Road Trip Co
Bespoke Tour Quote
A trip we’ve put together just for you.
A bespoke tour by Road Trip Co
Road Trip Co · USA · Solo Motorcycle Tour
For Chris Howes
Get Your Kicks on Route 66
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The Trip at a Glance
Fifteen days, eight states, two thousand miles of the Mother Road — on two wheels.
2,000miRoute 66
14Nights
13Days on the bike
11Hotels
Day 01 · Sat 10 Apr
London → Chicago
British Airways direct to O'Hare — into the Loop by teatime.
London Heathrow
Chicago O'Hare
Palmer House2 nights
AA7017/BA 13:10
Chicago 15:55
British Airways direct from Heathrow (AA-coded 7017), into O’Hare by late afternoon local time. Taxi to the Palmer House — a Hilton icon in Chicago’s theatre district, steps from Millennium Park and the Bean. Rest of the day yours to find your feet before you pick up the bike on Monday.
Day 02 · Sun 11 Apr
Chicago — A Free Day
The Loop, the lakefront, deep dish and blues. Legs rested before the ride.
The Loop
Millennium Park
Michigan Avenue
A full day in Chicago before the bike lands. Millennium Park and the Bean, the Willis Tower Skydeck, the Art Institute, and — if you want to see it — the little green Route 66 sign on E Adams Street where the whole road starts. Deep-dish for lunch, blues for the evening, an early night before the throttle in the morning.
Chicago · Nights 1 & 2
Palmer House, A Hilton Hotel
Chicago · Theatre district
- A Chicago icon — the second-oldest continuously operating hotel in America
- In the heart of the Loop, steps from Millennium Park and Michigan Avenue
- Hilton Serenity beds and blackout blinds — the right first night after the flight
Day 03 · Mon 12 Apr
Chicago → Springfield, Illinois
Collect the Indian Scout Sixty Bobber, and the Mother Road begins.
Chicago
Route 66 begins
Springfield, ILLincoln's home town
~200mi
Indian Scout · Day 1
Pick up the Indian Scout Sixty Bobber in downtown Chicago and roll south onto the Mother Road proper. Three hours to Springfield, Illinois — Abraham Lincoln’s home town, and one of the great Route 66 waypoints. The DoubleTree bears his name and sits five minutes from the Lincoln Presidential Museum. The Cozy Dog Drive In — birthplace of the corn dog — is on your way in.
Springfield, IL · Night 3
President Abraham Lincoln — a DoubleTree by Hilton
Springfield, Illinois · Central
- Named for the town's most famous citizen, on his doorstep
- Walking distance to the Lincoln Presidential Museum
- DoubleTree comfort — Sweet Dreams beds, warm cookie at check-in
Day 04 · Tue 13 Apr
Springfield → St Louis
Cross the Mississippi under the Gateway Arch — the Chain of Rocks Bridge if you want the old alignment.
Springfield, IL
Chain of Rocks BridgeOld Route 66 crossing
St LouisAt the Arch
A short riding day. If you want to ride the original Route 66 crossing of the Mississippi, the Chain of Rocks Bridge is a mile-long steel-truss oddity with a 22-degree kink halfway across — no cars any more, but bikes and bicycles are welcome. Roll into St Louis with the silver arch rising ahead of you. The tram to the top is worth an hour. Overnight at the Hilton, right at the Arch.
St Louis · Night 4
Hilton St. Louis at the Arch
St Louis · Right at the Gateway Arch
- Right at the Arch — walk out and the silver curve is above you
- Downtown location, five minutes from Ballpark Village
- Comfortable rider's stop after the Chain of Rocks crossing
Day 05 · Wed 14 Apr
St Louis → Springfield, Missouri
Across Missouri into the Ozarks.
St Louis
Meramec CavernsOptional detour
Springfield, MO
West across Missouri and into the Ozarks. Meramec Caverns — the state’s most famous cave system, and a Route 66 tourist trap since the 1930s — is a well-signposted detour. Springfield, Missouri, is the road’s traditional halfway point between the Great Lakes and the Pacific — ten hours behind you, ten to go.
Springfield, MO · Night 5
DoubleTree by Hilton Springfield
Springfield, Missouri · Off I-44
- Set around a 10-storey atrium — Missouri's halfway house on the Mother Road
- Indoor-outdoor heated pool for a hard-earned swim after the saddle
- Houlihan's on-site, and the Bass Pro Shops flagship is a short ride
Day 06 · Thu 15 Apr
Springfield → Oklahoma City
Into the plains — Oklahoma's stretch of the Mother Road.
Springfield, MO
Tulsa
Oklahoma CityBricktown
Into the plains. Oklahoma has more of the original Route 66 pavement than any other state — Tulsa for lunch, and the roadside Blue Whale of Catoosa is exactly the kind of stop the road was made for. Sheraton in Bricktown, in the heart of OKC’s canal-side restaurant district — five minutes on foot to dinner.
Oklahoma City · Night 6
Sheraton Oklahoma City Downtown
Oklahoma City · Bricktown
- In the heart of Bricktown, five minutes to the canal restaurants
- Sheraton Sweet Sleeper beds, tower views from the room
- The right base for OKC's National Memorial and the Bricktown Ballpark
Day 07 · Fri 16 Apr
Oklahoma City → Amarillo
Into Texas. Cadillac Ranch by evening.
Oklahoma City
Texas Panhandle
Cadillac Ranch10 Cadillacs · half-buried
Amarillo
Cross into Texas by lunch. Amarillo is the town the road was built through — and just west of it, Cadillac Ranch: ten graffitied Cadillacs planted nose-down in a wheat field since 1974. Bring a spray can if you want to leave your mark. Embassy Suites for the night, and breakfast included in the morning.
Amarillo · Night 7
Embassy Suites by Hilton Amarillo Downtown
Amarillo, Texas · Downtown
- Full suite for the price of a room — separate living area
- Walking distance to downtown Amarillo, 15 minutes from Cadillac Ranch
- Full cooked breakfast included
Day 08 · Sat 17 Apr
Amarillo → Santa Fe
Into New Mexico — the road climbs, the light changes.
Amarillo
New Mexico
Santa FeOldest US capital
~290mi
7,200ft
Out of the Texas panhandle and up into New Mexico on the pre-1937 alignment, the loop the original road took before it was straightened out. Santa Fe sits at 7,200 feet — the oldest state capital in the US, four centuries of Native American and Spanish colonial history built into cobblestone plazas and adobe walls. The Hilton is a block from the Plaza.
Santa Fe · Night 8
Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza
Santa Fe · Historic Plaza
- A block from Santa Fe's Historic Plaza and the Palace of the Governors
- Southwestern-charm rooms — plush bedding, mountain-view options
- Steps from the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and the city's adobe galleries
Day 09 · Sun 18 Apr
Santa Fe → Gallup
Through Albuquerque and the Indian Country of western New Mexico.
Santa Fe
Albuquerque
GallupThe El Rancho, if you want a drink there
South to Albuquerque and its stretch of the original Route 66, then west across the red-rock landscapes of western New Mexico to Gallup. Best-preserved stretch of the Mother Road anywhere — and worth stopping at the El Rancho, the hotel where every Western worth its name was filmed, for a beer at the John Wayne bar.
Gallup · Night 9
Hilton Garden Inn Gallup
Gallup, New Mexico · Route 66
- On historic Route 66 in the Indian Capital of the World
- Garden Sleep System beds, granite bathrooms — a comfortable stop
- Ten minutes to Red Rock Park for a sunset walk
Day 10 · Mon 19 Apr
Gallup → Flagstaff
Petrified Forest, the Painted Desert, and Arizona's pines.
Gallup
Petrified ForestPainted Desert
FlagstaffPonderosa pine forest
West into Arizona, straight through Petrified Forest National Park — 200-million-year-old fossilised wood and the striped hills of the Painted Desert. Overnight at Little America, in 500 acres of Ponderosa pine at 7,000 feet. Grand Canyon is 90 minutes north from here if you fancy adding it in.
Flagstaff · Night 10
Little America Hotel Flagstaff
Flagstaff, Arizona · 500-acre Ponderosa forest
- Set in 500 acres of Ponderosa pine — you're staying in the forest, not the town
- Rooms across four two-storey lodges, goose down pillows and separate bathtubs
- Base for a Grand Canyon side ride in the morning if you want it
Day 11 · Tue 20 Apr
Flagstaff → Las Vegas
Off Route 66 for a night — the desert to the Strip.
Flagstaff
Hoover DamOptional detour
Caesars Palace2 nights on the Strip
~250mi
The Strip
The road bears northwest into the Mojave. Hoover Dam sits just off the highway on the way in — worth an hour. Into Vegas by late afternoon, and Caesars Palace on the Strip is your base for two nights. A well-earned rest day tomorrow before the last run to the coast.
Day 12 · Wed 21 Apr
Las Vegas — A Free Day
Off the bike. The Strip, the Bellagio, the shows, the pools.
Caesars Palace
The Strip
Fremont StreetOld Vegas
A full day off the throttle. The Bellagio fountains, the Venetian gondolas, the Fremont Street canopy in the old town, and — back at Caesars — the Colosseum, the Gardens of the Gods pool complex and QUA Spa. Or hop on the bike for an hour to Red Rock Canyon if you’d rather escape the neon.
Las Vegas · Nights 11 & 12
Caesars Palace
Las Vegas · The Strip
- The Roman-themed original, on the Strip — the heart of Vegas
- Plush room, minutes from Nobu, Gordon Ramsay Pub and Bacchanal Buffet
- Gardens of the Gods pool complex, QUA Spa and the Colosseum theatre on site
Day 13 · Thu 22 Apr
Las Vegas → Santa Monica
The final ride. Route 66 meets the Pacific.
Las Vegas
Mojave National Preserve
Santa Monica PierEnd of the Trail
Hyatt Centric Delfina2 nights
The last ride. Southwest through the Mojave, down into the LA basin, and along the Pacific to Santa Monica. Park the Indian at the pier, walk to the end, and find the little sign that says “End of the Trail” — 2,000 miles from where you started. Two nights at Hyatt Centric Delfina, minutes from the beach.
Day 14 · Fri 23 Apr
Santa Monica — A Free Day
The beach, the pier, and as much of LA as you fancy.
Santa Monica Beach
The Pier
Third Street Promenade
HollywoodOptional ride
The last full day. The beach and pier on the doorstep, Venice Boardwalk a short cycle south, and if you feel like exploring further, LA is at your disposal — Hollywood, Beverly Hills, the Getty, Griffith Observatory. Or don’t move at all; you’ve earned it.
Santa Monica · Nights 13 & 14
Hyatt Centric Delfina
Santa Monica · Steps from the beach
- Short walk to Santa Monica beach, the pier, and the Third Street Promenade
- Oversized room with a private balcony — mountain or Pacific view
- The right end to a 2,000-mile ride — ocean out the window
Day 15 · Sat 24 Apr
Los Angeles → London
Drop the Indian at LAX, evening flight home.
Santa Monica
LAXDrop the bike
London HeathrowSunday morning
A relaxed last morning in Santa Monica — coffee on the pier, one last beach walk. Drop the Indian at LAX in the afternoon, direct BA flight home to Heathrow, land back in London on Sunday morning.
What you'll ride
The stops that make the Mother Road what it is.
2,000mi
Route 66
Chicago to Santa Monica in the direction it was meant to be ridden — start line on E Adams Street, end sign on the pier.
10
Cadillac Ranch
Ten Cadillacs planted nose-down in a Texas field outside Amarillo — the iconic Route 66 photo. Bring a spray can.
630ft
Gateway Arch
St Louis's silver monument to the westward frontier — tram to the top, view across two states.
7,200ft
Santa Fe
The oldest state capital in the US, four centuries of Native American and Spanish colonial history built into adobe walls.
Plus the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert, the Grand Canyon (a 90-minute side trip from Flagstaff), the Chain of Rocks Bridge, Hoover Dam, and the El Rancho in Gallup — the hotel where every Western worth its name was filmed.
Good to know
Everything is included, end to end.
Return direct flights from London Heathrow — BA-operated on both legs (outbound AA-coded 7017).
Indian Scout Sixty Bobber for thirteen days — pick up in downtown Chicago, drop at LAX.
Unlimited miles, fully comprehensive insurance with zero excess, DOT-approved helmet, cable and disc locks all included.
Eleven hotels across eight US states — single-occupancy room throughout.
Breakfast included at eight of the eleven hotels.
Hotel resort fees at Chicago, Las Vegas and Santa Monica are paid direct at check-in (in USD) — worth budgeting a little cash for.
What's included
- Return British Airways-operated flights London Heathrow ↔ Chicago outbound / Los Angeles home
- 13 days on an Indian Scout Sixty Bobber — Chicago pickup, LAX drop
- Unlimited miles, fully comprehensive cover with zero excess
- DOT-approved helmet, cable and disc lock
- 14 nights across 11 hotels — single-occupancy room throughout, breakfast at eight
- Bespoke route planning end to end
Not included — you'll want to allow for
- Hotel resort fees at Chicago, Las Vegas and Santa Monica — paid direct at check-in
- Travel insurance — worth arranging as soon as you book
- ESTA visa waiver — approx $21, valid for two years
- Fuel, meals and admissions on the road
- Optional excursions — Grand Canyon, Meramec Caverns, Vegas shows, etc.
- Anything of a personal nature at the hotels (mini-bar, spa, room service)
Trip total, for one rider
£5,999
£500
To secure the booking
Balance due 14 weeks before departure
For one rider · single-occupancy room throughout
One thing to know: the resort fees at Chicago, Vegas and Santa Monica are settled in USD at each hotel on check-in — they aren't charged to your UK card upfront.
The route
Chicago to the Pacific, the way it was meant to be ridden.
Tap the days to see each ride, each overnight, and the Mother Road end to end.
Ready when you are
Shall we lock it in?
Reply to your quote email or drop me a line — I'll confirm the flights, the Indian and the eleven hotels all in one go.
Get in touchA tailor-made trip by Road Trip Co