While the original U.S. Route 66 was decommissioned as a major highway in 1985, you can still tour up to 85 per cent of the historic route using the country’s Interstate system.

Some of the best-preserved parts of historic Route 66 are in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Illinois and Arizona. Here, tiny towns and retro motels stand frozen in time beside the ‘Main Street of America’.

Historic Route 66 is signposted in key locations, but in most places you won’t find it on the map. Instead, plan your route in advance using our Route 66 road trip planner and look for side roads where the old ‘Mother Road’ still stretches for miles. Some parts have morphed into business district loops, while early sections are dirt tracks.

If you’re starting in the east, the journey begins in downtown Chicago at the corners of Adams Street and Michigan Avenue.

From here, Interstate 55 charts the famous route towards Springfield, where it follows Interstate 44 south-west into Missouri. During the short journey past Kansas, look out for Rainbow Bridge.

Interstate 44 snakes a similar path to the old Route 66 in eastern states. This changes at Oklahoma City, where you should join Interstate 40 to cross Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

One of the oldest sections of Route 66 runs parallel to the New Mexico State Road near Albuquerque.

Finally, bypass Interstate 15 by exiting Barstow on Main Street (National Trails Highway) for the final historic leg before entering the urban jungle of Los Angeles. Route 66 ends at Colorado Avenue by the golden and glamorous Santa Monica Pier.

It is possible to drive the whole length of Route 66 in two weeks, but three weeks or longer gives you the chance to see more.

Key driving rules – including speed limits – vary between states, so brush up on the basics before you travel.

Indulge in the spirit of Americana when you hire a car on Route 66. From the cool Midwest to the glitz of Los Angeles, the world’s definitive road trip is a blur of neon-lit motels, all-American burger joints and otherworldly landscapes.

Lashings of culture

Route 66 is more than just a road trip. To the visitors that flock here from all over the world, it represents a key aspect of the American Dream - the freedom to travel.

Get fully immersed in the culture by staying in a classic mid-century motel or eating burgers at traditional diners.

The best motels on Route 66 include Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, which has been decked out in nostalgic hues, and El Rancho Hotel in Gallup. The latter is genuinely retro – its doors opened in 1937, when Western movie stars stayed in droves.

The Wigwam Motel north of Phoenix offers a rare opportunity to sleep in accommodation modelled on Native American dwellings.

Stop at the dreamy diners for American-sized portions of fries and outrageous monster shakes. Henry's Drive In is a great place to try a Chicago dog, while Ollie’s Station Restaurant in Tulsa has been serving up great food and model railway entertainment since 1891.

Museums and folk art

In New Mexico, discover the Route 66 Monument tucked between the many colourful murals of Tucumcari. Just next door, the New Mexico Route 66 Museum houses the world’s largest photo exhibition on America’s favourite road.

See further artistic treasures at Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park in Foyil, Oklahoma or Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. At the latter, ten spray painted Cadillacs were half-buried in the ground by art group Ant Farm in 1974.

Route 66 heritage is celebrated passionately by its museums. The Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum, and the St Louis Car Museum are two of the best. There is even a museum on the site of the world’s first McDonald’s restaurant.

Don’t have time to drive the entire route? Stop at the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma to travel through all eight states and decades of history via interactive displays.

Unforgettable landscapes

Route 66 is home to some of the best scenic drives in America. Hire a car to be dazzled as you cross fabled frontiers such as Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Texas and Arizona’s Painted Desert.

Exit Route 66 (I-40) near Holbrook, Arizona to traverse the Petrified Forest National Park on foot. Then, drive your rental car north from Sanders on U.S. Route 191 to journey from Route 66 to Monument Valley and the world-famous Grand Canyon.

Be sure to park the hire car at Meteor Crater, an out-of-this-world natural landmark near Flagstaff.

The huge crater is one mile across, more than 500 feet deep and is thought to have been created by a meteor impact 50,000 years ago. There is an RV park and visitor centre complete with a 4D cinema.

California dreaming

The original route led Americans out West, where a wild world of sun, sand and sea beckoned.

Recreate the magic by driving to some of California’s best beach resorts, including Long Beach.

Hire a car on Route 66 to experience the many and varied wonders of America.