43 per cent of Canadians are planning driving trips this summer, either within their home provinces or across the Great White North, according to a recent Bank of Montreal (BMO) survey.

Summer travel is fun, but can drain the family budget given that gasoline costs about 30 per cent more than last year. With gas prices per litre averaging $1.30 at the start of June, a return trip in a 2009 Honda Odyssey between Vancouver, British Columbia and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island that covers 12,258 kilometres each way now costs $3,700 for gas alone, according to the BMO Financial Group. That's a whopping $430 increase compared to cruising that same distance last summer.

You can alleviate budgetary strains, however, by carefully researching cost-savings for gas expenses.

Best gas reward credit cards
The MBNA Smart Cash Platinum Plus card provides the top regular cash-back reward of 3 per cent on net retail gas purchases. That percentage amounts to $111 in gas cash-back rewards for the $3,700 cross-Canada journey. New cardholders enjoy a bonus reward rate of 5 per cent for gas purchases during their first six months, which gives an even higher $185 in rewards.

Some loyalty reward credit cards offer comparable incentives, but are restricted to specific gas station chains. For example, National Bank Ultramar MasterCard rebates are as high as 3 per cent when your annual gas purchases exceed $2,500. The challenge is that Ultramar gas stations are concentrated in Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes but are much harder to find in western Canada.

Similarly, the Canadian Tire Gas Advantage MasterCard generates rewards only if used at one of 270 Canadian Tire gas bars across Canada. Depending on last month's billed amount, the Canadian Tire card instantly discounts gas bills by 10 cents per litre for the first $700 of expenses plus two cents per litre thereafter. Maximum savings are $100 or 2.7 per cent for the cross-country return trip.

Another loyalty card, the BMO Premier CashBack MasterCard, rewards cardholders who fill up at one of over 1,600 Shell gas stations in Canada with 3 per cent rebates. However, unlike other cards compared in this article, the BMO product requires a $49 annual fee, which reduces the actual reward on the cross-country road trip from $111 to $62 or 1.7 per cent. Then again, the BMO card comes with free emergency driver assistance benefits, including battery boosts, locked vehicle rescues and towing services.

Groups such as driver associations offer credit cards with gas savings, too. Among group membership programs, Quebeckers enjoy the best rewards under the Canadian Automobile Association-Quebec MasterCard. In addition to the card's basic 2.5 per cent rebate, customers who present their CAA-Quebec membership cards at participating Couche-Tarde gas stations earn an extra 2 cents per litre discount. For 25,000 kilometres worth of fuel, the total gas rebate is about $150 or 4 per cent. However, one could argue that the CAA-Quebec annual membership fee of $81.19 decreases the gas reward to $68.81 or 1.9 per cent.

The average gas discount on many cash-back credit cards is 2 per cent. Try to find a credit card that provides superior overall benefits without having to drive to distant gas stations or pay extra fees.

Practical tips for reducing gas costs
Here are seven practical ways to further lower your gas bills.

• According to Popular Mechanics, coasting to stops at red lights rather than accelerating and braking hard at the last moment improves fuel efficiency by up to 40 per cent.
• Based on Canadian Automobile Association calculations, save up to 20 per cent on gas costs by using cruise control and not speeding.
• An engine tuned-up before your trip burns fuel 4 per cent more efficiently.
• Properly inflated tires can reduce gas costs by up to 3 per cent.
• To minimize gas vapours swirling around and eventually escaping from your gas tank:
  • Fill up at the gas pump more carefully by easing up on the gas nozzle trigger; and
  • Keep your tank full.
• Engine idling also wastes fuel, so plan your travel route to avoid highly congested traffic.
• Heavy use of air conditioning and driving with open windows demand much more gas, so use the car fan more and stay in the shade where possible to cool your vehicle.

 By combining specific gas-savings tips with top gas credit card rewards, you'll have extra cash to enjoy your summer driving vacation.

See related: 5 ways to turn your credit card into a savings card; Experts to Generation Y: Save with your credit card