Two weeks · the American West
Red rock byways, alpine passes above 3,500 metres and coast highway all inside one loop.
Two weeks changes the shape of the trip. Move every second day rather than every day, and treat the long transit legs as the price of the good ones.
Days
14 days, 13 nights
Rough distance
2609.8 mi
Daily average
186.4 mi
Best months
Late May to October for the high passes
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Daily distances are set for enjoyable driving rather than maximum ground covered. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 3 May 2026
Day by day
Day 1
About 186.4 mi and 9 hr 29 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 2
About 186.4 mi and 8 hr 6 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 3
About 186.4 mi and 5 hr 23 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 4
About 186.4 mi and 5 hr 59 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 5
About 186.4 mi and 7 hr 37 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 6
About 186.4 mi and 6 hr 35 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 7
About 186.4 mi and 6 hr 5 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 8
About 186.4 mi and 6 hr 26 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 9
About 186.4 mi and 11 hr 6 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 10
About 186.4 mi and 5 hr 23 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 11
About 186.4 mi and 5 hr 55 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 12
About 186.4 mi and 5 hr 12 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 13
About 186.4 mi and 4 hr 23 min behind the wheel including transit.
Ready made
10 days
Route 66 end to end, with the Grand Canyon, Sedona and Angeles Crest folded into the last stretch.
4 days
Over the Rockies on Independence Pass, down the San Juan Skyway, then out into red rock country.
4 days
Redwoods, the whole Oregon coast and the Columbia Gorge to finish, on the quiet half of the west coast.
3 days
Sandstone, switchbacks and a tunnel with windows cut in the rock, on the long way to the North Rim.
Practical
Las Vegas, Denver or Salt Lake City
13 nights. On anything longer than five days, book two nights in the best base rather than moving hotel every evening.
Budget for roughly 2609.8 miles of driving plus any vignettes or tunnel fees for the countries you cross.
Other lengths