Sometimes there’s nothing better than jumping in your car and going for a drive just to take the edge of! A road trip is one of the best kind of trips there are, but deciding your route can be tricky depending on how far you want to go, what you want to see, and which views speak to you the most.

In honour of National Road Trip Day on May 24th, we’re sharing the best routes you can take that bring you from Canada to the U.S.A in the most picturesque way! Betway analyzed the best road trips across the US and Canada to find out the most popular routes.

Embark on one of these adventures for your next North American road trip!

1. Route 66, USA

Using Instagram, specifically the number of hashtags and posts made for each road trip route, it can be revealed that the world-renowned Route 66 tops the ranking. Covering a total of 3,940km across six states, Route 66 is the perfect three-week trip to explore the U.S.A.

2. Florida Keys, USA

If a trip along the coast is more your style, then Florida Keys may be the perfect trip for those wanting to experience the southernmost part of the US. Spanning 120 miles, Florida Keys was a narrow second in the rankings with its picturesque scenes along the way.

3. The Canadian Rockies, Canada

Rounding up the top three is the highest Canadian road trip in the rankings, The Canadian Rockies.

The mountain range spans across British Columbia and Alberta including peaks such as Mount Robson and Mount Columbia. With many national parks to choose from along the way, the trip of a lifetime gives you the chance to see diverse wildlife and even stop off at a ski resort.

4. Blue Ridge Parkway, USA

Built on the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the 469-mile-long road carries travellers between two of the United States’ most popular national parks—Shenandoah in the north and Great Smoky Mountains in the south—but it’s also an attraction in its own right.

5. Acadia National Park Loop, USA

This 27-mile (43 km) road is the go-to scenic drive around the east side of Mount Desert Island, connecting Acadia’s lakes, mountains, and shoreline. It provides access to popular areas such as Sieur de Monts, Sand Beach, Otter Point, Jordan Pond, and Cadillac Mountain.

6. Pacific Coast Highway, USA

It would take at least 40 hours, or nearly two days, to drive the length of the Pacific Coast Highway without stopping. But the whole point of driving the PCH is to take your time and make plenty of stops to enjoy the scenery along the way.

The most scenic spots along the road trip are The Golden Gate Bridge, Greyhound Rock Beach, Monterey, Carmel by the Sea, Big Sur and Pfeiffer State Beach, Dana Point, and Point Loma.

7. Icefields Parkway, Canada

One of the most scenic drives in the world, this highway spans 233 kilometres between Banff National Park and Jasper National Park, connecting Lake Louise and Jasper. The drive takes about three hours, with the Columbia Icefield roughly in the middle.

Of course, when you’re planning your visit, you’ll want to allow for time to explore some of these noteworthy route highlights along the way.

8. The Cabot Trail, Canada

When you look at the Cabot Trail on a map it looks pretty manageable; but when you do actually take into account that it’s 185 miles to get around it and it’s full of scenic stops and activities you can do, you realize it’s not easily manageable in a day without some pre-planning and organization.

9. Sea to Sky Highway, Canada

If traffic is light and the weather is good, you can drive the entire Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler in about two hours. However, if you want to make a lot of stops, allow a full day. The highway is open all year round but the peak months are from May until October, with June to August being the most popular.

10. The Great American Road Trip, USA

This is the kind of multi-month adventure most dream about, but few actually do. While many of us have bucket-list goals of exploring this vast and diverse landscape right across America, more often than not, we end up heading abroad instead or taking a plane before opting for the daunting drive.

All road trips were analyzed based on Instagram hashtags on posts. Data correct as of May 2024.

Want to take some spirited hikes? You can walk or bike some of these Canadian trails, check out how here!