According to the Vacationer’s Summer Travel Survey, 75 percent of Americans plan road trips in the summer of 2024. If you have yet to hit the road this season, you’d better hit the road quickly because there are only a few weeks until the fall air begins to take hold. If you’re wondering where you should go on a road trip, student travel company Rustic Pathways has a list.
In late July, Rustic Pathways released its most-searched study of U.S. road trips. The company collected search terms related to the route, such as “road trip,” “itinerary,” “loneliest road,” “Route 66,” and “Hana Highway.” Then, it evaluated them using Google Keyword Planner to develop a final list of search terms. “We combined all search terms for the same route, such as’ Hana highway ‘and’ Hana highway road trip, ‘to come up with the overall monthly figure,” the research team added. These routes are then ranked according to the most searched combinations.
After looking at all the data, the team named the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) the first route.
“The Pacific Coast Highway is the most searched trip with an average of more than 257,000 searches per month,” according to the survey results. This route covers the West Coast of the United States and crosses California Highway 1, known for its stunning coastal views. This route will take you past the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Big Sur Mountains, and scenic beaches like Pismo and Huntington Beach.”
Seriously, PCH is far more popular than any other country. Route 66 is second, with 191,000 Google searches monthly.
“Route 66, perhaps the most famous internationally, originally ran from Chicago to Santa Monica for more than 2,400 miles, passing through eight states,” the findings add. “Although it was removed from the U.S. highway system in the 1980s to make way for the Interstate, what remains popular, and this historic route even has multiple museums dedicated to its history.”
Interestingly, third place was California, where “Big Sur Road Trip” took bronze thanks to its 172,000 monthly searches. This tour will take you along a specific section of California’s Highway 1 with some of the most stunning views on the planet, including panoramic sea views and famous attractions such as the Bixby River Bridge and McWee Falls.
