Guest Columnist

Josh Kruis

California Families Say a $1.11 Gas Price Rise Would End Summer Road Trip Plans

 

The Great American road trip has long been a summer rite of passage. But with gas prices lingering higher than expected, families are reconsidering just how far they can go. RV Windshield Replacement, a national network of RV auto glass experts, set out to gauge how these costs are reshaping vacation plans, especially for those who usually hit the open road in midsummer. Are families cutting their trips short, sticking closer to home, skipping overnight stops, or trading long interstate journeys for shorter, budget-friendly getaways?

The survey, which polled 3,002 families, uncovered some eye-opening trends. The results suggest that California families are not necessarily giving up on summer adventures, but many are shrinking them, simplifying them, or keeping them closer to home.

Almost 2 in 3 California families say they are rethinking their summer road trip plans because of high gas prices. And for many, that rethink starts with the route itself:

  • 68% say they are more likely to take a shorter, in-state road trip this summer because of gas prices. 
  • 47% say high gas prices would make them more likely to invite another family or relatives along to share costs. 
  • 86% believe the classic long-distance American road trip is becoming less affordable for ordinary families. 

When asked what feels most expensive about a road trip right now, one answer dominated: gas. Not hotels, not food, not theme park tickets, just the simple act of keeping the car moving.

Families said the biggest road trip costs are:

  • Gas: 67% 
  • Hotels: 17% 
  • Food: 8% 
  • Attractions: 6% 
  • Car maintenance: 3% 

That does not mean families are only worried about fuel. Once the trip budget starts feeling tight, the cuts can come from every corner of the vacation. The first casualties are often the nice-to-haves: souvenirs, extra stops, restaurant meals, and overnight stays.

When asked what their family would cut first from a road trip budget, respondents said:

  • Souvenirs: 25% 
  • The trip itself: 19% 
  • Restaurant meals: 16% 
  • Overnight hotel stays: 16% 
  • Theme parks or attractions: 14% 
  • Extra sightseeing stops: 10% 

The mood heading into summer is mixed. Some families are still pressing ahead as planned, but many are adjusting expectations. For some, it means packing sandwiches instead of stopping for meals. For others, it means swapping a multi-state drive for a shorter route closer to home.

Asked which phrase best describes their family’s road trip plans this summer, respondents answered:

  • Same trip, tighter budget: 26% 
  • Staying in-state this year: 18% 
  • Full-speed ahead: 17% 
  • Shorter drive, same spirit: 16% 
  • Road trip cancelled: 16% 
  • Road trip downgraded: 10% 

The survey also found that California families have a fairly clear breaking point. On average, gas prices would need to rise by about $1.11 per gallon before they would cancel a planned road trip. Given that gas prices in the state are currently at around $6 per gallon (as of 6/4), that means prices would need to reach $7.1 in California before many families would scrap their summer road trip plans altogether.

“Road trips have always been one of the most flexible ways for families to travel, but this summer that flexibility is being tested,” says a spokesperson for RV Windshield Replacement. “What we’re seeing is not that families have lost their appetite for adventure, but that they are becoming much more strategic about it. Shorter routes, shared costs, fewer overnight stops- these are the new realities for families trying to keep the summer road trip alive without letting fuel prices take the wheel.”

Interactive map

Experienced road trippers were also asked, based on their own travels, to name the best 2 short road trips families can take this summer within their state:

#1. San Francisco to Eureka/Avenue of the Giants via Mendocino
The trip north from San Francisco quickly trades busy streets and famous landmarks for long coastal stretches where the Pacific stays in view for miles at a time - and where pulling over costs nothing. Mendocino slows everything down with cliffside scenery, sea air and quiet evenings that feel far removed from the pace and prices of the Bay Area. Further north, the roads become lined with towering redwoods around Eureka and the Avenue of the Giants, where families can spend entire afternoons walking beneath trees so large they make the whole trip feel genuinely cinematic without requiring an expensive itinerary.

#2. San Diego to Big Bear Lake via Julian
San Diego opens this route with beaches, parks, and easy summer energy before the drive climbs into the historic, pine-covered mountain streets of Julian. Famous for its old-fashioned charm, local orchards, and quiet walking paths, this mountain midpoint gives families plenty of low-cost ways to stretch their legs and slow the pace down. Further north, the roads wind higher into the San Bernardino Mountains until Big Bear Lake completely changes the mood, with sparkling blue water, dramatic alpine peaks, and cool mountain air taking over the horizon. Families can spend the final stop entirely outdoors—hiking, picnicking along the shore, or watching the sunset over the water—without constantly needing to plan around expensive big-city attractions.