When you are planning an exciting road trip that takes you to parts unknown, you may have many different things on your mind. You may be thinking about the different adventures you may have exploring new attractions, the beautiful hotels or campgrounds you are planning to stay at and more. While the distance you will be traveling on your road trip may be far from your mind, the fact is that calculating mileage between the cities you plan to visit is a critical part of planning your road trip for several reasons. Consider these points.Planning Your BudgetWhile you may be saving money on your upcoming trip by avoiding the high cost of airfare, you do still have to pay money to fill up your gas tank. With the high price of gas, a key aspect of planning your road trip budget involves accurately estimating how much fuel you need to use on your trip. If you know the gas mileage your car gets on average and the price of gas, you only need to estimate mileage between cities on your travel route to plan for this expense. Further, if you need to find a way to reduce the cost of your road trip, you may be able to adjust your mileage by planning a shorter route.Planning Your TimeWhile how many miles you travel on your road trip does relate to your fuel budget, it also relates to how much time you will spend on the road. You can use a mileage or distance calculator or a GPS mapping tool to estimate miles to be traveled on your upcoming trip. Then, you can estimate the speed limit for the roads you plan to travel on. This can help you to estimate how far you can reasonably travel during a day. Nobody wants to wind up spending 12 hours in the car when they intended to only spend seven, and knowing the mileage between cities before you head out the door on your road trip can ensure this doesn't happen.Amidst all of your planning efforts, take time to calculate the mileage between cities on your route. This important step can help to make your time on the road more comfortable and affordable.