What this calculator does
For a family trip home for Thanksgiving, the plane ticket is only part of the cost of flying: everyone needs a seat, bags often cost extra, someone has to get to the airport, and you may need a car at the other end. Driving has its own costs: gas, tolls and maybe a night in a hotel. This calculator adds up both for your whole group and shows which is cheaper and how long each one takes.
How the numbers work
- Gas = distance one way × 2 ÷ your car's miles per gallon × the gas price.
- Driving, total = gas + tolls + parking + hotel on the way. The cost is the same whether one person or five ride in the car.
- Flying, total = (round-trip fare + bag fees) × the number of people + rides or parking at the airport + rental car per day × days.
- Travel time: driving = distance ÷ your average speed with stops, both ways; flying = the door-to-door hours you enter, both ways. Door to door includes getting to the airport, security and waiting, not only the flight.
The gas price button fills in the latest weekly U.S. average retail price of regular gasoline from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Prices differ by state and by station, so change it to the price you see. Fares, bag fees and rental rates are examples: check the prices for your own dates.
An example
A family of four lives 300 miles from the grandparents. Their car gets 28 miles per gallon and gas costs $3.10 a gallon. Driving there and back uses about 21.4 gallons, or about $66 of gas, plus $20 in tolls: about $86 in all. Flying costs $350 per round-trip ticket and $70 in bag fees per person, plus $80 for rides to the airport and a rental car for 4 days at $55 a day: about $1,980. Driving saves about $1,894, and at 55 mph with stops it takes about 10.9 hours round trip, against about 10 hours of door-to-door travel by air.
The answer changes with the size of your group and the distance. One person traveling far often finds flying cheaper or close, while a family driving a few hundred miles usually saves a lot by car.
Tips for Thanksgiving travel
- Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26. The days just before and after it are among the busiest of the year on the roads and at airports, so leaving a day earlier or coming back a day later can cost less and save time.
- Before you buy a basic fare, check what it includes: carry-on bags, checked bags and seat choice may cost extra.
- If your flight is canceled, the U.S. Department of Transportation explains your rights to a refund and other help on its website.
- Count the trip in your holiday budget, and for longer drives see the road trip cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to drive or fly for Thanksgiving?
For a group traveling a few hundred miles, driving is usually cheaper because the car costs the same no matter how many people ride. For one or two people traveling far, flying can cost about the same or less. Enter your own numbers to see.
Where does the gas price come from?
The button uses the latest weekly U.S. average price of regular gasoline published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. You can type the price at your local station instead.
Does the driving cost include wear on my car?
No. It counts gas, tolls, parking and hotels only. Tires, oil and other wear add to the real cost of driving, as do meals on the road.
What should I put in door-to-door time for flying?
The time from leaving your home to arriving at your destination: the ride to the airport, security, waiting at the gate, the flight and the ride at the other end.
Is my information saved?
No. The numbers stay in your browser and are not sent to us.