Planning a road trip in the USA is an ultimate holiday bucket list idea. USA road trips are a popular choice for honeymoons, anniversary holidays and break up trips because they’re just so, damn, incredible. Driving across the USA a la Thelma and Louise is so freeing, so exciting, and as the voice of experience, FUN. 

Obviously you need to choose your car – cheapest vs most awesome – sort your playlists out, and get your team / friend together. But first up, you need to decide where exactly you want to go in the USA for your road trip. 

So, from my USA road trip history, recommendations from others, and a few tips I’ve heard along the way, here are the best routes for your USA road trip. 

Planning a Road Trip in the USA: 13 Best Routes

Read through these top USA road trips, think about the kind of things you want to see most along the way, and then come back for another read and decide. If you have any questions about what exactly you think you’d enjoy most, just let me know in the comments at the end. 

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1. Pacific Coast Highway road trip 

I feel like the Pacific Coast Highway is the ultimate West Coast road trip in the USA. I’ve done it twice, and it’s definitely the most popular USA road trip among my friends. Stretching from San Francisco to San Diego, it goes past some of the most beautiful coastal scenery I’ve ever seen.

– Me on the Pacific Coast Highway with my friends, and my Mustang

Also known as Highway 1, you can complete the Pacific Coast Highway in around three days, ticking off the likes of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fran, before hiking in Big Sur National Park and washing it all down with wine tasting in Solvang, California’s ‘Little Denmark’.

• I have a whole post on road tripping the Pacific Coast Highway – check it out.
• And also, Top Tips for Driving the Pacific Coast Highway.

2. Seattle to San Francisco

And if you want to add to your Pacific Coast Highway trip, how about making it even longer and adding on a drive from San Francisco to Seattle?

3. The Loneliest Road road trip

The Loneliest Road, aka US-50, runs from the east to west coast of the USA. It starts in Ocean City, Maryland, and ends in Sacramento, California. The Loneliest Road passes through 12 states and 4 state capitals, but it’s the stretch through Nevada you’ll definitely need a buddy for: miles and miles of sweeping mountains, dusty highways and only the odd otherworldly town make this stretch a little on the quiet side.

If you want to get away from the crazy roads and highways of the USA then this is the one for you. There’s a reason they call it the Loneliest Road!

And, just to note, the views between Nevada Beach and the Great Basin National Park are some of the most beautiful in all of the US, so get that camera ready.

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4. Road trip Route 66

Maybe the most legendary of all the USA road trips is Route 66 – it’s definitely the most sung about anyways. If you’re planning a road trip in the USA Route 66 will probably be the first one you think of. 

This legendary US road trip starts off in Lake Michigan and take you all the way to LA. I’ve travelled some of it, as it passes through Illinois between Springfield and Chicago. 

Route 66 can be completed in two weeks – as it often is by those motorbikers – but to give yourself plenty of time for top attractions a month is recommended. Don’t be put off by that though – you can easily do a small part of it and join and leave as you please. 

Highlights of Route 66 include America’s oldest church, St Joseph’s, in Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico; the cool car display at Texas’s Cadillac Ranch; and the world’s largest rocking chair in Fanning, Missouri. Also, this sign in Pontiac, Illinois, where it looks like I gave my all for the group photo. Got a bit of height there, didn’t I?

You’ll also find plenty of those classic diners and motels from the movies to rest your weary head along the way.

You can drive a bit of Route 66 on the road trip from Chicago to New Orleans via Chattanooga, and it’s one of the best road trips from Chicago you can do too. There are some great USA souvenirs you can pick up along the way on this route too – emblazoned with Route 66.

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5. Driving from Miami to Key West

Miami marks the start of one of the wettest road trips in the USA, and when I say wet, I mean from the sea, not the rain. The Miami to Key West route along the Overseas Highway is stunning. 

It’s also the perfect mini road trip. This sunshine state route only takes 3-4 hours and links up two of Florida’s top beach locations.

Miami is all sand, surf and art deco hotels whereas Key West belongs to the Florida Keys collection of islands and has a Cuban infusion, as well as some of the best coral reefs to dive in. The 113-mile stretch of highway also brings you across the ocean itself, so expect epic views.

READ MORE: Miami to Key West Road Trip

Best Moments from my Trip to the Florida Keys

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6. Great River Road road trip

When I was at school we used to do these spelling tests and ‘Mississippi’ was on my list for about two months before I learned to spell it. I just couldn’t get it right. And I think of standing up in class trying to recite it whenever I hear the word.

I digress. 

As the greatest river in the USA, the Mississippi provides an iconic route to follow through ten different states along the Great River Road. 

This north-south route especially calls out to nature lovers thanks to all of the wildlife resorts lining the route, like the Yazoo Refuge and the Theodore Roosevelt Refuge. There are also plenty of quaint river towns like Greenville and Rosedale you can spend the night in and as you head further south you’ll get to sample that fine fried food the Deep South is so well-known for.

Reach Louisiana and allocate a good amount of time to explore the highlights of the state, mainly, New Orleans and a few days in Lake Charles too. 

I love that city! And you’ll need the extra time to make it through at least some of the incredible New Orleans food experiences. And while you’re in the state, I recommend discovering live music in Mississippi if you want to experience blues in its full splendour.

READ MORE: Cheap Things to Do in New Orleans 

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Check out this Colorado road trip from The Travel Bunny

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7. Driving from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas

If you’re planning a road trip in the USA and you want to fit in as many iconic places as possible, then starting with Vegas and ending at the Grand Canyon would be pretty sweet. This way, you’ll take in some awesome sights, but also get to have a unique trip in the middle, stopping where you please. 

There are some amazing and unique places to stay in the Grand Canyon, so take a few days there.

READ MORE: 10 Awesome Stops from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas by Car

This is a great one for nature lovers as you can stop off at lakes, forests and even an alpaca farm along the way. 

Obviously this great American road trip also has the potential for lots of fun in Las Vegas too. You can stay in a crazy hotel like the Vegas Stratosphere for the full Vegas experience.

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8. The High Road to Taos

Weaving between the valleys along the Rio Grande and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, this New Mexico route makes for an American adventure with a Hispanic twist. Desert sands, peaks and greenery are broken up by old Hispanic villages, like Chimayo, Penasco and Truchas – known for their artisan crafts.

Bring your cowboy hat and holster because you’ll recognise the route as the backdrop to many a Western movie.

One of the best ways to make sure you get to do all these awesome road trips, is to find ways to budget for your road trip, so you can afford to do all the more. Click the link for my top tips!

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9. Florida state road trip 

Pick a state, and do all you can in a week. That was the basic premise for my Florida road trip. You can start with a few days in Panama City Beach and travel on across and down, taking in the best sites as you go.

Have a few days in Tampa, drop down to Sarasota, and visit Daytona, Cape Carnavral, Fort Lauderdale and end in Miami. We saw amazing beaches, ate amazing food and rented bikes, went on boat rides and even went to a drive in cinema. Gawd it was good! 

And then of course, if you have the time, you can add the Miami to Key West road trip on the end. Might as well make the most of it while you’re over there. You can have a great time in Key West, in just a day if that’s all you have.

I’d totally recommend visiting Martin County too, and the county’s pearl, Hobe Sound. Click here to find out some of the coolest things to do in Hobe Sound to keep you busy. 

You can spend some time in Orlando too – I loved my day at Disney Orlando!

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9. Driving from Austin to New Orleans 

The road trip from Austin to New Orleans is totally underrated. Go direct and it’s just nine hours, but with so many cool attractions along the way, you might as well make the most of it with a few stop offs along the way. Click the link for the full how to guide, but for ease now the highlights include looking up the sights in Houston, and staying at some of the old plantation houses of Louisiana.

Oak Alley Plantation is one of the most well-known – we had a fascinating stay there in a beautiful old room. 

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10. Emerald Coast road trip 

Ok, so it’s Florida again. It’s a popular state for a reason! 

I once drove up the Emerald Coast and had a wonderful time. Honestly, it was so easy, and so beautiful, I feel like it’s a great starter for anyone planning a road trip in the USA. The road trip up the Emerald Coast is the perfect choice for any families rung out by nearby Orlando. 

The roads are easy, two lanes all the way, it’s a chilled speed and there are lots of quirky and interesting things to see and do along the way. LOOK AT THAT BEACH!

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11. Road trip from New York to Miami

It might not be one of the most popular road trips in the USA, but, what a journey!

A road trip from New York to Miami is a trip of a lifetime. As well as all the fun of a few days in New York to start the trip, you’ll pass through places like Philadelphia, Washington DC and Savannah too. Once you get to Miami, there are loads of things to do there.

You could take weeks doing this awesome road trip to really make the most of it, or, just drive on through!

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12. The drive from Chicago to Atlanta

There are some great places to stop on the drive from Chicago to Atlanta, including Memphis AND Graceland – Elvis’ home!

Click the link to see my guide to the best places to stop en route – and don’t miss out all the great things to do in Chattanooga. I loved it there!

13. LA to Vegas road trip

The road trip from La to Vegas can be done in four hours, but why would you want to do that when you can take a few days? There are a few great places to stop on the way, including a bottle art installation and a highway saloon too. Find out more in my post about driving from LA to Vegas, which is exactly what me and my friends did when we went to Coachella Festival in the Nevada Desert.

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More great road trip routes in the USA

• Eastern Utah (Moab/Canyonlands/Arches)
• Texas (El Paso to Austin via Big Bend & Hill Country)
• Denver loop, Colorado
• Olympic Peninsula, WA
• North Cascades Highway, WA
• Oregon Coast
• Denver to Mosca
• Boston loop

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