Travelling is always an exciting prospect, and as the 100th anniversary of the world-famous Route 66 approaches, there is no better time to take to the open road and experience a change of scenery. Of all the ways to explore, self-drive holidays are unmatched in their freedom and flexibility, allowing you to tailor the journey to your specific desires and needs. 

With so much variety across different cultures and climates, we understand that it can be challenging to decide where to visit. Bearing this in mind, we have collated a range of road trips across the American landscape, providing you with all the information you need to inspire your next expedition.

The best US road trips revealed

There are many things to consider when planning a road trip, from overall distance to accommodation and food. We have compiled these factors and more, normalising them out of 10 to give each road trip a score. Here’s what we found.

1 – Roller Coaster Tour – Wisconsin Dells (WI) to Jackson (NJ):

The number one ranked road trip in America is the almost 3,000-mile-long Roller Coaster Tour, a once-in-a-lifetime trip for thrill seekers wanting to ride some of the best coasters in the world. Even if roller coasters are not your thing, this road trip has much more and would be a scenic trip for everyone as it traverses the Great Lakes of Michigan and Erie before heading down through the Midwest and back up to finish on the East Coast. 

2 – Pacific Coast Paradise – Seattle (WA) to Santa Barbara (CA)

Another mammoth journey ranks in second place, as the Pacific Coast Paradise route is just under 1,500 miles from Seattle to Santa Barbara. Along the way, you will see incredible scenery, from high mountains to stunning beaches and everything in between. In addition, there are many vibrant towns, cities, neighbourhoods and outdoor areas along the route, including the stunning Waterfront Park in Portland and Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in Southwestern Oregon and Northwestern California. 

3 – Sounds of the South – The Great Smoky Mountains (TN) to New Orleans (LA)

A road trip for music lovers ranks in joint third place, The Sounds of the South is a mecca for lovers of blues, country, rock and roll, and jazz music. Starting on Tennessee’s eastern border with Kentucky, you travel the length of the state to Memphis before heading down alongside the mighty Mississippi to the southern jazz capital of New Orleans. At 659 miles, this is one of the shorter journeys on this list, making it the perfect road trip if you are looking to immerse yourself in American culture without driving thousands of miles. 

4 – The Stargazing States – Casper (WY) to Lincoln (NE)

Sharing third place in the rankings is a 1,700+ mile road trip around the north-central states of Nebraska, Wyoming, and (briefly) Colorado. Famous for its stunning open landscape forged at the end of the last ice age, Wyoming is as sparsely populated as it is beautiful, leaving huge swathes of land unpolluted by human activity — as a result, it is a fantastic area for stargazers as well as lovers of the outdoors. 

5 – Getting Your Kicks – Collinsville (IL) to Santa Monica (CA)

While the most famous road in America, Route 66 has technically not existed since the mid-1980s. However, such is the cultural significance of the old road; the old route still attracts many tourists and travellers to follow the ‘Historic Route 66’ for over 2,000 miles through eight states between Illinois and California. Along the way, you’ll pass all manner of different terrains and landscapes and see jaw-dropping sites such as the Grand Canyon. 

The perfect US road trip if you are looking for:

A long journey

Roller Coaster Tour – Wisconsin Dells (WI) to Jackson (NJ):

The Roller Coaster Tour has already been revealed as the best overall US road trip, and its extensive coverage across the country is one of its most appealing factors. In some cases, quantity isn’t always the best, but if you are looking for a fun-filled road trip with lots of physical highs and lows, this road trip is a great fit. It’s not just thrill seekers and young people that the Roller Coaster Tour is a great journey for, as the variation in scenery across the 2,840 miles makes it perfect for all ages. 

A short journey

Magical Lighthouses of Maine – York (ME) to Lubec (ME):

Sometimes, a road trip doesn’t need to be thousands of miles long to be packed with sightseeing opportunities. The Magical Lighthouses of Maine journey may only be 377 miles long and span one state, but you will experience Maine’s beautiful shores and quaint little towns, giving you many opportunities to make unforgettable memories. Being so close to the sea, there are plenty of local delicacies on offer, like the famous Maine lobster, giving you another reason to get excited about this journey!

A journey that passes through an array of US states

Appalachian Trail – Suches (GA) to Monson (ME):

If a journey of exploration and variety is what you are searching for, then look no further. The 1,332 miles of land covered by the Appalachian Trail will take you across the northeast of America, allowing you to explore a fifth of all US states in one trip! Estimated to take around 10 days, this road trip includes stops in Georgia, Pennsylvania, and New York, to name a few.

A landmark-filled journey

Grit, Gangsters, and Gasoline – New York (NY) to Chicago (IL): 

Landmarks are a great way of showcasing a location’s culture and uniqueness, and the US is home to a whole host of famous sights. With a starting point in New York and a destination in Chicago, it is no wonder that the Grit, Gangsters, and Gasoline road trip is full of sightseeing opportunities. From the Statue of Liberty to Central Park and more, many people plan trips specifically to see the wonders of New York, and this would just be the start of your journey!

A journey for food connoisseurs

Ghost Towns of the West – Bodie (CA) to Chloride (AZ):

The Ghost Towns of the West is a road trip home to a range of deserted locations across the US. Despite the derelict nature of this journey, there are plenty of high-quality eateries from start to finish. From the Bridgeport Inn near Bodie and Yesterday’s Restaurant in Chloride, Arizona, you are almost guaranteed to find a tasty bite to eat along this journey.

A journey with plenty of accommodations

Into the Valleys – Grand Canyon (AZ) to Rainier (OR):

As the name suggests, Into the Valleys is a road trip that transports you through the extraordinary West Coast valleys, including the Yosemite and Zion National Parks. While all the incredible scenery is worth a trip, if you want to elevate your journey to the next level, look no further, as this road trip also has a range of high-quality accommodation options at both the starting and end points.

Methodology

All data is accurate as of 7/11/2024.

We used Hertz to source a list of US-based road trips. Using the same website, we found the number of stops, the number of days it takes to drive, the number of states passed through, and the total distance for each journey. 

We used Tripadvisor to find the following data for the starting point and destination of each road trip:

• The number of landmarks.
• The number of restaurants.
• The number of restaurants rated four stars or higher.
• The number of hotels.
• The number of hotels with parking. 
• The number of hotels rated four stars or higher.

We added the starting point and destination figures to give each road trip a total count for each factor. 

We divided the number of hotels with parking by the total number of hotels to find the percentage of hotels with parking for each road trip. We repeated this calculation to find the percentage of hotels rated 4* or higher and the percentage of restaurants rated 4* or higher.

We used the above factors (number of stops, driving distance, number of states passed through, % of hotels with parking, % of hotels rated four stars or higher, number of landmarks, and % of restaurants rated four stars or higher) and normalized each factor out of 10 before taking an average of those scores to get our overall score.

All information was compiled by Journeyscape.