Next great journeys: Five road trips you must do

From the classic Americana of Route 66 to little-known sojourns in the Mediterranean, here are five great road trips you must take.

Kicks and side trips on Route 66

• Start St Louis, Missouri, US
• Finish Joplin, Missouri, US
• Duration Five days

Get your kicks on Route 66 in the US.

Forget waiting until 2026 to get your kicks. Attractions along Route 66, perhaps the world’s most beloved historic highway, are already primping in preparation for its forthcoming centenary.

The fabled highway – a Dust Bowl migration route and military transport corridor that became a magnet for starry-eyed road-trippers before being decommissioned in 1985 – lives on in fragments that meander alongside bland interstate highways and through landscapes that morph from the emerald forests and fields of the Missouri Ozarks to high Texan plains and retina-burning red deserts.

You’ll need your wits – and one of the modern Route 66 guides – to help keep on track if you want to conquer the entire 3940-kilometre diagonal route through eight states that connects Chicago in the Midwest to Santa Monica on the Pacific coast.

To tap into the small-town, mom-and-pop essence of the Main Street of America, as it’s known, base yourself for a few days in Springfield, Missouri, the birthplace of Route 66. It’s from here that a telegram was sent to Washington DC proposing the name Route 66 (Route 62 wouldn’t have had quite the same ring). Learn more about the Mother Road (as it’s also known) at the city’s History Museum on the Square and drool over the gleaming duco of restored vintage automobiles at the Route 66 Car Museum.

Route 66 Museum.

Missouri is home to other “Old 66” roadside gems: bed down at the Boots Court Motel in Carthage or the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, admire the large Route 66 badge painted on the road surface outside Gary’s Gay Parita and just try to keep the grin off your face when you pull into the very silly Uranus Fudge Factory.

In other states, hunker down at Arizona’s Wigwam Motel and keep those vintage vibes going at eastern New Mexico’s neon-fabulous Blue Swallow Motel. More luxurious digs are found at Santa Fe’s adobe La Fonda on the Plaza.

Architecture fans can ogle the fanciful flourishes on Albuquerque’s “pueblo deco” KiMo Theatre while the musically inclined will stop at Standin’ on the Corner Park in Winslow, Arizona – a nod to the Eagles’ hit song Take It Easy. Refuelling with diner breakfasts – and terrible coffee – along the way is de rigueur.

Side trips were always part and parcel of moseying along the route, with the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon a popular detour. Like those motorists of yesteryear, take your time road-tripping along this very special memory lane. See route66-centennial.com

Queensland’s electric dreams

• Start Brisbane, Queensland
• Finish Toowoomba, Queensland
• Duration Three days

Enjoy Ipswich Nature Centre’s free zoo experience.Credit: iStock

In the Sunshine State, the future of road-tripping is electric. Queensland is plugged into the EV trend, developing an Electric Super Highway that runs from Coolangatta near the NSW border to Port Douglas in the tropical north, and from Brisbane to Toowoomba. Phase 3, an EV-friendly web that will reach outback destinations including Mt Isa, Longreach, Barcaldine, Charleville and Cunnamulla is under development.

Until then, skip the coastal traffic for that more peaceful 127-kilometre Brisbane-Toowoomba jaunt. Rent an EV and stop first in the heritage city of Ipswich to admire the grand Queenslanders (and jacarandas when they bloom in late spring). Contemplate just how much transport has changed at the Workshops Rail Museum and enjoy Ipswich Nature Centre’s free zoo experience. Drop in on the cute-as-a-button village of Marburg before arriving in the Garden City. Visit the Cobb & Co Museum and, if it’s springtime, take in Toowoomba’s annual Carnival of Flowers. See queensland.com; sixt.com.au

Keep mileage to a minimum in NZ

• Start Picton, South Island, NZ
• Finish Nelson, South Island, NZ
• Duration Five days

When it comes to the most bang for your buck, New Zealand’s Top of the South region delivers.Credit: iStock

Given the eye-watering fuel prices of late, the perfect road trip of the future could be more attractive if extremely compact. When it comes to the most bang for your buck, New Zealand’s Top of the South region delivers. For a journey of less than 200 kilometres, pick up rental wheels in Picton (don’t fork out to transport a car from Wellington on the Interislander ferry) and start exploring. Hit Picton’s art galleries and enjoy a picnic with dreamy water views before heading to Blenheim.

Here, you’re in the heart of the famed Marlborough wine region. Ask for local cellar-door recommendations and enjoy fine dining at Arbour. Continue to Havelock, the green-lipped mussel capital of the world, before travelling through landscapes immortalised on the big screen (thanks to Sir Peter Jackson) to reach sunshine-soaked Nelson. Tack on a cultural or foodie side trip: paddle a waka (Maori watercraft) at Kaiteriteri Beach near Abel Tasman National Park or cycle (and sample) the delicious Great Taste Trail. See newzealand.com

From the Med to the mountains

• Start Larnaka, Cyprus
• Finish Larnaka, Cyprus
• Duration Five days

Rugged sea caves near Ayia Napa.Credit: iStock

In some countries, chaotic driver behaviour rattles the nerves. Cyprus isn’t like that. Australians will feel right at home here, thanks to this stunning Mediterranean country’s familiar road rules and law-abiding drivers. After flying into Larnaka and ticking off the rugged sea caves near Ayia Napa – party capital of the eastern Med, skip staying there – wind inland to a photogenic mountain village. Pano Lefkara, where the tradition of lace-making is UNESCO-listed, is one of the best, with cobblestone streets so narrow you must park in a communal lot.

In the cool, pine-scented Troodos mountain range, Pano Platres has long been a refuge from the summer heat, with its nightingales immortalised in a famous poem. Today, these dramatically angled mountain roads attract cyclists keen to work up a sweat along with road-trippers venturing off the beaten path. Return to Larnaka via Lefkosia (Nicosia) and glance at the speedo – all that beauty in just 350 kilometres. See visitcyprus.com

Where the wild things are in BC

• Start Kamloops, Canada
• Finish Kamloops, Canada
• Duration Six days

British Columbia’s interior is home to waterfalls, wine and wild salmon.Credit: iStock

After ticking off Vancouver, Banff and Lake Louise, what’s next? Plenty if you head towards the rugged middle ground as British Columbia’s interior is home to waterfalls, wine and wild salmon. If you’re visiting in early October, start from Kamloops and head to Tsutswecw (Roderick Haig-Brown) Provincial Park to see the annual sockeye salmon run. This natural phenomenon is an experience as jaw-dropping as seeing a grizzly bear in the wild.

In nearby Salmon Arm, stroll the sweep of the 134-metre-long wharf, North America’s longest curved timber pier, to go eyeball to eyeball with flying migratory shorebirds and prairie species. From here, point the wheels north to Clearwater, gateway to Wells Gray Provincial Park with 41 named waterfalls (and striking autumn colours).

Don’t miss the chance to clamber behind Moul Falls and cop a face-full of mist. After this 500-kilometre journey, add more tarmac time by heading 170 kilometres south to Kelowna to toast your trip at Quails’ Gate Winery: tastings are served alongside dramatic lake views. See hellobc.com

THE TOUR GUIDE, MICHELA LOMBARDI, COLLETTE

My job involves… taking care of the travellers and opening their eyes to new cultures and unforgettable experiences.

My definition of a great journey is… to experience the local culture of wherever you are and blend in with some of the local habits. Also, to understand the history behind local habits and build unforgettable memories.

Collette’s Michela Lombardi.

My greatest journey ever was… in Japan. The cultural differences were many and so interesting.

The most amazing thing I’ve ever seen on a journey is… the Northern Lights in Iceland.

The great journey I still really want to do one day is… to travel to Chile and then see the rest of South America.

The world’s next great journey destination is… Sicily, the undiscovered Italy.

My best tip for getting the most from a great journey is… forget where you come from and blend in with the local culture. Savour diversity and enjoy being away from home. See collette.com
-Sue Williams