Five days · the USA
Scale first, corners second, with a handful of mountain roads that hold their own anywhere.
Five days is the sweet spot for a mountain region. Build in one day with almost no driving so the trip does not become a transport exercise.
Days
5 days, 4 nights
Rough distance
932.1 mi
Daily average
186.4 mi
Best months
Depends entirely on the region, see the road pages for closures
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 10 March 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 16 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 4
About 186.4 mi and 5 hr 33 min behind the wheel including transit.
Day 5
About 186.4 mi and 7 hr 12 min behind the wheel including transit.
Ready made
4 days
Skyline Drive into the Blue Ridge Parkway, 1000 km of ridge top tarmac with no lorries on it.
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.
4 days
New England at its best, the Kancamagus Highway, Mount Washington and a granite coast at the end.
Practical
Denver, Las Vegas, Asheville or San Francisco
4 nights. On anything longer than five days, book two nights in the best base rather than moving hotel every evening.
Budget for roughly 932.1 miles of driving plus any vignettes or tunnel fees for the countries you cross.
Other lengths