Before embarking on a 15-day road trip around Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, and California, it's important to be aware of the costs involved. In this article, I'll share the major expenses I encountered to help you estimate your budget.
I took this trip with another person, so the costs provided are tailored for two people. We spent a total of 15 days in the USA, staying in a different hotel almost every night, and rented a car for 14 days. Here is the itinerary we followed:
Day 1 - Las Vegas
Day 2 – Gran Canyon ( through Route 66)
Day 3 – Gran Canyon
Day 4 – Twentynine Palm /Joshua Tree National Park ( stops: Oatman, Amboy through Route 66)
Day 5 – San Diego
Day 6 – Los Angeles (stops: Newport Beach, Laguna Beach)
Day 7 – Los Angeles
Day 8 – Pacific coast - Morro Bay (stops: Malibu, Santa Barbara, Solvang)
Day 9 – Pacific coast - Pacific Grove (stop: Carmel by the Sea)
Day 10 – San Francisco (stops: Monterey, Santa Cruz)
Day 11 – San Francisco
Day 12 – Yosemite National Park
Day 13 – Yosemite National Park /Mammoth Lakes
Day 14 –Death Valley/Las Vegas
Day 15 – Las Vegas
More details about the itinerary can be found here:
And here the major expenses we encountered:
Flights: We were quite fortunate with our flight, spending only €676 per person for a round-trip from Luxembourg to Las Vegas. We booked our flight three months in advance and might have found a cheaper option if we had booked earlier. I always recommend using Skyscanner as a starting point for your flight research to secure the best price and booking your flights well in advance! Keep in mind that these costs can vary significantly depending on your departure location. Please note that arriving and departing from the same airport is generally cheaper than using different airports or cities. The same applies to rental cars – picking up and dropping off the car at the same location typically results in lower costs.
Hotels: This was undoubtedly the highest expense. We spent approximately €2,200 on accommodations. We opted for well-located hotels with good reviews, so we didn't choose the cheapest options. If you decide to stay in hostels, you can certainly reduce this cost substantially. We always ensured that our hotels offered complimentary parking. If not included, parking costs can be significantly high, especially in cities like San Diego, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.
All accommodations were booked through Booking.com and Trip.com, except for those in the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park, which must be booked through the official sites. Here is the list of accommodations where we stayed:
Day 1 - Las Vegas: New York-New York
Day 2 – Gran Canyon: Bright Angel Lodge Grandcanyonlodges
Day 2 – Gran Canyon: Bright Angel Lodge Grandcanyonlodges
Day 4 – Twentynine Palm: Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Twentynine Palms
Day 5 – San Diego: Sands Of La Jolla
Day 6 – Los Angeles Park Plaza Lodge
Day 7 – Los Angeles Park Plaza Lodge
Day 8 - Morro Bay Blufftop Inn & Suites - Wharf/Restaurant District
Day 9 - Pacific Grove Sea Breeze Inn - Pacific Grove
Day 10 – San Francisco Buena Vista Motor Inn
Day 11 – San FranciscoBuena Vista Motor Inn
Day 12 – Yosemite National Park: Wanona Hotel Yosemite National Park
Day 13 – Mammoth Lakes: The Mammoth Creek Inn
Day 14 – Las Vegas: Las Vegas Hilton At Resorts World
Day 15 – Las Vegas: Las Vegas Hilton At Resorts World
For my reviews and more information about these accommodations, you can refer to this article.
Otherwise, feel free to contact me with any additional questions you may have 😉
Car: We rented a Cadillac XT5 for 14 days, spending a total of €670 including insurance. We made our reservation through Rentalcars.com, which often offers free cancellation, giving you flexibility if your plans change. A useful tip: monitor the prices on Rentalcars.com. If you book with free cancellation, you can always cancel and rebook the same car if you find a lower price. We spent a total of €360 on fuel. Note that fuel is more expensive in California than in Nevada and Arizona, so if you follow my (or a similar) itinerary, remember to fill up your tank before entering California. Another suggestion is to fill your tank before entering national parks like Death Valley and Yosemite National Park, where fuel prices are higher.
Food: Overall, I found food to be more expensive than in Luxembourg, where I live, particularly along the Pacific coast. For instance, we had two classic burgers and two cokes in Carmel by the Sea and we spent €60. In Las Vegas, we spent €70 on two burritos and two sodas.
We decided to spend more on well-located and highly-reviewed hotels rather than on dining at restaurants. As a result, we spent only €900 on meals. We mainly bought snacks or hot meals from supermarkets, which we ate on the road for lunch and in our hotel room for dinner. We also enjoyed street food, especially in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and tried various fast-food options. If you plan to dine at restaurants at least once a day, you should definitely double my food expenses!
Various Entrance Fees: Be sure to allocate a portion of your budget for entrance fees. We spent around €200 on tickets. The "America The Beautiful Annual Pass," which grants access to various Federal recreational sites across the US, including the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, and Yosemite National Park, costs around €70. Visiting Alcatraz is €50 per person. We chose to skip Universal Studios Hollywood, but if you plan to visit, you should budget around €100 per person.
Alongside these expenses, remember to account for minor costs like the ESTA application fee (you can find more information here) and internet data charges. I opted for an e-sim and chose Holafly for its convenience and unlimited data plan. I spent a total of €47 for 15 days of unlimited data.
Finally, don’t forget to set aside some budget for souvenirs 😉
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