How many fuel stops will your road trip need?
This fuel stop planner turns three numbers — your tank size, your fuel economy and the length of the trip — into the answer people actually want: how many times you must refuel, and by which kilometre or mile the first and later stops are due. It also keeps a safety reserve, because running a tank to the last drop is a bad plan on a long drive.
It is a gas stop calculator for cars and motorbikes, in kilometres and litres or miles and US gallons. It uses no map and no live station data: you supply the figures, and the page does the arithmetic in your browser. For the cost of the fuel, use the fuel cost calculator.
How to use the Fuel Stop Planner
- Choose km and litres or miles and US gallons.
- Enter the trip length, the tank size and your fuel economy (litres per 100 km, or miles per gallon).
- Set the reserve you want to keep, for example 15% of the tank, and how full the tank is when you start.
- Read the number of stops, the range of a full tank and the latest point for each stop.
- Copy the plan, then check your route for real stations before relying on it.
Fuel Stop Planner features
Reserve you control
The range counts only the part of the tank above your reserve, so the plan never asks you to arrive on fumes.
Starting fuel
Begin with a part-full tank and the first stop moves closer.
Stop table
Each stop with the latest distance and the distance left to go.
Two unit systems
Switching units converts your numbers: km to miles, litres to gallons, L/100 km to mpg.
Fuel at arrival
Shows the fuel left at the destination so you can see the margin.
The maths behind the stops
Distance per litre is 100 divided by your litres per 100 km; in US units it is simply the miles per gallon. The usable range of a full tank is the tank size times (1 minus the reserve) times that distance per unit of fuel. With a 50 L tank, 7 L/100 km and a 15% reserve, that is 50 × 0.85 × (100 ÷ 7) = about 607 km.
If you start with less than a full tank, the first leg is shorter: the fuel above the reserve times the distance per litre. After that every fill-up gives a full-tank range, so the number of stops is the distance still to cover after the first leg, divided by the full-tank range, rounded up. For 1,200 km that is one stop, and the plan says the stop is due by about 607 km. Remember that the stop is a deadline, not a target: stopping earlier, when there is a station you like, costs nothing.
| Tank | Economy | Reserve | Range per tank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 L | 6 L/100 km | 15% | 567 km |
| 50 L | 7 L/100 km | 15% | 607 km |
| 60 L | 9 L/100 km | 20% | 533 km |
| 15 gal | 30 mpg | 20% | 360 mi |
Why real trips use more fuel than the label
The economy printed in a brochure is a test figure. Real driving uses more with a loaded car, a roof box, headwinds, hills, high motorway speeds, cold weather and the air conditioner, so enter your own measured figure if you have one, or a pessimistic one. The mileage calculator works out your real economy from a full-tank to full-tank record. Remote roads, night driving and closed stations are the other reasons to refuel earlier than the plan requires.
Fuel Stop Planner FAQ
How do I work out how many gas stops I need?
Divide the distance beyond your starting fuel by the usable range of a full tank (tank × (1 − reserve) × distance per litre or mpg), rounded up. This planner does it for you.
What reserve should I keep?
Many drivers keep 10–20% of the tank. On empty or mountain roads, keep more. It is your own choice and the page lets you set it.
Does it find petrol stations?
No. It uses no map or station data. Check your route in a maps app and use the latest-stop distances as deadlines.
Can I use it for a motorbike or an electric car?
It works for any fuel with a tank and a consumption figure. For an electric car, charging speed and charger spacing matter, which this page does not model.
Why is the first stop earlier when I start half full?
Because the first leg only uses the fuel above your reserve. Starting at 50% with a 15% reserve gives 35% of the tank to use before stopping.
Which units does it use for mpg?
US gallons. A UK (imperial) gallon is about 20% larger, so convert UK mpg first or use litres per 100 km.