Road trips

Ready-made road trips around the USA: a day-by-day plan, a budget guideline, key stops, and a map. America is a road-trip country - a car opens up national parks, small towns and coastlines that no flight schedule will show you.

The mileage, days, and budget in the cards are guidelines, not exact measurements - they depend on the number of stops, the season, and accommodation. Check road conditions before setting off.

In this section

Bixby Creek Bridge arching across a canyon on the Big Sur coast with the Pacific beyond

Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip

3
≈770 km

Updated · July 24, 2026

Driving Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles: 480 miles, the stops that are worth it, current Big Sur conditions and how long to allow.

Ten graffiti-covered Cadillacs buried nose-down in a Texas field at sunrise at Cadillac Ranch

Route 66 Road Trip: Chicago to Santa Monica

14
≈3940 km

Updated · July 24, 2026

Driving Route 66 in its centennial year: what survives of the road, 14 stops from Chicago to Santa Monica, how many days to allow and when to go.