Are you ready to hit the road and cruise control your way to new adventures? Road trip travel can feel overwhelming because you have so many options in front of you. Whether you are interested in a weekend trip to the town over or you want to road trip across Europe, road trip travel has something for everyone.
Road trip travel is an opportunity to explore the world in a more flexible and spontaneous way. Read all about it in my Beginner’s Guide to Road Trip Travel.
Here are six ideas to help jumpstart your road trip travel planning:
U.S. Route 66, United States
One of the original highways in the United States numbered highway system, Route 66 was established in 1926 and originally ran from Chicago to Santa Monica. Nowadays, over 85% of the original Route 66 is still drivable and makes for a really fun road trip across America.
Ring Road, Iceland
Route 1, or the Ring Road, is a national road that circles all of Iceland, excluding the Westfjords. Not only is it a great road trip opportunity for locals and tourists, but it’s also a really important piece of transport infrastructure for Iceland. You can check out many popular tourist attractions along Route 1, as well as check out some parts of Iceland that are far less touristed.
Miami to Key West, United States
This is a really fun drive through Florida and into the Keys along the famous ocean highway. Once in Key West, you can stop and have key lime pie, check out Hemingway’s house, see all the polydactyl cats, and take a photo in front of the 0 Mile sign. Best of all? This could be a day trip if you want it to be.
North Island to South Island, New Zealand
New Zealand’s North and South Islands are connected by a ferry which makes them perfect for a fun-filled road trip itinerary. Keep in mind, this will be at least a couple weeks kind of road trip, because New Zealand is deceptively long, at approximately 1265 miles long. You’ll get to see everything from Hobbiton and seals to Mount Cook and penguins.
The Karakoram Highway, China and Pakistan
The highway has the distinction of being one of the highest paved roads in the world, snaking across incredibly high altitude Central Asian scenery. It can be expensive to get the permits and guides required on the Chinese side of this road trip, but even if you only partake in Pakistan up to the Khunjerab Pass, you get to see the world’s highest land border. And it’s awesome.
Garden Route, South Africa
Starting from Cape Town and ending in Port Elizabeth, this road trip is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. See everything from villages to beaches to forests to mountains to seals, whales, dolphins, and even big cats. In 2017, the Garden Route was added to UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves for a reason. It is a destination for the eco-friendly traveler.
