My family and I just completed an 8 hour road trip out west! We had a long drive and decided to split the driving up into 8 hour chunks. I think this a great amount of time to drive in a day.
An 8 hour drive is the ideal length for a road trip. This length allows for one single mid trip stop and will not leave the driver exhausted. Typically an 8 hour trip will cover between 400 and 500 miles.
So if you are wondering how much that 8 hour trip will cost, how to stay entertained and how to split it up, I will give you my best advice. As I write this I JUST returned from a 2 week, very long and arduous road trip with my family. Learn from me, do not suffer.
How bad is an 8 hour drive?
An 8 hour drive can feel like a long time, but it is cited by many many people as the optimal drive time for a day.
I recently got back from a 13 hour road trip. On the drive there we split it into an 8 hour day and a 6 hour day. This was great, easy to break up with a stop in the middle and everyone could use the bathroom.
On our way back we drove 13 hours all in one day. This made stops more frequent as everyone got more tired and cranky at the end of the day. We stopped more frequently, were more uncomfortable, and spent more money.
Planning to drive no more than 8 hours a day has a lot of benefits.
- Only requires one mid trip stop
Stopping after 4 hours will be ideal for bathroom and meal stops
- Allows for a later departure
If you only have 8 hours to drive, it’s no big deal to stay and catch the free breakfast
- Allows to arrive in daylight
Even with a later start, you can still arrive while the sun shines
- Flexible for traffic or unexpected slowdowns
If you only plan to cover 8 hours of travel, a long lunch or flat tire won’t kill the trip timeline
I ran some numbers about the cost of such a trip, below. This can help you create a stress reducing budget plan for the trip.
I also want to mention that the recovery from a 2 day drive was much easier than the recovery from an ALL DAY drive.
How much does an 8 hour drive cost?
So, when you are planning a big trip, cost is a huge consideration.
As a general rule a sedan will cost $47.31 to drive 8 hours or 400 miles. The time spent driving in the city vs highway and number of stops will all affect the total cost.
If you do not have a sedan, I ran a few other numbers for ya!
| Body Type | Average MPG 2020 | Gas Price | Total 8 Hour Cost (400 miles) |
| Sedan | 25.7 | $3.04 | $47.31 |
| Minivan | 21.5 | $3.04 | $56.55 |
| Truck | 25 | $3.04 | $48.64 |
| SUV | 35 | $3.04 | $34.74 |
| Passenger Van | 16 | $3.04 | $76 |
I found average mpg on this https://www.fueleconomy.gov/, but if you want to find the exact mpg for your car you can fill up the tank, and reset your trip odometer. Next time you fill up, divide the number of miles you drove by the number of gallons you added.
For this table I just divided 400 by the MPG, then multiplied by the cost of gas.
Wear and Tear
You can also consider the wear and tear or depreciation of your vehicle.
This is generally estimated to be around $.25 per mile. A 400 mile trip is costing around $100 of wear and tear.
This is not a bill to pay, but an estimate of the cost of maintenance you can expect to pay down the road due to this trip.
Entertaining yourself on an 8 hour drive
If you have decided to set out on an 8 hour adventure, make sure you have a plan for entertainment.
The driver should choose only audio entertainment:
- Podcasts
- Audiobooks
- Music
- Radio
- Audio Drama
Choosing audio entertainment that the whole car can enjoy is a tough job, but well worth it. Consider learning about a certain period of history together, or listen to a very exciting biography. This is just another way to build great memories on your road trip.
Another option for entertainment is classic car games:
- The alphabet game
- Eye Spy
- States License Plate Game
- 50 Questions
Have a plan for entertainment on a trip this long.
Driving for 8 hours alone
If you are planning to take on a long trip alone, plan to drive when you are most alert.
The biggest issue with doing a long drive alone, is the danger of falling asleep. So your planning should prioritize driving only when alert.
- If you are only needing to drive 8 hours, consider leaving after breakfast, stopping for lunch, then arriving for dinner.
- Make sure you keep a full tank of gas and a full charge on your cell phone
- Stop and get out of the car to rest and eat at least once on the trip
- Avoid chugging caffeinated drinks which often results in a crash, if you choose to consume caffeine, sip slowly
- Keep the car temperature cooler, to avoid falling asleep
- If you find yourself getting very tired, stop and rest
If you must drive alone through the night or in the early morning, have a friend you can call and talk to every hour or so to stay awake and alert. This is a very dangerous undertaking if you are not used to long drives.
Only drive through the night alone if you are traveling a short distance, or you have no other option.
Is 8 hours a long road trip?
While it might sound like a very long day, and 8 hour trip, divided into 2 four hour legs, is a very comfortable amount of driving for a single day.
An 8 hour road trip is a long drive, but one that can be comfortably achieved by drivers with reliable cars and a full night of sleep. If you have never driven 8 hours before, divide the trip into two 4 hour days, which will be much easier.
