USA: Itineraries

Okay, so it's an obvious choice - but if you are time-poor in the States and only have a week or so to spend there, why not hit the classic Route 66? You'll pony up in Chicago and slide out of the saddle in Los Angeles.

Route 66, once the 'Main Street of America', is a nostalgic driving tour that still passes enough quintessential, wacky, shake-your-head-in-disbelief Americana to make it a highlight. Only portions of the original highway remain; today it has either been paralleled or replaced by newer interstates. Consult good state maps for details.

Start in Illinois and make your way to St Louis. Then tour through Missouri and into Oklahoma. A long original stretch exists between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. In the Texas panhandle, Amarillo boasts the famous Cadillac Ranch. Through New Mexico Route-66 proper stops, with museums and memorabilia to signpost it. Hit the tequila in Albuquerque and Gallup; in Arizona major destinations to check out are Flagstaff, Williams and Kingman, which has another sizeable original portion. Nostalgia trails off markedly once you enter California, though a final named stretch will take you the last few miles into Los Angeles.