28-05-2025
Eight top tips to help you sell Route 66 ahead of the highway's 100th anniversary
Abigail Healy
Route 66, or 'the Mother Road' is the most iconic American road trip, and for good reason. Starting in Chicago and ending in Santa Monica it passes through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona covering a total of 2,448 miles.
Next year sees the 100th anniversary of the highway and, while you can expect plenty of celebrations to mark it, this also provides agents with opportunities to highlight it to clients.
As well as popular destinations, the route also passes through a plethora of lesser-known sites, sounds, tastes and experiences, as Travel Counsellor Jodi Kerr discovered on last year's Midwest Memories MegaFam itinerary. Here she shares some of her top tips for booking trips on Route 66.
1. Less is more
You don't have to do it all. My MegaFam itinerary was just the first 103 miles of Route 66 and we packed so much in. We started in Chicago and travelled down to St Louis. Typically you fly into either Chicago or Los Angeles.
It is miles and miles and would take weeks to do everything, so it's better to focus on shorter chunks. You need to plan it out carefully if there are specific things you want to see.
2. Two wheels or four?
Many people want to do the trip by motorbike – my friend and her husband are hoping to do that soon. Campervans are also a popular option. Whichever mode of transport clients opt for, it can also be a great thing to do as a group if they all travel along together.
3. Music to their ears
There are sections of the route that are brilliant for music fans – the mid-section of the route especially. Joliet is where The Blues Brothers movie was filmed and they hold festivals there that bring country and Blues fans together – the actual Blues Brothers have turned up previously too.
