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Route 66 Road Trip: The Rental-Car Plan for the Mother Road
A Route 66 road trip runs about 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica across eight states. Give it two to three weeks, rent a comfortable car or a camper for the long empty stretches, and book one-way since you finish 2,000 miles from where you started.
Last updated August 2026
Route 66 is the classic American road trip: about 2,400 miles of old highway from Chicago to the Santa Monica pier, across eight states. The driving is the whole point, so the rental side is worth getting right. Here is how to plan the car, the days, and the one-way logistics.
How many days you need
Two weeks is the comfortable minimum and three weeks is better. The Mother Road is built on detours, the neon motels, the diners, the desert oddities, so a rushed schedule misses the reason you came. Ten days is possible but hard. Plan roughly 150 to 250 miles of actual Route 66 driving per day, which leaves time to stop.
What to rent
You will spend long days in the seat, so comfort beats everything:
- A midsize or full-size car for two travelers who want simple and economical.
- A camper van if you would rather sleep along the way and skip booking motels every night.
For the camper option, our camper van rental guide covers costs and where to pick up, and California camper van rental covers the western end of the route.
The drive, state by state
Route 66 runs Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Highlights include the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, the desert stretches of New Mexico and Arizona, and the finish at the Santa Monica pier. Much of the original road is now frontage beside the interstate, so a good map or app keeps you on the historic alignment.
Booking a one-way rental
You finish about 2,000 miles from where you started, so this is a one-way trip. That means a drop-off fee, which varies by supplier, so compare a few booking sites. Our one-way car rental guide explains how the fee is set and how to keep it low, and one-way camper van rental covers the same for vans.
Book early, since one-way inventory between Chicago and Los Angeles is tighter than round-trip. Before you leave, run through the road trip packing list so nothing gets left behind.
FAQ
How many days do you need to drive Route 66?
Two weeks is the comfortable minimum, and three weeks lets you slow down for the roadside stops. You can rush it in ten days, but the point of Route 66 is the detours, so give yourself the time.
What car should you rent for Route 66?
A comfortable midsize or full-size car for the long highway miles, or a camper van if you want to sleep along the way and skip motels. Whatever you pick, comfort matters more than size on 2,400 miles of driving.
Is Route 66 a one-way rental?
Almost always, yes. You start in Chicago and finish near Santa Monica, about 2,000 miles apart, so you need a one-way rental. Compare the drop-off fee across a few booking sites, since it varies by supplier.