back, 2 nights

  1. Total distance: ~800 miles round trip
  2. Fuel (40 MPG, £1.42/L): 800 / 40 x 4.546 x £1.42 = £129
  3. Tolls (M6 Toll each way): £16
  4. Accommodation (2 nights x £90): £180
  5. Parking and miscellaneous: £30
  6. Total trip cost: ~£355 (£178 per person if shared)

Source: HMRC — Travel and mileage rates

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Road Trip Cost Calculator do?
Calculate fuel cost, driving time and cost per person for road trips. Split costs easily. All calculations are performed in your browser using official UK rates and thresholds.
Does this use current UK rates?
Yes. This calculator uses the latest UK rates for vehicle tax, fuel duty and other motoring costs as of the 2025/26 financial year.
Is this suitable for electric vehicles?
From April 2025, electric vehicles are no longer exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax). This calculator accounts for EV-specific rates where applicable.