Drive your own car or rent for your next road trip?

Published 16 days ago • 1 min read

Hey there Reader,

As a scientist, I love data — the more I have, the better I can plan. But I also like tools that are simple and give a “close enough” answer to be useful (what good is a tool if you have to enter a ton of variables?).

Minerva and I have road tripped across the US a couple of times, covering over 36,500 miles exploring National Parks. We usually drive our own cars because they’re comfortable, reliable, and get solid gas mileage.

Plus we know the exact trunk size which makes packing easier.

Then my dad asked the obvious question: Why put all that wear and tear on your car when you could rent instead?

That got us wondering: should we finally rent, or keep using our own? Existing calculators didn’t feel quite right for us (we already pay for insurance and registration, and most of our long-distance miles are on highways, where fuel efficiency is better).

So we built our own Road Trip Car Cost Calculator. It’s fast, simple, works in your browser, and keeps your numbers private.

Road Trip Car Cost Calculator with fields to enter trip distance, gas price, car and rental car mileage, vehicle type, and rental cost. Includes buttons to compare or reset results, with a note that costs are rough estimates.

It factors in:

Your vehicle type (Car, Minivan, or SUV based on AAA's data)
Fuel costs & MPG
Rental price and MPG

👉🏻 Compare your costs now

We also added a few quick tips for finding last-minute rental deals. Sometimes renting really does save hundreds.

See you on the trail,

Minerva & Sam

The Road Trip Car Cost Calculator provides estimates only and isn’t financial advice. Actual costs may differ based on your situation.

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205

Unsubscribe · Preferences

The Two Sides of Indiana Dunes National Park

Hey there Reader, Most people come to Indiana Dunes National Park for the beaches and rolling sand dunes along Lake Michigan. But there’s another side that doesn’t get as much attention — the quiet wetlands and marshes that stretch just inland. We spent a full day exploring two short trails that show off both sides of the park: the peaceful Great Marsh Trail and the stair-filled Dune Succession Trail. Great Marsh Trail: Birdwatching & Wetlands We started our day at the Great Marsh Trail, a...

23 days ago • 1 min read

A panoramic collage of Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park. The left panel shows a paved hiking trail with a rustic wooden railing. A person with dark, curly hair, wearing a maroon top and white shorts, stands by the railing, looking into the dense for

Your Guide to Sol Duc & Marymere Falls – PNW Series Finale!

Hey there Reader, Welcome back for Part 4, the last in our Last Summer in the PNW series! Last time, we were up in the mountains at Hurricane Ridge watching the sun set behind Mount Olympus (catch up on Part 3 here!). This time, we’re exploring two of Olympic’s most beautiful waterfalls: Sol Duc Falls and Marymere Falls. Sol Duc Falls: Easy Trail, Beautiful Falls Sol Duc Falls kept popping up as one of the most recommended stops in Olympic. The hike’s short and easy (1.8-mile out-and-back),...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read

A stunning view of Mount Olympus and the Olympic Mountain Range at sunset, captured from Hurricane Ridge. The snow-capped peaks are silhouetted against a soft blue and orange sky, with a foreground of grassy slopes and delicate wildflowers.

Exploring the Olympic Mountains – PNW Series, Pt. 3

Hey there Reader, Welcome back for Part 3 of our Last Summer in the PNW series! In Part 2, we wandered through mossy rainforests, stood at the edge of the U.S., and walked along rugged coastlines. This time, we’re heading up — way up — into the Olympic Mountains for what turned out to be the most breathtaking views of the trip. Hurricane Ridge: Sunset Over the Olympics Just an hour’s drive from Port Angeles, Hurricane Ridge feels completely different compared to Olympic’s beaches and forests....

3 months ago • 1 min read