How to Plan an Epic Route 66 Road Trip
Route 66 which is also known as the Mother Road and the Main Street of America stretches 2448 miles across eight states from Chicago in Illinois to Santa Monica in California and is the ultimate bucket list road trip for many people. It was something that we had been planning do for such a long time after several cancellations over the last few years and we finally drove Route 66 in September 2023 as part of a much bigger road trip all way from New York to Los Angeles and it was definitely worth the wait.
Before our trip I spent so much time reading and researching everything that I possibly could about Route 66. I also watched so many different YouTube videos and studied maps of the entire route which helped to make it possible for both of us just to sit back and drive as well as enjoy every minute of our epic journey as all of the hard work had already been done.
Road trips are one my favourite ways to explore and there simply is no better way to see the USA other than by driving along one of the most famous roads in the world. Whilst Route 66 does not exist in its entirety anymore as it was decommissioned in 1985, you can still drive the majority of the old route albeit with some careful planning.


A lot of people have asked me how we planned our incredible road trip so I have written this blog post and travel guide and included as much essential and important information as I possibly could that we had to personally consider when planning our Route 66 trip as well as any other helpful and useful tips, tricks and advice that we discovered along the way to help make the drive as enjoyable as possible.


When is the Best Time to Drive Route 66?
The best time to drive Route 66 is anytime between May and October. However whilst the summer months are the most popular time to drive Route 66, they are also the busiest as well as the most crowded so travelling at the start or the end of the season is much more preferable. It is important to note that during June, July and August, it will be very hot and humid and places will be crowded and hotels will be much more expensive than at other times.
I would not recommend driving Route 66 during the cold winter months as even though it would be very quiet, the weather will be unpredictable with the possibility of freezing temperatures and road closures. Many of the roadside attractions, restaurants and old motels are also closed during the off-season.
We drove Route 66 at the end of September which we found to be the perfect time – not only were the roads very quiet with very little traffic but the weather was also very comfortable. Everywhere that we wanted to visit was open – and we were often the only ones at some of the attractions along the way – making the whole trip so enjoyable.


What Direction Should You Drive Route 66?
The first thing that you need to decide is whether to drive Route 66 westbound from Chicago to Santa Monica or eastbound in the opposite direction from Santa Monica to Chicago. Whilst you can drive whatever direction you prefer and there is no correct answer as you will not miss anything by going either way, I would recommend driving west (especially if you only have limited time to drive Route 66) as you will gain hours due to the time changes driving towards California. Gaining an hour on two of your days is not only easier but it will also give you extra time to explore on those days – and any extra time on Route 66 is always good.
However on the flip side and after spending a lot of time in California over the years, I would also consider driving eastbound and getting all of the busy Los Angeles traffic out of the way first a great option – this way you can then sit back and relax and enjoy the empty roads for the rest of the trip.


How Long Should Your Route 66 Trip Be?
Whilst you can drive Route 66 as quickly or as slowly as you want and every trip will be different, the answer will entirely depend on the amount of time you personally have available and what you want to see and do along the way and however long you choose to take to drive Route 66, make sure to make it the right trip for you.
However I do believe the absolute minimum time needed to drive Route 66 is two weeks – any quicker and you will have much longer driving days and you will not be able to see everything that you want to along the way as you will be racing from place to place. The more time you have, the better as you will have the freedom to slow down but I know only too well that it is not always possible as most people – including myself – can only take a certain amount of time off work.
When planning your trip, make sure that you research the entire route and the attractions beforehand to decide what is important to you and how much you want to see and do along the way as well as how far you want to drive each day. For example neither of us were interested in exploring the majority of the museums on Route 66 (there are so many of them and they can take up a lot of your time each day as well as feel a little repetitive) but we definitely knew that we wanted to try and see as much as we could of everything else – especially the random roadside attractions – along the entire route as we were driving along instead. Once again everyone will have a completely different opinion on this but driving Route 66 is what you personally make of it and I do not regret skipping what we did as it gave us more time to do exactly what we wanted to do along the way.
Also make sure to allow time at the start of your trip to travel to either Chicago or Los Angeles from wherever you live (as well as any time needed to get over any jet lag if flying into the USA from overseas) and my biggest tip is to make sure you allow extra time to drive through Los Angeles – that traffic is no joke and it really does take forever to get anywhere no matter what time of the day it is!


What States Will I Visit on Route 66?
Route 66 crosses eight states which are Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.


Where to Stay on Route 66?
There is no shortage of hotels and motels along Route 66 and where you stay will depend on both your travel style as well as your individual budget as there is no correct answer. Do you prefer to stay at unique and independent family owned businesses or are you more comfortable staying at a well known chain with more facilities?
As all of our plans were set and as we like to know in advance where we will be staying each night, we booked all of our accommodation before we travelled however many people prefer leaving it until the day to book somewhere to give them more flexibility as they never know where on Route 66 they will end up each day. You could also aim for somewhere in the middle of both options and book hotels with fully-cancellable rates which gives you the opportunity to easily change plans if needed once on the road.
However if travelling during the busy summer months and at peak times, make sure to book any of the iconic Route 66 motels as early as possible as they do sell out – this includes La Posada Hotel in Winslow, the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, the El Rancho Hotel in Gallup as well as both of the Wigwam Motels in Holbrook and San Bernardino.


What Side Trips can you Take When Driving Route 66?
If you have extra time available, there are several side trips to some amazing places that you can easily drive from Route 66:
Grand Canyon National Park – 59 miles from Williams or 79 miles from Flagstaff
Joshua Tree National Park – 90 miles from Barstow
Las Vegas – 110 miles from Needles or 107 miles from Kingman
Monument Valley – 171 miles from Flagstaff or 179 miles from Gallup
Lake Havasu – 43 miles from Needles
Sedona – 30 miles from Flagstaff
Branson – 45 miles from Springfield
Palo Duro Canyon State Park – 30 miles from Amarillo
Turquoise Trail – 32 miles from Albuquerque


What Car Should you Drive Route 66 in?
As you have a lot of driving to do when on Route 66, getting the right car is essential and could easily make or break your entire trip. Renting a car will easily be one of the biggest expenses of your trip but always try to get the best car that you can afford as the comfort and amenities as well as the extra space (for both the passengers as well as your bags) will be very welcome as you do not want to drive all of that way squashed into a small car which will be very uncomfortable and hurt a lot.
The majority of car rental companies will charge an expensive “One Way Fee” when you are driving Route 66 and dropping your car off in a different location to the one that you collected it from but we found that this is the one road trip where paying this extra charge is completely worth it. Always rent your car from a reputable company and make sure to check that you have unlimited mileage included and remember to take out any necessary insurance that is needed as well.
We rented our car from Alamo who we found had the best deal and they also have plenty of depots across the entire country where we could easily switch cars if there were any issues which we have had to do once before on another trip but thankfully not on this one. We rented a saloon car which was perfect for just the two of us as you do not need an SUV or a four wheel drive vehicle to travel Route 66 – it was also extremely fuel efficient so we spent less than half on fuel than what we did on our previous road trip a few years ago when we rented a much bigger SUV.
It is also possible to rent an electric car when driving Route 66 as we saw plenty of charging stations the whole way but remember that you will need to factor in the time needed to charge the vehicle at each stop into your schedule so this is definitely not the car to rent if you are limited on time.


How to Plan Each of Your Days on Route 66
Once you have decided which direction of Route 66 you want to drive along with where you want to stay each night and what you want to see and do (as well as any side trips), it is time to plan. If you only have a limited amount of time to drive Route 66, planning each day of your trip is essential so you know that you will be able to fit everything in that you want to do and then you can draft out an itinerary that works for you. For example as we have both been to Los Angeles many times before, we knew that we did not need any extra time to explore the area once we arrived there so we were able to head straight to the airport and fly back home on the same day after we had reached Santa Monica and doing this gave us another day to be able to see more of Route 66 on our drive to California.
The next stage of your planning is to work out how far you can comfortably, personally and safely drive each day but you also need to remember to allow time each day to explore and also for anything unexpected as you will see and drive past places that you had no idea even existed. Whilst it may not be a long distance between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, there are a lot of stops between them along the way which will take up most of your day – the opposite is true on other parts of Route 66 when you can cover much longer distances in a shorter amount of time as there are fewer places to stop. Also remember that the speed limit on Route 66 is lower than when driving on the Interstate so it will take a little longer to get everywhere than normal.
Make sure to research everywhere that you want to visit on Route 66 (including opening hours) as whilst some places are just a quick photo stop, others need a lot more time to be able to visit them properly. Also remember to check what time sunset is when planning each of your days as there is nothing worse than arriving somewhere after dark unless of course it’s to look at the beautiful neon signs lit up at night!
Once you have a rough plan for each day, you can then start to customise your trip even more by adding or removing attractions, giving yourself more than one night in each place where there is a lot to see and do, adding a side trip or even having a rest day with no driving which I highly recommend if you have the time.
However if you have unlimited time on your hands, then you can enjoy Route 66 with no planning needed whatsoever and you can take each day as it comes with no schedule and without having to rush which I would love to be able to do one day!


What are the Must See Towns and Attractions Along Route 66?
These are some of the main Route 66 stops and attractions in each state but remember that there is always something new to discover that you had no idea about before the trip which is all part of the experience. As already mentioned, many Route 66 businesses have limited opening hours and may not be open every day of the week so remember to check the times in advance and plan accordingly if it is somewhere that you definitely want to visit.
If you want to see just some of the many places that we visited when driving Route 66, I have also marked them here on Google Maps.
Illinois – Joliet, Gemini Giant, Pontiac, Lincoln, Springfield, Cozy Dog Drive In, Henry’s Rabbit Ranch, Pink Elephant Antique Mall, World’s Largest Catsup Bottle and the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.
Missouri – St Louis Gateway Arch, Meramec Caverns, Cuba, World’s Second Largest Rocking Chair, Devil’s Elbow Bridge, Uranus Fudge Factory, Frog Rock, Marshfield, Springfield, Gary’s Gay Parita, Carthage, the 66 Drive In Theatre and Joplin.
Kansas – Cars on the Route, Galena, Nelson’s Old Riverton Store, Rainbow Bridge and Baxter Springs.
Oklahoma – Commerce, Miami, Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park, Hi-Way Cafe, Blue Whale of Catoosa, the Golden Driller, Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios, Tulsa, Sapulpa, Rock Cafe, Arcadia Round Barn, Pops 66, Milk Bottle Grocery, Oklahoma City, Lucille’s Station, Weatherford, Sayre, the Sandhill Curiosity Shop and Texola.
Texas – Conoco Tower Station and U-Drop Cafe, Shamrock, Devil’s Rope Museum, the Leaning Tower of Texas, the VW Slug Bug Ranch, the Big Texan Steak Ranch, Amarillo, Cadillac Ranch, Vega and the Midpoint Cafe.
New Mexico – Glenrio, Tucumcari, the Blue Hole, Santa Rosa, Santa Fe, Old Town Albuquerque, Owl Rock, Dead Man’s Curve, Grants, the Continental Divide and Gallup.
Arizona – Petrified Forest National Park, Holbrook, Jack Rabbit Trading Post, Winslow, Meteor Crater, Two Guns, Twin Arrows, Flagstaff, Williams, Seligman, Peach Springs, Hackberry General Store, Giganticus Headicus, Kingman, Cool Springs, Oatman and Topock.
California – Old Trails Bridge, Needles, Goff’s Schoolhouse, Amboy, Bagdad Cafe, Barstow, Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch, Oro Grande, Victorville, San Bernardino, Cucamonga Service Station, Pasadena, the Colorado Street Bridge, Chicken Boy and Santa Monica Pier.


How to Drive Route 66
Whilst there are many “Historic Route 66” signs, you cannot rely solely on them to navigate between Chicago and Los Angeles as there are simply not enough of them. There are also so many different old alignments of Route 66 and you will also see some signs along the way showing Route 66 going in completely opposite directions which could add to any confusion and you could very easily end up lost.
To help navigate many people use and recommend the chargeable Route 66 Navigation app to stay on Route 66 but we personally used Google Maps. Before our trip I had “starred” every single one of the places (and there were over 500 of them!) that we wanted to stop at along the way onto Google Maps which we then used to help us on our drive. When using this method you must remember to turn on “Avoid Motorways” and “Avoid Tolls” to make sure that you stay on Route 66 and once on the road, we simply selected the next stop on our map each time. Whilst this method is not completely fail-safe, we did not take a wrong turn the entire trip – all of our trip planning and hard work completely paid off!
Try to start each day as early as possible to give yourself more time on the road and you can then enjoy some downtime late afternoon and in the evening which you will need after a day of driving and sightseeing. It is also important to know that most of your days driving will be longer than you expect and whilst many of the Route 66 purists out there will absolutely hate me for saying this, if you need to get onto the Interstate for a few minutes to help you save some time, do it – it’s your road trip after all!
If you have limited time each day, do not try and stop everywhere but simply enjoy the time that you do have and see what is most important to you. If using my Google Maps method you will be able to see if there is an area where you have no stops planned and where there is not much to see and this is where getting on the Interstate even if only for a short distance can help you save time and in turn be able to see more of Route 66. And remember that in some states, some parts of Route 66 simply do not exist anymore meaning that you have to drive on the Interstate as there is no other option.


Getting Fuel on Route 66
The most important thing when driving Route 66 is to fill up on fuel whenever you can and remember that in some places such as the Oatman Highway in Arizona, there are long stretches of road without any gas stations at all. A good rule of thumb to stick to along Route 66 is to not let your tank go under half full at any time.
We used the Gas Buddy app to check fuel prices where we were which helped us save money along the way and we always tried to start each day of our trip with a full tank of fuel. Remember that fuel prices will generally be cheaper in the bigger towns and cities along the way as it will start to get a little more expensive in the more rural areas. Also make sure to fill up with fuel before crossing the border into California as the prices for fuel in Needles are ridiculous compared to the much cheaper prices just a few miles away across the border in Arizona.
If anyone is interested, our total fuel bill for our 4244 mile road trip from New York to Los Angeles via Route 66 and a few other places along the way was $391.


Are There any Tolls on Route 66?
There are no tolls to drive along Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica however when driving through the state of Oklahoma for example, make sure to follow Historic Route 66 the entire way and do not get on the Interstate 44 at any point to save time as you will be charged a toll.


How Much Does it Cost to Drive Route 66?
Driving Route 66 can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be however it is important to realise that your budget will completely depend on how much money you personally have to spend, how many days your trip will be, where you are travelling from, where you plan to stay and visit as well as taking into account other factors such as your individual travel style as everyone has different priorities to how they spend their money when on a trip whether it be on better and more expensive hotels instead of budget motels or sit down meals in a restaurant every day instead of quicker and more affordable take out.
When working out your budget remember to include the cost of flights, car rental and all accommodation before you add anything else such as fuel (especially if renting a bigger or sportier car) and food every day. Whilst there is a charge to enter some of the museums along Route 66, many of the attractions, photo stops and scenic lookouts are completely free of charge however always remember to leave a few dollars in the donation box to help with any running or maintenance costs. Car parking is also free along the majority of Route 66 with the usual exceptions of Chicago and Santa Monica.
The biggest piece of advice I can give is to be aware of what you are spending every day (try and keep a running total either on your phone or in a notebook) as it is very easy to get carried away and everything will start to add up very quickly especially if you are eating out several times a day and also if you are buying souvenirs at all of the places you will visit.


What to Pack When Driving Route 66
When it comes with what you need to pack when driving Route 66, the best advice is to pack light as you really do not need much at all. It is important to remember that if you are staying in a different hotel or motel every night that you will have to lift any luggage in and out of your car every day so you really do not want to have a heavy bag – we did our two week road trip with one carry on size wheelie bag each which was a perfect size.
When packing any clothing, keep it simple and casual as you really do not need anything fancy to wear and remember that you can do laundry during your trip as many hotels have facilities that you can use which will help you to pack less. Any clothing that you bring needs to be comfortable (as you will be wearing it for many hours each day) and having various layers is key due to sitting in a cold air conditioned car one minute and then walking outside in hot temperatures the next – and on that note, make sure to bring sunscreen too! For footwear, all that you need are trainers and flip flops so leave the high heels at home and remember to pack a hat and sunglasses as well as your regular glasses or contact lenses if you wear them.
Along with your clothing and toiletries, a good camera is essential as you will take so many incredible photos along the way as well as extra memory cards and any spare batteries that you need. Also remember to bring any charging cables and if renting a car, bring both a USB-A and USB-C cable for your phone as you will not know which sockets your car will have until you collect it. Most rental cars have Apple CarPlay fitted as standard which you can use for navigation by connecting your phone via bluetooth but we also always bring a phone holder as a backup just in case it is needed.
With regards to what you need to pack for the car, again keep it simple. I always pack a reusable water bottle as well as an insulated cup for any tea or coffee on the go and we also bring a small cooler bag with ice packs which packs flat to keep any food or drink items cold during the day whilst we are driving as well as a travel cutlery set and a food container.
I also recommend packing a small pouch of what I call handy things to have with you in the car including a hairbrush, spare hairband, lip balm, hand cream, a nail file, tweezers, a pen, eye drops (in case of tired eyes), mints, chewing gum, painkillers, indigestion tablets, a laundry pen in case of any spills on clothing as well as sachets of vitamin supplements if you start to feel run down during the trip along with any other first aid items that you might need.
We also pack a small tote bag to carry any food shopping that we need to get or to use if having a picnic as well as a a foldable holdall bag in case we need any extra space to bring any shopping or souvenirs home.
And if there is something that you forget to pack, you will be able to buy it whilst on the road and also remember that you can order online and have any items delivered to one of the hotels that you are staying at.
If you would like to read in more detail about what I pack for a road trip, you can read my blog here.


How to Save Money on Route 66
Whilst your accommodation, rental car and fuel will be your three biggest expenses of driving Route 66, there are a few things that you can do to help cut other costs along the way and save money.
Eating out three times a day can quickly add up but you can easily save money by simply booking hotels that offer a free breakfast. Eating a big breakfast every morning at our hotel meant that we rarely needed to stop for lunch as we were still full and having some snacks in the car helped to tide us over until dinner.
As we also stayed in hotels that had kitchen facilities, we were also able to make dinner for ourselves on some nights and then take any leftovers with us the following day to eat on the go. On the days that we had a long drive, we also made salads and wraps to take with us as this made it feel like we were eating somewhat healthy which is sometimes difficult to do when on a road trip – and it was also a lot of fun to stop somewhere interesting and have a picnic on Route 66!
Buying teas and coffees such as Starbucks several times a day will also very quickly add up so we took a travel kettle with us (it’s one of the best purchases that we have ever made) as well as our insulated mugs so we could make any hot drinks at the hotel before we started driving each day. We also filled up our reusable water bottles wherever we could to save buying any bottles of water on the go.
As already mentioned, the majority of roadside attractions, parks and viewpoints along Route 66 are completely free of charge to see and enter (as they are mostly just along the side of the road) but make sure to always leave a small donation to help with any upkeep so that more people can enjoy these places for years to come.
If you are travelling in a group with friends or family, you can split the costs for car rental, fuel and accommodation which will allow you to help reduce your own individual expenses.
If you can travel during off-peak times and avoid the busiest summer months and any public holidays, you can easily save money on accommodation costs.
Using the GasBuddy app can really help to you to save money as the difference in price for fuel just a few miles away from where you are can be huge.
Whilst it would be very easy to buy souvenirs from everywhere that you stop on Route 66, the cost will quickly add up and remember that you also have to carry them home too once you have finished driving.


Apps to Download When Driving Route 66
When driving Route 66, we downloaded the following apps to help us make the most of our journey:
Gas Buddy – Find the cheapest fuel prices nearby
Google Maps – Use for directions, navigation and and real-time traffic information
Waze – Use for directions, navigation and real-time traffic information based on user-reported data
Maps.me – Offline maps in case of driving through any remote areas with no mobile signal or data service
Route 66 Navigation – Turn by turn directions and information on attractions along Route 66
Roadside Attractions – Find interesting stops and locations nearby
Atlas Obscura – Discover unusual and interesting places nearby


Where to Eat Along Route 66?
There are some amazing places to eat along Route 66 but it is important to note that food choices can be very limited outside of the big cities and you might struggle to find something that you can eat if you have any special dietary requirements – even simple veggie options are hard to come by which I can tell you from personal experience. If this is the case like it was for me, make sure that you pack some snacks with you so that you do not go hungry (or even get hangry) and this is where stopping at a supermarket and buying some of your own food that you can prepare at your hotel each morning can help immensely.
Some of the most iconic Route 66 food stops include:
The Cozy Dog Drive In – Springfield, Illinois – The birthplace of the Corn Dog
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard – St Louis, Missouri – Famous for their “Concretes”
Old Riverton Store – Riverton, Kansas – Grab a sandwich for your drive!
Mother Road Market – Tulsa, Oklahoma – An food hall with incredible and various choices
The Rock Cafe – Stroud, Oklahoma – The owner was the inspiration behind the character of Sally in the movie Cars and had some of the best veggie options that I found on Route 66 and was one of my favourite stops
The Big Texan Steak Ranch – Amarillo, Texas – Home of the 72oz steak challenge
The Midpoint Cafe – Adrian, Texas – Home of the amazing Ugly Crust Pies!
Dog House Drive In – Albuquerque, New Mexico – Featured in Breaking Bad
Road Kill Cafe – Seligman, Arizona – Just the name alone will make you laugh!
Mr D’z Route 66 Diner – Kingman, Arizona – Vintage Route 66 diner
The Donut Man – Glendora, California – Make sure to get a peach donut if in season!


Other Information to Know When Driving Route 66
Despite rarely taking any cash with me anymore on most trips overseas, make sure to bring some with you when driving Route 66 to use in small towns and at family owned businesses, for any donations along the way and also for paying for fuel.
Do not be afraid to skip stuff when driving Route 66. Despite having so many places marked on Google Maps before our trip, we did drive past some places on the day as you quickly realise that you do not need to stop absolutely everywhere – some people might disagree with that but it’s true.
Do not drive Route 66 at night as you will miss seeing so much.
If visiting Petrified Forest National Park and also taking side trips to Grand Canyon National Park and Joshua Tree National Park, buy an America the Beautiful annual pass to save money which is valid at over two thousand federal recreation sites across the United States.
Despite being in seemingly the middle of nowhere at times, we had a full mobile signal for almost our entire drive along Route 66 – there was just one small area of Arizona near Oatman where we did not – so we had no trouble navigating at any time during our trip.
If you need to access mobile data whilst visiting the USA, you can purchase a travel E-Sim through Airalo. If you would like to use my referral code NIKKI8866 when signing up, you will receive £2.50 / US$3 off your first purchase.
Remember to sign the guestbooks everywhere that you stop – it’s a great way to show your appreciation and to see where everyone else driving Route 66 at the same time as you is visiting from.
When stopping at roadside attractions and viewpoints, remember to park out of the way and do not block the view with your car as everyone else also wants the same amazing pictures.


As you are spending so much time on the road, try and keep the inside of your car as clean and tidy as possible – make your journey a comfortable, enjoyable and stress free one.
Make sure to allow for rest days during your trip and some downtime as you will need it after a few days on the road!
Try to support the local businesses along Route 66 as much as possible even if just stopping to buy a coffee, a snack or a small souvenir. By doing this you will also get to meet some incredible people with the most interesting stories! On Route 66 you never know what you might see or who you might meet!
Make sure to create a great music playlist for your drive and remember to include Route 66 and Take it Easy!
Santa Monica Pier will always be busy even on a weekday however if you can get there early in the morning, your experience will be so much better! There is also a small car park just to the side of the pier where you can park for $1.50 an hour so you can easily get your “End of the Route” photo on the pier without spending a fortune.
Make sure to watch the Pixar movie Cars before driving Route 66 as you will see all of the real life locations that inspired places in the film.
Whilst on the road, keep an open mind, be patient as well as be flexible as things will go wrong that you have no control over such as bad weather, road closures, detours and places that you wanted to visit being unexpectedly closed. You also might stop a lot more than you had originally planned (there is so much to see!) and your day could end up being much longer than thought it would be.
Take plenty of photos – my memories of driving Route 66 will stay with me forever.


It had been several years since our last major road trip and driving Route 66 really was a dream come true for me and there is no better feeling or sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when you finally see the Pacific Ocean (or Chicago if driving in the opposite direction) as it truly feels like a world away from where you first started the long journey.
I absolutely love Roadside America and it was so wonderful to experience the nostalgia of Route 66 and imagine what it must have been like during its heyday. We stopped at so many different places along the way, watched as the landscapes drastically changed around us and met some truly amazing and fascinating people – Route 66 really has something for everyone!
Route 66 is one of the best and most rewarding road trips you can do however make sure that you make it the right trip for you as everyone will have a very different idea of what they want to do. Make sure to stop where you want to stop, stay where you want to stay, go with the flow and enjoy the time exploring with friends and family.
Route 66 is all about the spirit of adventure and the wonderful journey so get out there, get your kicks, enjoy the ride and have fun!
This blog post was written in 2024 so some of the information may no longer be accurate or up to date. Be sure to do your own research and check official websites for the latest details before making any of your own travel plans.
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Brilliant! This is epically helpful, thank you for sharing your tips and experiences in so much detail
Thank you Raquel and have an amazing time on Route 66 😀
Coming from Eastern Canada and wondering about camping/tenting along Route 66?
Hi Sandra I have absolutely no idea about camping along Route 66 as we stayed in hotels and motels. If anyone reading this has any information, feel free to comment below 🙂
Hi
My wife and I are doing Route 66 end of September 3 days in Chicago then hitting the Mother Rd
Should have done this for our 25th wedding anniversary 5 yrs ago but Covid struck
Now its coming up our 30th!
Thanks for the great advice absolutely brilliant
Jace & Jennie
Lincoln,UK X
Hi Jace and Jennie and thank you for you lovely comment. We also had our original trip cancelled due to Covid so I can tell you that it will be the best feeling ever for you both when you get on the road and see and do everything that you have been planning for such a long time. Have a wonderful time in September 🙂
Do you have anything that shows what towns you stayed at each night? I would like to book a few hotels in advance but this is overwhelming! I love all the info you have. Trying to plan my ” retirement” trip with a friend!!!
Hi Jeannine off the top of my head on Route 66 we stayed in Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Albuquerque, Holbrook, Kingman and Victorville
Have done from Chicago to the OK/TX border a few years ago. Making plans to complete it next Fall in October. Wife has insisted…LOL. We love road trips. Thanks for the advise of everything.
You’re welcome Brian and listen to your wife as she is so right!! Have fun completing Route 66 next year 🙂
Hi
We are planning our trip for September next year, this is the first time to the US for me and my family. I am in my 60’s and can’t wait!!
We are going to start in LA route 66 to Oklahoma City and then to Memphis and finish in Nashville (all being well)
Your advice and tips are invaluable, thank you so much x
Wow that sounds like an amazing trip – I hope you have a wonderful time 🙂