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Route 66 gets extremely hot during the summer, and portions of the road may become unsafe during the winter. For the most pleasant driving conditions, schedule your trip between March and early June or between September and November. Oklahoma and Texas get a lot of tornados between late April and early June. If you travel during these times, make sure to keep an eye on local weather forecasts for any tornado warnings or watches. If you want to travel the entire 2,451 mi (3,945 km) road, you’ll need to start in either Chicago, Illinois or Santa Monica, California. This will allow you to get the full Route 66 experience while traveling across the country.  If you are travelling in the spring, begin in California and make your way to Illinois. If you are travelling the the fall, start in Illinois and work your way to California. This should provide the most ideal weather conditions. Depending on how often you stop and how many places you explore, a one-way road trip from Chicago to Santa Monica (or vice versa) will take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. As a general guideline, plan to travel between 70 and 90 mi (110 and 140 km) a day if you want to stop and see everything. If you only want to explore a portion of the classic highway, you can start in Missouri, the southeastern tip of Kansas, Oklahoma, the Texas panhandle, New Mexico, or Arizona. Choose a starting point based on its appeal or its proximity to your home.  Route 66 passes through a number of major cities including Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Amarillo, Flagstaff, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles. Once you know your starting point, decide where you want to end your trip and plug the information into an online mapping service. Then, use the service’s distance estimate to determine how many days it will take you to complete your journey. Due to the road’s size, a car or motorcycle is the best way to experience Route 66. You’ll get a great view of all the sights and can stay at hotels or motels along the way. In some places, you may even be able to camp out!  If you live in the United States, consider using your own vehicle for the trip. If you’re flying in from another country, or if your vehicle isn’t durable enough for the trip, you can rent a vehicle. If you only want to visit the major cities on Route 66, you can book a 14-day train trip. Though you can take a large vehicle like an RV, certain parts of the road may be difficult to drive on as the road is narrow and winding in some areas. You’ll also have a harder time finding parking and RV campgrounds. Route 66 houses a number of unique hotels and motels, such as the famous Magnolia Hotel in St. Louis and the themed Mayo Hotel in Tulsa. These places fill up fast, so make room reservations 2-3 months beforehand if at all possible.  For a full list of Route 66 hotels and motels, visit https://www.theroute-66.com/hotels.html. If you’re travelling by RV, find and reserve campgrounds ahead of time. You can also check out tent campgrounds if you’re travelling by car or motorcycle and want to sleep under the stars. If you aren’t planning on driving both ways, decide how you’d like to get home. You can take the train or bus, or even book a flight, though you’ll have to pay to ship your vehicle home if you choose not to rent one for the trip.  You may want to book a flight with free cancellation in case the trip takes more or less time than you anticipated. If you rent a vehicle to make the drive, choose a company that has a hub near the airport you plan to fly home from for your convenience. . Before your trip, break down how much you expect to spend on gas, lodging, food, entertainment, and miscellaneous items like souvenirs. For things with specific rates, like gas and lodging, look up current pricing information online. For anything else, create a rough estimate based on how much you normally spend during vacations.  For a 1-way trip from Chicago to Santa Monica or vice versa, expect to spend a minimum of $300 on gas, $1,700 on lodging, $600 per person on food, and $200 per person on entertainment. Boost your final budget by 10-20% to account for unintended expenses, price hikes, and emergencies. Don’t forget to include the cost of the return trip!
Schedule your trip during the spring or fall. Begin in either Chicago or Santa Monica to travel the entire highway. Choose a city along the way for a shorter trip. Drive a car or ride a motorcycle for the most authentic experience. Expect to search for parking if you take an RV. Make lodging reservations 2-3 months in advance. Make arrangements for your return trip. Create a travel budget