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"BUCKET-LIST" trip cost question for you-all.......

032846

New member
I just bought a beautiful 1999 R1100R, and am having great fun planning a "Bucket-List" ride this spring. The "plan" is to Start here in the swamps of central Florida and eventually end up at my family's, in the Mountains of New Hampshire. For me, unfortunately, the length of this adventure is mainly dependent on daily "on the road" costs..
I recall, way back, that around $100.00 a day would cover fuel, food (cheep dinner / "Subway" lunch / diner breakfast) and a "mom and pop" over-nite motel.....but now.??
I'm sure you-all have some ideas about what's now a realistic amount to budget. I really want to have fun and take my time / enjoy the ride (200-250 mile days MAX) W/O rushing along to save $..ALSO....At this point, it appears I'll be doing this "solo", so I must foot the overnite costs alone....
All advice greatly appreciated !!
jpfitzpatrick
 
Look at $200 per day is more realistic. $100 for lodging $50 for meals $50 for fuel. The real key to the entire trip is to plan, book your hotels in advance or at least check for best rates. We usually start our trips on a Sunday and get the best hotel rates.
 
Been a while since I planned a trip like this. But will be doing a bit of a loop later this year going up to rt 66 & across for a while & back down & across to home.

Here is what I generally budget
$40/day for food (10 breakfast, 10 lunch & 20 dinner, any left over for snacks)
figure fuel costs of $3/ gallon (yes I know it is a low guess) at ~60 gallons if you only got 30 mpg = 180 (as we dont have exact route)
and 60/ night for hotels
plus $100 for anything not covered / incidentals

so $1100 would be an approximate over 8 days assuming ~200 miles per day

However I am sure there are those who will have much more accurate data. Or come up w/ things I am missing.
For example I have no idea if you will encounter toll roads & what they cost as I live out west and dont have those.
 
No Idea what the costs will be but 200.00 = motel, gas, & food seems reasonable. Having said that, I'd bet that the further off the main line you get on the way to your final destination, the less expensive everything but gas will be. Just a guess, but it also happens to be a strategy which will be more rewarding in terms of making the ride truly [even more] memorable.

Here's a hint, if you don't know of this already (and seeing you are posting here, I'l assume you are at least somewhat internet "savvy") -
Trip Advisor.com. It's a crowd sourced review site for many things along the road like motels, restaurants, etc. You could plan each day's riding, &
find a cool old mom-n-pop motor hotel, campground, or cabin for each night's stay. You could actually pre-book (or at least KNOW what the rates are in various locales) your whole ride.

I did this last year when planning a journey up to Nova Scotia, and across Canada to Quebec City last June- and it worked out wonderfully well. We stayed on secondary roads, like U.S. highways, and had some bigger riding days (430-450 miles +/-), some smaller days, and as it happened, one BIG day (560 miles). Most of the trip was booked before we left the house, but we left a bit of wiggle-room here and there, just for fun.

Good luck (and post pix)!
 
Speaking of trip advisor... There is a website I came across a while back... roadtrippers ...it allows you to create a trip & save it but also find places to stop on the way with categories like attractions, history, nature, etc. It does not have tons of stuff but is new & they are working on it. It may be helpful in planning places to stop on your trip.
 
My wife and I did a tour a few years ago with no particular time or destination. We picked up some of those discount book coupons found at rest stops and restaurants. She would get the book out around 3:00PM and start looking for a place to spend the night based on the coupons. We made no reservations and we enjoyed everything from a new Hampton Inn to a neat 50s era motel where the front was made of glass blocks.
 
We (girlfriend and I ) did 9 days, about 2500 miles, with a little less than $2000.00. Stayed at some really nice places (Iron Horse in Stecoah, and some mom and pop joints too.) We did what we wanted and ate what we wanted. It was a vacation for cripes sake!:clap:D

Budget for $100 per night for lodging...that's about average any more. Even "mom and pops" that are clean are 60 bucks a night.
 
jpfitzpatrick,
Great trip, right up the spine of the Appalachians!
To really save some $, do you camp? ~$15 - $25 per night and a hot shower. Lots of good motorcycle only camp grounds along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Some even have "cabins". Army Corps of Engineers also have great accommodations.
I camp in all weather, but when the wife goes, we plan indoor accommodations for a few nights when it might rain.
Trip last year to New England, was 5 nights in a tent, 5 in a cottage. Worked great for us....
Have fun planning then riding. ....

Found this nice shelter at Woodford SP in VT one night when the weather radio came on with a storm warning. Had the tent up and was at the local pub ordering dinner when the worst hit.
 

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Camping will save you HUGE bucks. Do you have family scattered throughout the country. I do and that saved me a lot of money when we didn't have to pay fr lodging or sometimes food haha.

Canned food, and the dollar menu is your friend. Try not to stop too often at restaurants. A few dollar menu chicken sandwiches and a few tall boys and I'm set for the day. Canned food is usually pretty cheap.

I don't pack all of my food for the trip. At most I pack a days food on the bike via a quick stop at a small grocery store or gas station and roll from there picking up a tall boy or two at my last fuel stop of the day.

My dad and I did a 5000 mile trip to the northeast from Texas.

http://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=31414e052d49d1095

IIRC that whole trip (about 20 days) cost me less than 1500 dollars overall.
 
Fuel costs what it costs. Do be sure your tires are good for the distance, and the bike is serviced before you leave home. As mentioned, camping pays for itself pretty quickly, even if you have to buy the gear now. Lots of ways to find good used equipment pretty cheap. Also remember your "Anonymous" book and check out a similar program on ADVRider - lots of people who will let you camp on their property, maybe let you use their shower, and maybe find an indoor spot for you to sleep if it is pissing rain. Of course you need a cell phone. That avoids (sometimes) the camping fee. Coffee and cereal are often enough to get me going for the day - but you do need a stove and pot. Even if you buy a lunch and cheaper dinner, you should be under $30 for food.

Just a few more ideas on how to save money - and also have fun while meeting some new friendly folks. If saving money is the main goal, I would certainly try to do that on nice days and have a reserve of cash or credit for the days where the weather is miserable and both restaurants and motels are VERY inviting.
 
Motel w/breakfast

I almost always try and stay at a motel the offers breakfast. If the motel is 65 and you get a breakfast you save atleast $10 by the time you leave a tip.
If you are a good planner and use booking site you can almost always get a motel for less. I found nice chains for as little of $40, and while I was booking saw the same rooms going for over $75. One to the best advantage of motel breakfast is you can just relax before you gauntlet up for a 300 mile ride.
 
www.couchsurfing.net

and check out the "Tent Space Sign up thread" over on advrider. Lots of folks on there all over the country offering up couches, space in their yard for a tent, tour guide services, ect.
 
I still think around $100/day is reasonable. Here would be my breakdown.
Gas for 250 miles/day on a boxer =6 gal @ $4/gal=$24
Lodging $55/night average
Breakfast= $7
Lunch = $7
Dinner=$10

I travel a lot and this is easily doable, a cell phone is a must to find the best deal for lodging. . The roadside coupons mentioned are a great way to find places. I actually spend less than the $24/day for food, I usually ride a couple hours and stop for breakfast at 9-10, then ride until 4 or 5 and stop for supper and look for lodging and making calls to find the best deal. Once in a while a mid day PIE stop is thrown in, other times a bag of peanuts, or ice cream for lunch works too. You could probably cut the food even less, a fresh ham and egg muffin can be had for about $3, a Sub from a Deli for $5-6 with a drink and most can be 2 meals if you are a light eater.

Most mom and pop motels run $45-$55/ night a lot of campgrounds have cabins for $40 or less, camping will save $$. Small diners have the best food for the $$, fresh and plentiful. My trick for telling if a motel is decent and well kept is to look at the landscaping, flowers a kept lawn, and shrubs, mean the owners care about their property and upkeep.

Some mentioned free camping and the free spare bed available with the Anonymous book, ADV rider also has maps and threads of fellow riders offering similar hospitality, if you are comfortable doing so, lots of nice people out there, a few characters too, but the phone conversation should let you pick up on the later. Google Mom and Pop motels, there are several with user reviews and prices.

Do a little footwork before hand, but don't over plan it. I take a list of cheap lodging places I found on the interweb so if I am in that area, I contact them first.

Have a great time, and have fun
 
Some mentioned free camping and the free spare bed available with the Anonymous book,

I remember a discussion at some time in the past, that this was NOT what the offers in the Anonymous book were for. They are intended to provide a place to stay in emergencies, not for moochers.
 
I remember a discussion at some time in the past, that this was NOT what the offers in the Anonymous book were for. They are intended to provide a place to stay in emergencies, not for moochers.

First I wouldn't call someone traveling on a budget, a moocher. In fact I somewhat envy people that can do it on a shoe string budget!

Next if you check the box offering camping and tent space, sheltered bed roll space, spare room, coffee and conversation, offer tools, workspace, I would say you would NOT consider someone a moocher that took you up on your offer, anytime.

If you don't want to be bothered don't put your name in the book, or check choice "E" which stands for EMERGENCY ONLY.

I have contacted people on various websites when looking for a place to park a car and trailer many times and always found people friendly and helpful, and pleased to help. But you may be right with some in Anonymous, there are a lot of up tight BMW riders out there, luckily there are more friendly ones, to offset the balance.
 
First I wouldn't call someone traveling on a budget, a moocher. In fact I somewhat envy people that can do it on a shoe string budget!

Next if you check the box offering camping and tent space, sheltered bed roll space, spare room, coffee and conversation, offer tools, workspace, I would say you would NOT consider someone a moocher that took you up on your offer, anytime.

If you don't want to be bothered don't put your name in the book, or check choice "E" which stands for EMERGENCY ONLY.

I have contacted people on various websites when looking for a place to park a car and trailer many times and always found people friendly and helpful, and pleased to help. But you may be right with some in Anonymous, there are a lot of up tight BMW riders out there, luckily there are more friendly ones, to offset the balance.

+1.
SOME consider the Anonymous to be an "emergency only" option, others consider it to be a "stay with old friends I have not met before" option. If you are among the former- be sure to list yourself as Emergency only.
Richard, I think your price outs are about right at ~$100/day
 
My wife and I did a tour a few years ago with no particular time or destination. We picked up some of those discount book coupons found at rest stops and restaurants. She would get the book out around 3:00PM and start looking for a place to spend the night based on the coupons. We made no reservations and we enjoyed everything from a new Hampton Inn to a neat 50s era motel where the front was made of glass blocks.

In October, I drove my in-laws from the Toronto, Ontario area down to the Fort Myers, Florida area. They had made this drive before. We weren't sightseeing, we were traveling, so used interstates. We did exactly what you said. When we stopped at rest areas around 3 p.m. or so, my mother-in-law would look for hotels, especially those listed in these coupon books. Everyone we stayed at had a complimentary breakfast, and I don't think we paid more than $49 a night. They were far from top of the line, but had clean rooms and beds good enough to sleep in for one night.

Our goal was to always have a better evening meal for dinner, but at least one night this wasn't possible because there just weren't any decent restaurants close, so we had to go for "fast" food instead.
 
$150 per day is what I budget however I am usually under this. My formula is gasoline $50. Motel $60 alone ($40 if sharing) and the motel includes breakfast. Lunch is more like a snack, say $5 for an apple or bar and water. Dinner and evening beverages seldom exceed $25. Throw in another $10 for an extra fill up or tolls.
 
I travel on the cheap

I enjoy camping, unless itÔÇÖs raining. Since I have a national parks senior pass I can stay at a national forest or park for $6-10 per night. State parks are more, but usually have showers. I have a custom POI that lists state and national campgrounds with their facilities, so finding them is not a problem. I keep a small soft sided cooler in the topcase, so towards the end of the day IÔÇÖll stop at a store and pickup something I can cook on the campstove for dinner and breakfast. If I need a motel I use the GPS and call one up the road. It just takes two questions; Do you have a room for tonight? How much? IÔÇÖve been burned, but can almost always find a comfortable and clean room for $40-60.
Of course this isnÔÇÖt the most luxurious way to travel, but I enjoy it, and the less it costs the more I can go.

Bill
 
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