Calculator
Car Trip Cost Calculator
Most people work out the petrol and stop there. Toll and wear together often add as much again. And the question that ends every argument is how many people it takes before driving becomes cheaper than the train.
The formula
What this assumes
- Wear and tear at Rs 2 to 3 per km covers tyres, servicing, brakes and the value your car loses with distance. Leaving this out is why road trips seem cheaper on paper.
- Toll is worked out by distance. Real tolls are charged at each plaza, and not every kilometre is tolled highway.
- Assumes normal highway driving. Hill roads give much worse mileage, so reduce the figure you enter.
- Insurance and road tax are not counted. You pay those whether you take the trip or not.
- Driver allowance applies only if you are hiring one.
Common questions
Car se jaana sasta hai ya train se?
Depends entirely on how many of you are going. The car costs the same for 1 person or 5. A train ticket is per head. Below a certain number the train wins, above it the car does. For most trips the crossover is around 3 or 4 people.
Should I really count wear and tear?
Yes. Tyres, servicing and brakes get used up by distance. Two to three rupees a kilometre is on the low side. On a 1,000 km round trip that is Rs 2,000 to 3,000 you genuinely spent, just not that day.
Why is the return toll not double?
Most plazas charge about 1.5 times for a same day return. You need to show the receipt from the outbound trip, so keep it.
What about getting tired on a long drive?
No calculator can price that, and it matters more than money. Above 500 km in a day, plan a night stop or take a second driver. On hill roads, even less.