This weekend trip cost example will help you see what a 3-day getaway might really cost before you book.
A weekend trip sounds simple… until you start adding up all the little costs. Flights, hotel, meals out, Uber rides, activities, airport snacks – it adds up fast.
In this guide, we’ll walk through a realistic 3-day weekend trip budget so you can see how much a quick getaway might actually cost.
Then, you can plug your own numbers into the Trip Cost Calculator on CostPerTrip to get a personalized estimate for your trip.
Step 1: Set a simple trip scenario
To keep things easy, let’s imagine this trip:
- Trip length: 3 nights (Friday to Monday)
- Number of travelers: 2 adults
- Destination: A mid-range city destination (not the cheapest, not the most expensive)
- Travel style: Mid-range (not backpacking, but not luxury either)
We’ll use rough but realistic numbers so you can see how everything stacks up.
Step 2: Estimate your major costs
For most weekend trips, the biggest cost categories look like this:
- Transportation (getting there and around)
- Accommodation (hotel / Airbnb)
- Food and drinks
- Activities and attractions
- “Small stuff” and extras
Let’s put some sample numbers to each.
1. Transportation
- Round-trip flights for 2: $250 per person → $500 total
- Airport transfers / Uber / local transport: about $80 total
Estimated transportation cost: $580
2. Accommodation
Let’s assume a mid-range hotel at $150 per night for 3 nights.
- $150 × 3 nights = $450
Estimated accommodation cost: $450
3. Food and drinks
For a mid-range weekend trip, a simple way to budget food is:
- Breakfast: $10 per person
- Lunch: $15 per person
- Dinner: $25 per person
- Snacks / coffee / drinks: $10–$20 per person per day
For 2 people, let’s use $70 per person per day as a rough average.
- $70 × 2 people × 3 days = $420
Estimated food and drinks cost: $420
Not sure what daily number to use? Read our guide How Much Should You Budget Per Day for Your Trip? (Easy Benchmarks) for simple daily budget ranges.
4. Activities and attractions
This could include things like:
- Museum tickets
- A paid walking tour
- A show or special event
- Bike rentals or other experiences
For a mid-range weekend, a simple starting point is:
- $50 per person per day for activities
For 2 people over 3 days:
- $50 × 2 × 3 = $300
Estimated activities cost: $300
5. Small extras and “oops” costs
There are always a few extras:
- Airport snacks
- Bottled water
- Souvenirs
- Extra taxis
- Baggage fees or seat selection
A safe rule is to add 10–15% on top of your core costs as a buffer.
For this example, we’ll use a $150 buffer.
Estimated extras / buffer: $150
Step 3: See the total weekend trip cost
Now let’s add everything up:
- Transportation: $580
- Accommodation: $450
- Food and drinks: $420
- Activities: $300
- Extras / buffer: $150
Estimated total cost for this 3-day weekend trip:
$580 + $450 + $420 + $300 + $150 = $1,900
For 2 travelers, that works out to:
- Estimated cost per person: $1,900 ÷ 2 = $950 per person
Step 4: Compare this to your own budget
Your numbers might be higher or lower depending on:
- Where you’re flying from
- How expensive your destination is
- Whether you choose budget, mid-range, or luxury options
- How many paid activities you plan
The important thing is to see the full picture on paper (or on screen) before you book anything. That’s where a simple calculator helps.
Step 5: Use the Trip Cost Calculator for your 3-day trip
Instead of doing the math every time, you can plug your details into the Trip Cost Calculator on CostPerTrip.
Here’s what to enter for a weekend trip:
- Number of travelers – how many people are going
- Number of nights – for a Friday–Monday trip, that’s 3
- Travel style – Budget, Mid-range, or Luxury
- Average daily budget per person ($) – your best guess per person per day
The calculator will estimate:
- Estimated total trip cost
- Estimated cost per person
👉 You can try it here: Trip Cost Calculator on CostPerTrip.
Step 6: Adjust your weekend trip budget
Once you have a rough total, you can adjust a few levers to make the trip fit your budget:
- Change the number of nights – 2 nights instead of 3 can save a lot
- Pick a cheaper travel style – switch from “Mid-range” to “Budget”
- Lower your daily budget a bit – maybe $60 per person instead of $70
- Trim activities – focus on one or two paid highlights
Play with the numbers until your total trip cost and cost per person feel comfortable.
Key takeaway
A 3-day weekend trip for two people can easily reach around $1,900 once you add everything up.
The exact number doesn’t matter as much as seeing all the pieces — flights, hotel, food, activities, and extras — in one place.
Use this example as a starting point, then plug your own details into the Trip Cost Calculator to get a realistic estimate for your next weekend getaway.
If you want easy ways to bring the cost of a weekend getaway down, read our 21 Simple Travel Money-Saving Tips (Without Ruining Your Trip) for practical ideas that don’t kill the fun.