New research by the UK’s largest automotive marketplace Auto Trader has revealed the top trending destinations and routes for a road trip on TikTok. With 11.2 billion views of ‘#roadtrip’ videos alone on the platform, the app is a massively popular source of inspiration for drivers looking for ideas for their next motoring adventure. Let’s look at The World’s Top Trending Road Trips on TikTok.
The study analysed the viewing numbers of hundreds of road trip-related hashtags on the app, in order to rank the most watched locations and routes for a driving holiday around the globe.
The USA is the most watched country for road trips on TikTok. Pulling in over 48 million views under the hashtags #usaroadtrip and #americanroadtrip, America takes the crown as the most-watched country for a scenic drive, with TikTok users capturing and sharing the enormous variety of natural landscapes that can be seen from the country’s open roads. The study further revealed that the US state with the most road trip views on TikTok is California, followed by Utah and Texas.
With a massive 11 million views, Scotland took second place in the global rankings. The Scottish road trip TikTok videos showcase the country’s most famous road trip route, the NC500, alongside recommendations for must-do Scottish activities, like wild swimming and hiking in the spectacular mountains.
Canada is the third most watched destination for a road trip, picking up almost 8 million TikTok views under the hashtags #canadaroadtrip and #canadianroadtrip, with many of the videos containing the country’s incredible scenery, examples of road trip itineraries and suggested costs to help other users plan their own versions.
The Top 25 Trending Countries for a Road Trip on TikTok
| Rank | Country | # of Views |
| 1 | United States of America | 48.4 million |
| 2 | Scotland | 11.1 million |
| 3 | Canada | 7.9 million |
| 4 | Ireland | 6.8 million |
| 5 | New Zealand | 5.9 million |
| 6 | Iceland | 5.6 million |
| 7 | Romania | 4.7 million |
| 8 | Norway | 3.9 million |
| 9 | Australia | 3.1 million |
| 10 | Namibia | 2.4 million |
| 11 | Italy | 2.2 million |
| 12 | Mexico | 1.6 million |
| 13 | Saudi Arabia | 1.6 million |
| 14 | France | 1.2 million |
| 15 | Sri Lanka | 511,476 |
| 16 | Spain | 422,000 |
| 17 | Brazil | 285,398 |
| 18 | Wales | 285,398 |
| 19 | South Africa | 275,408 |
| 20 | Malaysia | 232,400 |
| 21 | Sweden | 214,400 |
| 22 | Thailand | 196,900 |
| 23 | Nigeria | 141,491 |
| 24 | Japan | 139,300 |
| 25 | India | 101,800 |
Route 66 is the most watched road trip on TikTok
With over 162 million views, Route 66 is revealed to be the most-watched road trip on TikTok. A multitude of videos on the social platform include tips on the best places to stop and explore along the way, including Mississippi’s River Castles and Radiator Springs, the real life small town that inspired the same location in the movie franchise ‘Cars’. The second most popular specific route on TikTok is also in the USA, California’s Big Sur. This road trip has clocked up over 101.3 million views on the app, with drivers offering up their favourite hidden gems along the way such as Bixby Bridge and McWay Falls.
Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is the third most watched road trip on TikTok (63.8 million views), with breath-taking videos of the incredible Irish landscape dominating the hashtag, and offering up a multitude of recommended hidden gems for any motorists who are keen to drive it themselves.
When it comes to specific road trips, North America dominates the leaderboard, with 10 of the top 25 road trips hailing from the continent, while trips like Iceland’s Golden Circle (24.4 million views) and Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route (1.1 million views) mean Europe follows behind as the second-best continent to drive around.
The World’s 25 Most Watched Road Trips on TikTok
| Rank | Road Trip | Country | # of Views |
| 1 | Route 66 | USA | 162.8 million |
| 2 | Big Sur | USA | 101.3 million |
| 3 | Wild Atlantic Way | Ireland | 63.8 million |
| 4 | North Coast 500 | Scotland | 51.8 million |
| 5 | Great Ocean Road | Australia | 48.6 million |
| 6 | The Carretera Austral | Chile | 40 million |
| 7 | Ruta 40 | Argentina | 33.7 million |
| 8 | Golden Circle | Iceland | 24.4 million |
| 9 | Going-To-The-Sun Road | USA | 19.5 million |
| 10 | Blue Ridge Parkway | USA | 17.7 million |
| 11 | Pacific Coast Highway | Australia | 15.1 million |
| 12 | The Karakoram Highway | Pakistan to China | 13.6 million |
| 13 | Hai Van Pass | Vietnam | 7.7 million |
| 14 | Overseas Highway | USA | 5.3 million |
| 15 | Jebel Hafeet | United Arab Emirates | 3.4 million |
| 16 | Icefields Parkway | Canada | 3.2 million |
| 17 | The Dalton Highway | USA | 2.5 million |
| 18 | Cabot Trail | Canada | 2.3 million |
| 19 | Gibb River Road | Australia | 2.3 million |
| 20 | The Alcan Highway | Canada – Alaska | 1.5 million |
| 21 | The Pan-American Highway | Argentina – Alaska | 1.3 million |
| 22 | Causeway Coastal Route | Ireland | 1.1 million |
| 23 | Chapman’s Peak Drive | South Africa | 576,900 |
| 24 | Route 62 | South Africa | 459,000 |
| 25 | Transfagarasan Road | Romania | 436,300 |
- Route 66 – United States of America
Passing through eight states and taking drivers on a 2,000 mile journey is Route 66. Iconic for being the inspiration behind Jack Kerouac’s book ‘On the Road’ which also inspired the hit TV series ‘Route 66’, this epic drive showcases a number of America’s famous landmarks – including Arizona’s Painted Desert and LA’s Santa Monica Pier. - Big Sur – United States of America
The rugged mountainscape of Big Sur truly deserves its spot in the top three most watched road trips on TikTok, with the 90-mile coastal road twisting and turning through an impressive section of California’s Highway 1. Drivers will enjoy redwood forests, spectacular coastal views and numerous opportunities to stop for a refreshing hike and swim, on what has previously been deemed one of the top 35 tourist destinations worldwide. - Wild Atlantic Way – Ireland
This Irish road trip is the longest in the country, stretching for 2500km and starting in Cork before winding its way along the coast to finish up in Donegal. The incredibly scenic route shows off nine different counties, three provinces, the country’s tallest peak, a Dark Sky Reserve and thirty unspoilt islands, making it a trip packed full of adventure.
Erin Baker, Editorial Director from Auto Trader, commented on the findings:
“Originally the home of lip-syncing and viral dance trends, in recent months research has shown that the video-sharing platform TikTok has become the go-to search engine – specifically for younger generations. With that said, it’s no surprise that people are using the app to research and plan their road trips, all while getting first-hand advice from other road users and holidaymakers before they set off.
We weren’t surprised to see the USA and Scotland ranking so highly, with both countries offering spectacular landscapes that truly are best seen from a car, but we were incredibly happy to see such a wide range of road trips from around the globe rank highly too. Whether you decide to venture out closer to home on your own wheels or rent a car abroad, make sure you’re as prepared as possible to ensure that you won’t run into any engine difficulties – particularly in the middle of some of the more remote destinations!”
For those looking to trade in their current wheels to buy something more suited to long-distance road trips, visit https://www.autotrader.co.uk/cars/sell-my-car
Thanks for reading – The World’s Top Trending Road Trips on TikTok Revealed.
