Auto Trader, UK’s largest automotive marketplace, 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, TikTok is a popular place to get road trip inspiration from. They analysed the viewing numbers of hundreds of road trip-related hashtags and ranked the most watched locations and routes for a driving holiday worldwide.
South Africa ranked 19th in the global charts, with over 275,000 views clocked up of videos posted by TikTok-ers. Popular locations on TikTok to see on a #SouthAfricaroadtrip include St. Blaize cliffs (part of a 13.5km hiking trail), Table Mountain, and Mossel Bay – home to the longest over-the-ocean zipline in the world.
The Top Trending Road Trips on TikTok Revealed
- The United States is the most watched destination for a road trip on TikTok with over 48 million views
- Scotland, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand are in the top five most-watched road trip destinations on TikTok
- Route 66 is the world’s most-watched road trip, followed by California’s Big Sur and Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
The USA topped the charts with over 48 million views under the hashtags #usaroadtrip and #americanroadtrip. The state with the most road trip views on TikTok is California, followed by Utah, and Texas.
Scotland took 2nd place with over 11 million views. Their road trip TikTok videos showcase the country’s most famous route, the NC500. Canada is the third most-watched destination with over 8 million TikTok views under the hashtags #canadaroadtrip and #canadianroadtrip.
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. The second most popular specific route on TikTok is also in the USA, California’s Big Sur. 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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 autotrader.co.uk
Pictures: Getaway gallery
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