Road Trip Destinations: The Best Places to Drive, Stay, and Explore
The best road trip destinations share a few common traits: scenic driving routes, enough stops to break up the miles, and something worth lingering for at each end. Whether you’re planning road trip vacations across a full week or a long weekend, road trip places that combine natural scenery with accessible logistics consistently produce the most satisfying experiences. Best road trip ideas don’t require crossing the country — some of the most memorable drives are under four hours long, connecting two points you might have otherwise flown between.
This guide covers top road trip destinations by region, what makes each route worth the drive, and the practical details — accommodation types, best seasons, and drive times — that help you build a trip you’ll actually finish planning.
Best Road Trip Places in the US
Pacific Coast Highway, California
The Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to Los Angeles ranks among the best road trip destinations in the country for consistency of scenery. The 400-mile route passes Big Sur’s dramatic coastal cliffs, Hearst Castle, and Santa Barbara’s beach towns. Allow 3 to 5 days rather than rushing the drive in one push. Road trip places along this corridor like Big Sur campgrounds and Carmel-by-the-Sea hotels book out 3 to 6 months ahead during summer, so plan reservation dates well in advance.
Best road trip ideas for this route: drive south so you have the Pacific on your right for the most dramatic ocean views. Start in San Francisco and end in Los Angeles rather than the reverse. Stop at Pfeiffer Beach for the purple sand and sea stacks — it’s worth the unpaved road.
Blue Ridge Parkway, Appalachians
The Blue Ridge Parkway from Virginia to North Carolina is one of the most underrated road trip destinations for people who aren’t chasing western scenery. The 469-mile route runs through hardwood forests, Appalachian mountain towns, and vantage points that look out over six states on clear days. Fall foliage runs mid-October to early November and transforms every road trip vacations stop along the route into something painterly.
The speed limit is 45 mph maximum along the entire parkway — this is intentionally a slow drive. Plan for 3 to 4 days at minimum. Road trip places like Asheville, NC sit just off the southern end and make an excellent base for a night or two before or after the drive.
Planning Your Road Trip Vacations
The best road trip ideas come from matching drive time to your available days. A 2-day trip should cap driving at 600 miles total — roughly 5 to 6 hours per day — to leave time for stops, meals, and the actual experience of the road trip destinations you chose. A 5-day trip opens up 1,500 to 2,000 miles of range without feeling like you’re just covering ground.
Accommodation choices shape the experience as much as the route. Camping along road trip places in national forests and state parks costs $15 to $35 per night and puts you closer to the natural environment you’re driving through. Motels and roadside inns run $60 to $120 and offer flexibility — you can call ahead the morning of arrival rather than booking weeks out. For road trip vacations with families or groups, vacation rentals in small towns along the route offer more space and kitchen access for significantly less than comparable hotel rooms.
Bottom line: The best road trip destinations reward drivers who plan the route but leave the schedule loose enough to take detours. Lock in your road trip places and first-night accommodation, then let road trip vacations unfold at the pace the road sets.