How Much Does a Road Trip in India Cost in 2026?

In need of a road trip in India? Be it a dream of riding through the Himalayas, or of wandering through the colourful streets of Rajasthan, or of basking in the coastal delicacies of Kerala, it is important to know the cost of such a thing. The good news? Road trips in India have been one of the cheapest and most free-flowing methods of visiting the various landscapes of the country.

Knowing about Road Trip Costs in 2026

A normal 7-day road trip in India will cost between 15,000 and 100,000 per head, depending on the mode of travel and preferences. Let us disaggregate what makes these costs.

Fuel: Your Primary Expense

Fuel will most likely consume the biggest portion of your road trip budget. As petrol costs are still at ₹95-105 per litre and diesel costs are at ₹88-95 per litre around the beginning of 2026, the kind of car you buy will matter a lot. As an example, a 1,000-kilometre trip in a fuel-efficient hatchback could cost you approximately 5,000-6,000 in gas prices, whereas an SUV can increase this to 8,000-10,000.

Motorcycles become obvious victors in fuel consumption; they can reach 30-40 km/l or more, which can reduce your fuel expenses by almost half in comparison to cars.

The Accommodation: Budget to Luxury

India has its share of accommodations at all rates. The budget hotels and hostels cost between 800 and 1,500 per night, and the mid-range hotels cost between 2,000 and 4,000 per night. When you are away off-season, you can even get discounts of 30-50 per cent on the accommodation, which will make your trip even more affordable.

Food and Dining

Local food is one of the delights of road travelling in India. Local dhabas and restaurants may keep your daily food expenses down to 300-800 per person, whereas mid-range restaurants may extend that outlay to 1000-1500 per day.

Additional Costs

Also remember to include the toll charges (usually 50-500 per plaza), parking charges, special area permits such as Ladakh or Northeast India and entry charges to heritage buildings and national parks. And it is prudent to maintain a buffer of 5,000-10,000 in case of any unforeseen expenses or repairs of the vehicle.

The Smart Pick: Self-Drive Rentals

This is where you can save a considerable amount of money on your road trip and at the same time still improve on the experience of travelling by opting to rent a car rather than use your own or by employing the services of a hired driver in a car.

The Economic Reason Why Self-Drive Is the Way to Go

Whenever you take your personal car on a long trip, you are faced with depreciation, wear and tear and a possible problem with your vehicle after a journey. A 2000-mile trip may cause significant wear and tear to your car, which may decrease your car's resale value. Self-drive rentals bypass these issues and come with a number of benefits:

• No depreciation of your personal car.
• Rental packages are inclusive of maintenance and insurance.
• The ability to opt for a more fuel-efficient route.
• 24/7 roadside assistance
• Liberty to rent on an on-demand basis.

Rentrip: Your Road Trip Partner

In the case of self-drive rentals in India, Rentrip is the largest bike and car rental company in India, with operations in 65-plus cities. Rentrip will provide an ideal vehicle, be it for a solo motorcycle adventure trip or a family vacation.

Why Choose Rentrip?

Rentrip has developed its image of offering a variety of well-maintained vehicles with various rental opportunities. The platform offers budget-friendly scooters as low as ₹350 per day, comfortable sedans, and adventure-friendly SUVs to all kinds of travellers and budgets.

Bikes for the Adventurous Soul

Rentrip has a spectacular fleet of motorcycles for the motorcycle fans, including the cost-effective commuter bikes and the high-end Royal Enfields and adventure motorcycles. With Rentrip, renting a bike is usually priced at 400-1500 a day depending on the model, which is an enormous saving when compared to the purchasing and maintenance of these bikes.

Just imagine riding a Royal Enfield across Ladakh or a large, powerful adventure bike across the Western Ghats without the ownership commitment. This is achieved by Rentrip through hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly rental.

Comfortable Touring Cars

When travelling with a family or just wanting the safety of a car, Rentrip has a self-drive car fleet which consists of hatchbacks, sedans, and SUVs that can suit all the terrains. The rental rates are usually between 1,200 and 3,000 and above, based on the economy car and the premium SUV, respectively. In the long-distance case, such packages as weekly and monthly allow considerable discounts.

The Rentrip Advantage

Going to the big cities of Delhi and Mumbai or Bangalore, Goa, Manali and Leh, Rentrip guarantees that you can begin your trip at almost any point in India. The customer satisfaction policy of the platform entails:

• Money-back guarantee in case you do not want it after the test drive.
• Being able to cover unlimited kilometres on most rentals.
• Simple reservation system.
• Clear-cut pricing without any secret fees.
• Loosely applied cancellation policies.

Comparison of Costs: Rentrip and Personal Vehicle

We can consider a real-life example. A one-week Rajasthan circuit of 1,500 kilometres:

Using Your Personal Car:

• Fuel: ₹8,000
• Wear and tear impact: ₹2,000-3,000
• Potential maintenance: ₹1,000+
• Total: ₹11,000-12,000

Car Renting: Rentrip (Economy Car):

• Rental (7 days): ₹8,400-11,200
• Fuel: ₹8,000
• No mechanical damage on your car.
• Maintenance included
• Total: ₹16,400-19,200

Although rental prices might appear to be expensive in the short term, you are not losing your own vehicle to depreciation and can even save money by not maintaining your vehicle after the trip. In the case of bikes, the reduction is even bigger, as weekly rentals can be 5,000-7,000, and fuel costs are reduced by almost a third.

Smart Money-Saving Tips for 2026

Select the Right Vehicle: Find the right vehicle for your route. There is no need to rent an SUV and drive it on the highway when a sedan will suffice. Motorcycles have no rivals in economy when travelling alone or with a partner.

Book in Advance: Weekly and monthly rentals usually have discounts on bookings done in advance on Rentrip.

Travel Off-Season: The off-peak months of the year will allow you to spend half to two-thirds of your total expenses on accommodation and other rental offers in various popular destinations.

Plan Your Route: GPS navigation helps you to plan your trip and take the best route without taking unnecessary routes, which consume time and fuel.

Share the Journey: Have friends? Share the rental and fuel expenses and make your trip even cheaper.

Top Tourist Road Trip Routes and Approximate Prices

• Delhi to Manali (7 days, 1,200 km): 20,000-35,000 per head.
• Bangalore to Goa (5 days, 1,000 km): 15,000-25,000 per person.
• Rajasthan Circuit (7 days, 1,500 km): 18000-30000 per head.
• Leh-Ladakh Adventure (10 days, 2000 km): 40,000-70,000 per head.

These are estimates based on the travel of a middle class, meaning the rental, fuel, accommodation, food, and miscellaneous.

The Bottom Line

India in 2026: Road tripping in India is still very cheap and attainable. When you rent a vehicle by opting to use self-drive services offered by websites such as Rentrip, you end up saving your pocket not only on vehicle maintenance and depreciation but also by investing in flexibility, convenience, and tranquillity.

You can either imagine yourself on a Royal Enfield riding through mountain passes or in a sedan car riding along the highway of the coast; Rentrip can make your dream road trip a reality without the stress of owning a car.

Ready to hit the road? To plan your trip with Visit Rentrip, visit their huge fleet and begin planning your adventure in 2026 that will take you through India by road. Your dream road trip car can be a few clicks away with more than 65 cities served and thousands of customers satisfied with travel.

The free highway is beckoning – respond with Rentrip!