Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Rides, Rallies, & Events Usa Route 66

Old aussie with triumph america 04 . Would love to go along Route 66 but can't afford to rent harley or old classic car . Would have to do it in a small rent a car because of funds . It's the experience of going along there that's more important than what you do it in . Costs a lot to get there , travel etc .
But as an aussie it's one of the things i would love to do before death
Any help on cheapest ways to do this much appreciated

I haven't done much of Route 66 but I've done quite a few miles on bikes and in cars in the US.
I've rented cars and bikes and car hire is MUCH cheaper than bike hire.
In May I rented a brand new Chevy Malibu for two weeks (through Hertz so no small back street place) for virtually the price of a bike for 2 days.
If you went for a small car it would be even cheaper.
Don't forget though a bigger car might be more suited to the miles you're planning and petrol is cheap (cheaper than the UK anyway).
Deposits are cheaper too. Bikes are, I think, min $1000 whereas I think my car was $500.
Don't forget to tell your credit card people you're using it abroad or they might block it. Ask me how I know
Enjoy your trip

According to the articles I've read there is not much of Route 66 left that's worth touring. The good news is there are many scenic roads in the USA and there are many books on the subject.

Oklahoma has a pretty long stretch of old 66 but the road itself sucks. They don't maintain it well. I think there is a route 66 museum in Clinton, OK. But I agree,there are much more scenic highways in the states. Highway 1 and 101 going up the west coast from N. Ca. to Wash. comes to mind. Rocky Mountain National Park in CO. is also nice.

http://www.route66.org/

http://rockymountainnationalpark.com/things-do/scenery/scenic-drives

I turned east on 40 through Flagstaff and rode in snow all the way to New Mexico.

Much agreed with what Paul had to say about the road but it is an icon and you can get your kicks on route 66 ! Best suggestion if you don't have WEEKS to cross the country, since the longest stretch of Rt 66 is in Oklahoma..... fly into Tulsa or Oklahoma City .... rent a Harley (sportsters rent cheap) and ride through Oklahoma, Texas and part of New Mexico (yes, New Mexico is a State in the USA) or back East through Missouri . In Oklahoma you can still see many of the Rt 66 icons like the Blue Whale, the Round Barn and a stop at Tops is a must with their ginormous soda drink selection (they even have bacon soda)...... But don't do it in "your Summer" as it is our Winter and ice and motorcycles don't mix very well !!!!!
Tally Ho and have fun !!!!!

Depending upon where you fly into for instance Vegas you could pick a central location like Flagstaff and find an Air BnB on line to rent. Then do shamrock touring from there Grand Canyon one day, Sedona Jerome Prescott and back around. East towards other destinations then back to the same Airbnb where you can be all set up. If you have enough time do that from a couple locations. Because many have a kitchen you can save $ on food for all your meals reserving it for some of the fine brew you might come across.

Don't know much about western Route 66, but Midwest out of Chicago is in very poor repair, straight and flat. Much better motorcycle roads, East at the Blue Ridge Parkway, The Dragon in GA for turns and peg scrapping. Never been west of Mississippi, so do not know what it turns into. Sounds like a great adventure, have fun!

another route across that is somewhat better maintained, but not interstate, is US route 50. It runs from Ocean City, Maryland to Sacramento, California. Most of it is two-lane road through towns, desert, farmland. There are a few parts in CA that are more akin to interstate. But not much. It's known as something like "america's loneliest road"

There's still a lot of Route 66 that's cool to see. It's not exactly meant to be a motorcycle road, so you won't find lots of twisties and whatnot, but if you like kitsch and classic Americana I believe it's still a worthwhile trip.

I would probably rather cruise it in an old car than on a bike