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75 Travel Songs to add to your Playlist in 2024 – Mixtape #2

We curated the second mixtape of the best travel songs.

This list features classic songs about traveling to brand new tracks.

You can find more travel songs here:

• Summer Mixtape #1 for the perfect travelers playlist
• 17 best Backpacker Songs you’ve to know
• 10 songs for exploring the world

This list features a lot of cool songs you’ve to put on your phone. However, and always remember this, go out there and create your own travel songs.

What do we mean by that?

During your travels you will end up in a lot of fun situations.

You will collect memories, and a few songs will take part in it. Then, when you are back home or wherever, you will hear this special song in the radio – and it takes you right back to those fun situations you will cherish forever.

For us, this is for instance “We don’t talk anymore” – we traveled Vietnam for 3 months and some local in every single village, town and city played it at least once. We turned crazy, yet it’s today a part of the experience. Then in Labuan Bajo, while taking the boat cruise around the Komodo National Park, the boat crew only had only one song to play, HIOKO TOBELO 2 – Yopie Latul .

Read : +180 short travel stories

75 Travel Songs to Wanderlust

Okay, enough of the mambo jambo. Turn on your audio and hit the play button. This list of the best 75 travel songs is waiting for you.

I included my personal favorite travel song as #75.

Update : We had to break the songs in several pages, otherwise the page takes too long to load.

Please be patient and wait for the YouTube video to load.

1. Ricky Nelson – Travelin’ Man

I’m a travelin’ man I’ve made a lot of stops all over the world And in every part I own the heart Of at least one lovely girl

I’ve a pretty Señorita waiting for me Down in old Mexico If you’re ever in Alaska stop and see My cute little Eskimo

Oh, my sweet Fraulein down in Berlin town Makes my heart start to yearn And my China doll down in old Hong Kong Waits for my return

Pretty Polynesian baby over the sea I remember the night When we walked in the sands of the Waikiki And I held you, oh so tight

2. The Melodic – “On My Way”

I found an open door (I’m on my way) I think of love once more (I’m on my way)

Precious time on your own Seeing more than you care to say And the mist falls away (I’m on my way)

At times I’ve tried to feel (I’m on my way) With the thoughts I tried to steal (I’m on my way)

Left forgotten like young love All the choices I am made of When the push comes to shove

3. Passenger – Traveling Alone

Australian man, Scandinavian tan, Kicking stones round a square. Sat for a while and carved out a smile, As if someone would care.

Said I’m a long way from the Gold Coast. Furthest I’ve ever known, Oh and this just ain’t my home. It was my wife’s idea, but she’s no longer here. She left me travelling alone.

I never heard silence ring out like a bell. I never heard silence like last night in my expensive hotel. Well, I’m loving a shadow, I’m trying to catch the rain. But I never heard silence ’til I heard it today.

She walked out of the hotel, I could still smell the smoke of the burning heart left inside. She said men are all assholes And life’s a bad joke. She laughed and started to cry.

See, ten years with this man, And a life time of plans, Oh, and I loved him to his bones. Now I’ve lines on my skin And he’s traded me in. He left me travelling alone.

Well, I never felt silence hit me like a train. I never felt silence like blood coursed through my veins. Well, I’m loving a shadow, and I’m trying to catch the rain. I never heard silence ’til I heard it today. I never felt silence ’til I felt it today.

4. Band of Horses – The Funeral

I’m coming up only to hold you under I’m coming up only to show you wrong And to know you is hard, we wonder To know you, all wrong we were

Ooh-ooh Ooh-ooh

Really too late to call, so We wait for Morning to wake you, that’s all we got To know me as hardly golden Is to know me all wrong, they were

At every occasion, I’ll be ready for the funeral Every occasion, once more, it’s called the funeral Every occasion, know I’m ready for the funeral Every occasion, oh, one billion-day funeral

5. X Ambassadors – Renegades

Run away with me Lost souls and reverie Running wild and running free Two kids, you and me

6. Noah And The Whale – Blue Skies

This is a song for anyone with a broken heart This is a song for anyone who can’t get out of bed

I’ll do anything to be happy

Oh, ’cause blue skies are coming

But I know that it’s hard

This is the last song that I write while still in love with you This is the last song that I write while you’re even on my mind

’cause it’s time to leave those feelings behind Oh, ’cause blue skies are coming But I know that it’s hard

7. Coldplay – Adventure Of A Lifetime

Turn your magic on, to me she’d say Everything you want’s a dream away We are legends, every day That’s what she told him

I feel my heart beating I feel my heart beneath my skin I feel my heart beating Oh, you make me feel

Like I’m alive again Alive again Oh, you make me feel Like I’m alive again

8. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication

Psychic spies from China try to steal your mind’s elation And little girls from Sweden dream of silver screen quotation And if you want these kind of dreams it’s Californication It’s the edge of the world and all of western civilization

The sun may rise in the East at least it’s settled in a final location It’s understood that Hollywood sells Californication Pay your surgeon very well to break the spell of aging Celebrity skin is this your chin or is that war you’re waging?

9. Of Monsters and Men – Dirty Paws

Jumping up and down the floor My head is an animal And once there was an animal It had a son that mowed the lawn The son was an OK guy They had a pet dragonfly The dragonfly it ran away But it came back with a story to say

Her dirty paws and furry coat She ran down the forest slope The forest of talking trees They used to sing about the birds and the bees The bees had declared a war The sky wasn’t big enough for them all The birds, they got help from below From dirty paws and the creatures of snow

10. Foo Fighters – These Days

One of these days, the ground will drop out from beneath your feet One of these days, your heart will stop and play it’s final beat

One of these days, the clocks will stop and time won’t mean a thing One of these days, their bombs will drop and silence everything

But it’s alright, yeah it’s alright, said it’s alright Easy for you to say Your heart has never been broken Your pride has never been stolen Not yet, not yet, one of these days I bet your heart ‘ll be broken I bet your pride ‘ll be stolen I’ll bet, I’ll bet, I’ll bet, I’ll bet One of these days, one of these days

11. David Bowie – Heroes

I, I wish you could swim Like the dolphins Like dolphins can swim Though nothing, nothing will keep us together

We can beat them, forever and ever

Oh, we can be heroes just for one day

I, I will be King And you, you will be Queen Though nothing will drive them away We can be heroes just for one day We can be us just for one day

12. Ben Howard – Old Pine

Hot sand on toes, cold sand in sleeping bags I’ve come to know that memories Were the best things you ever had The summer shone beat down on bony backs

So far from home where the ocean stood Down dust and pine cone tracks We slept like dogs down by the fire side Awoke to the fog all around us

The boom of summer time We stood Steady as the stars in the woods So happy-hearted

And the warmth rang true inside these bones As the old pine fell we sang Just to bless the morning

13. The Byrds – I Wasn’t Born To Follow

Recommended by the Hostelgeeks community member Alexandra.

No I’d rather go and journey Where the diamond crescent’s glowing And run across the valley Beneath the sacred mountain And wander through the forest

Where the trees have leaves of prisms And break the light in colors That no one know the names of

And when it’s time I’ll go and lay Beside the legendary fountain ‘Till I see her form reflected

In its clear and jewelled waters And if you think I’m ready You may lead me to the chasm Where the rivers of our visions Flow into one another

14. Imagine Dragons – Not Today

There she goes in front of me Take my life and set me free again We’ll make a memory out of it Holy road is at my back Don’t look on, take me back again

We’ll make a memory out of it We finally fall apart and we break each other’s hearts

If we wanna live young, love, we better start today It’s gotta get easier, oh easier somehow

‘Cause I’m falling, I’m falling Oh easier and easier somehow

Oh I’m calling, I’m calling And it isn’t over, unless it is over I don’t wanna wait for that It’s gotta get easier and easier somehow But not today Not today

15. Mumford & Sons – Hopeless Wanderer

You heard my voice, I came out of the woods by choice Shelter also gave their shade But in the dark I have no name So leave that click in my head And I will remember the words that you said Left a clouded mind and a heavy heart But I am sure we could see a new start So when your hopes on fire But you know your desire Don’t hold a glass over the flame Don’t let your heart grow cold I will call you by name I will share your road

But hold me fast, hold me fast ‘Cause I’m a hopeless wanderer And hold me fast, hold me fast ‘Cause I’m a hopeless wanderer

16. Paper Lions – Travelling

Travelling the road, last known is where I want to be My compass directing, electing, an open road with golden trees But there’s an old man in need on the ground, I try not to make a sound He holds out his hand as I walk away, I hear him say

Please don’t be a stranger in my place Travelling come to a tavern for a momentary rest

I see the old man that I passed on the road in his distress As I turned to go I can hear him say, “Son, stay. Have a drink, I’ll pay.” Let bygones be gone, it’s all in the past, we raise a glass Please don’t be a stranger in my place

What if I could be what you wanted me to be What if I could see what you wanted me to see Come on and show me Please don’t be a stranger in my place

17. Ramon Mirabet – Home Is Where The Heart is

Shining sun means new start.

it’s time for me to face my fate

and follow my heart.

I’m coming home,

I’m coming home.

home is where the heart is.

it’s never late to find the answer up in the stars.

18. Dream Land (Road Trip)

19. Our adventure – The Long Valley

20. The Weeknd – Wanderlust

Is it so hard to say the same thing? And you’re so weak to say the same thing And burn a hole into your apprehensiveness And let the wildfire shine And repeat after me

Good girls go to heaven, And bad girls go everywhere And tonight I will love you And tomorrow you won’t care

You’re in love with something bigger than love You believe in something stronger than trust

Wanderlust Wanderlust

21. Creed – With Arms Wide Open

Well I just heard the news today It seems my life is going to change I close my eyes, begin to pray Then tears of joy stream down my face

With arms wide open Under the sunlight Welcome to this place I’ll show you everything With arms wide open With arms wide open

22. The Lumineers – Ho Hey

I been trying to do it right (Hey) I been living a lonely life (Ho) I been sleepin’ here instead (Hey) I been sleepin’ in my bed (Ho) I been sleepin’ in my bed (hey ho)

so show me family (Hey) all the blood that I will bleed (Ho) I don’t know where I belong (Hey) I don’t know where I went wrong (Ho) but I can write a song (hey)

23. Bastille – Pompeii

I was left to my own devices Many days fell away with nothing to show

And the walls kept tumbling down In the city that we love Grey clouds roll over the hills Bringing darkness from above

But if you close your eyes Does it almost feel like Nothing changed at all? And if you close your eyes Does it almost feel like You’ve been here before?

24. Green day – Time of your life

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go

So make the best of this test, and don’t ask why It’s not a question, but a lesson learned in time It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right I hope you had the time of your life

So take the photographs, and still-frames in your mind Hang them on a shelf in good health and good time Tattoo’s of memories and dead skin on trial For what it’s worth, it was worth all the while

It’s something unpredictable, but in the end it’s right I hope you had the time of your life

25. The Script – Hall of Fame

Yeah, you could be the greatest You can be the best

You can be the King Kong banging on your chest You could beat the world You could beat the war

You could talk to God, go banging on his door You can throw your hands up You can beat the clock You can move a mountain You can break rocks You can be a master Don’t wait for luck Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself

26. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Road Trippin’

Road trippin’ with my two favorite allies Fully loaded we got snacks and supplies It’s time to leave this town it’s time to steal away Let’s go get lost anywhere in the U.S.A.

Let’s go get lost, let’s go get lost

Blue you sit so pretty West of the one Sparkles light with yellow icing, just a mirror for the sun Just a mirror for the sun Just a mirror for the sun

These smiling eyes are just a mirror for So much as come before those battles lost and won This life is shining more forever in the sun Now let us check our heads and let us check the surf Staying high and dry’s More trouble than it’s worth in the sun

27. Moby – Porcelain

In my dreams I’m dying all the time Then I wake it’s kaleidoscopic mind I never meant to hurt you I never meant to lie

So this is goodbye? This is goodbye

Tell the truth, you’ve never wanted me Tell me

28. Imagine Dragons – On Top of the World

If you love somebody Better tell them why they’re here ’cause They just may run away from you

You’ll never know what went well Then again it just depends on How long of time is left for you

I’ve had the highest mountains I’ve had the deepest rivers You can have it all but not til you move it

29. Part-Time Friends – Here We Are

Silence Ici nos âmes tutoient le ciel Et nos hymnes éternels

Here we are L’aube de nos dernières transes Laisse un vide immense

Here we are Je t’emmène une dernière fois suivre cette lumière qui ne s’éteint pas

Here we are Something rise and fall We thought we never lost control

Here we are

30. Crystal Fighters – Love Natural

Everyone, anyone who want to hear Move in a little closer, let me tell you about A love natural, oh that love actual Love that you just can’t help feeling

When feelings with meanings keep on appearing And it’s almost midnight, the time is coming up The time is getting closer, the time is almost here Life is upon us and the time for love is here and now

When I look at you, oh I feel my heart Oh, I feel your love deep inside

Oh, love natural, I can’t believe how you do it to me You make me feel, oh how you say, feel so special Oh, love natural, I can’t believe how you do it to me You make me feel, oh how you say, feel so special

31. Luis Fonsi – Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee

Sí, sabes que ya llevo un rato mirándote Tengo que bailar contigo hoy (DY) Vi que tu mirada ya estaba llamándome Muéstrame el camino que yo voy (Oh)

Tú, tú eres el imán y yo soy el metal Me voy acercando y voy armando el plan Solo con pensarlo se acelera el pulso (Oh yeah)

32. U2 – Song For Someone

You got a face not spoiled by beauty I have some scars from where I’ve been You’ve got eyes that can see right through me You’re not afraid of anything they’ve seen I was told that I would feel nothing the first time I don’t know how these cuts heal But in you I found a rhyme

33. José González – Stay Alive

There’s a rhythm in rush these days Where the lights don’t move and the colors don’t fade Leaves you empty with nothing but dreams

In a world gone shallow In a world gone lean

Sometimes there’s things a man cannot know Gears won’t turn and the leaves won’t grow There’s no place to run and no gasoline

Engine won’t turn And the train won’t leave

Engines won’t turn and the train won’t leave I will stay with you tonight

Hold you close ‘til the morning light In the morning watch a new day rise We’ll do whatever just to stay alive We’ll do whatever just to stay alive

34. Don’t fight it, Feel it – AronChupa

Oh baby when the band is playing

Oh and that solid beat

Oh make you wanna move,

make you wanna groove

Make you wanna pat your feet

When we dance close together

With your cheek close to mine

And you begin to feel a funny little thrill

Moving up your spine

35. The Chainsmokers – Paris

We were staying in Paris To get away from your parents And I thought, “Wow If I could take this in a shot right now I don’t think that we could work this out” Out on the terrace I don’t know if it’s fair but I thought “How Could I let you fall by yourself While I’m wasted with someone else”

If we go down then we go down together They’ll say you could do anything They’ll say that I was clever If we go down then we go down together We’ll get away with everything Let’s show them we are better

36. Alvaro Soler – Sofia

Sueño cuando era pequeño Sin preocupación en el corazón

Sigo viendo aquel momento Se desvaneció, desapareció

Ya no te creo, ya no te deseo, eh oh Solo te dejo, solo te deseo, eh oh

37. A R I Z O N A – Oceans Away

I never let My guard go down But you messed me up When you came around When the high wore off

Know you needed space But I don’t wanna wait I don’t wanna mistake Few thousand miles and an ocean away But I see the sunrise, oh, just like the other day Picture your eyes as I fall asleep Tell myself it’s alright, oh oh, as the tears roll by

38. Angus and Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane

She said “hello mister, pleased to meet ya” I wanna hold her, I wanna kiss her She smelled of daisies, she smelled of daisies She drive me crazy, she drive me crazy

Gonna take her for a ride on a big jet plane Gonna take her for a ride on a big jet plane Hey hey Hey hey

39. OK Go – Here It Goes Again

It could be ten, but then again I can’t remember half an hour since a quarter to four Throw on your clothes, the second side of Surfer Rosa And you leave me with my jaw on the floor

Just when you think (think) you’re in control Just when you think (think) you’ve got a hold Just when you get on a roll Here it goes, here it goes, here it goes again Oh, here it goes again I should have known, should have known, should have known again But here it goes again Oh, here it goes again

40. Traveling Wilburys – End Of The Line

Well it’s all right, riding around in the breeze Well it’s all right, if you live the life you please Well it’s all right, doing the best you can Well it’s all right, as long as you lend a hand

You can sit around and wait for the phone to ring (end of the line) Waiting for someone to tell you everything (end of the line) Sit around and wonder what tomorrow will bring (end of the line) Maybe a diamond ring

Well it’s all right, even if they say you’re wrong Well it’s all right, sometimes you gotta be strong Well it’s all right, as long as you got somewhere to lay Well it’s all right, everyday is judgment day

41. Bright Eyes – “First Day Of My Life”

This is the first day of my life Swear I was born right in the doorway I went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed They’re spreading blankets on the beach

Yours was the first face that I saw I think I was blind before I met you I don’t know where I am, I don’t know where I’ve been But I know where I want to go

And so I’d thought I’d let you know That these things take forever, I especially am slow But I realized that need you And I wondered if I could come home

I remember the time you drove all night Just to meet me in the morning And I thought it was strange, you said everything changed You felt as if you just woke up

42. Sons Of The East – Come Away

She sits and she waits by the tree And she thinks no one comes to me Heard it before She stand there all alone Staring blank at her telephone But she’s sure, so sure

Come away with me, baby Join me in my car We can go real far away Away from here

She wants to know his name Wants his wealth, but not his fame Watch your pride

43. Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence

Words like violence Break the silence Come crashing in Into my little world

Painful to me Pierce right through me Can’t you understand? Oh my little girl

All I ever wanted All I ever needed

Is here in my arms Words are very unnecessary They can only do harm Vows are spoken

To be broken Feelings are intense Words are trivial Pleasures remain

So does the pain Words are meaningless And forgettable All I ever wanted All I ever needed

Is here in my arms Words are very unnecessary They can only do harm

44. Gladys Knight & The Pips – Midnight Train to Georgia

L.a. Proved too much for the man (Too much for the man, he couldn’t make it) So he’s leavin’ the life he’s come to know, ooh (He said he’s goin’) He said he’s goin’ back to find (Goin’ back to find) Ooh ooh ooh, what’s left of his world The world he left behind Not so long ago

He’s leavin’ (leavin’) On that midnight train to Georgia (Leavin’ on the midnight train) Yeah, said he’s goin’ back (Goin’ back to find) To a simpler place in time (Whenever he takes that ride) oh yes he is (Guess who’s gonna be right by his side)

45. The Sounds – Painted By Numbers

Could I act like you, and put a smile on face? Not even for a second would I lie to myself.. Too many things are missing And there’s a tear in my eye It’s not a question or an answer

But it will change you mind We’ll be the same tomorrow ‘Cause we’ve all been painted my numbers We dance and eyes will follow You said it was love I said I’d like you to be mine

46. Kings Of Convenience – I’d Rather Dance With You

I’d rather dance with you than talk with you So why don’t we just move into the other room There’s space for us to shake and hey, I like this tune

Even if I could hear what you said I doubt my reply would be interesting for you to hear Because I haven’t read a single book all year And the only film I saw, I didn’t like it at all

I’d rather dance, I’d rather dance than talk with you I’d rather dance, I’d rather dance than talk with you I’d rather dance, I’d rather dance than talk with you

47. Alphaville – Forever Young

Let’s dance in style, let’s dance for a while Heaven can wait we’re only watching the skies Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst Are you gonna drop the bomb or not?

Let us die young or let us live forever We don’t have the power, but we never say never Sitting in a sandpit, life is a short trip The music’s for the sad man

Can you imagine when this race is won? Turn our golden the faces into the sun Praising our leaders, we’re getting in tune The music’s played by the, the madman

48. Sting – Englishman In New York

I don’t take coffee, I take tea, my dear I like my toast done on one side And you can hear it in my accent when I talk I’m an Englishman in New York

See me walking down Fifth Avenue A walking cane here at my side I take it everywhere I walk

I’m an Englishman in New York Oh, I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien I’m an Englishman in New York Oh, I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien I’m an Englishman in New York

49. Incubus – Wish You Were Here

I dig my toes into the sand The Ocean looks like a thousand diamonds Strewn across a blue blanket I lean against the wind Pretend that I am weightless And in this moment I am happy happy)

50. Kodaline – All My Friends

So it starts We go back to your house We check the charts And start to figure it out

And if it’s crowded, all the better Cause we know we’re gonna be up late And if you’re worried about the weather Then you picked the wrong place to stay That’s how it starts

51. R.E.M. – Leave

Nothing could be bring me closer Nothing could be bring me near Where is the road I follow? Believing, leave

It’s under, under, under my feet The scene spread out there before me Better I go where the land touches the sea There is my trust in what I believe

52. Mr. Brightside – The Killers

Coming out of my cage And I’ve been doing just fine Gotta gotta be down Because I want it all It started out with a kiss How did it end up like this? It was only a kiss, it was only a kiss Now I’m falling asleep And she’s calling a cab While he’s having a smoke And she’s taking a drag Now they’re going to bed And my stomach is sick And it’s all in my head But she’s touching his chest now He takes off her dress now Let me go And I just can’t look, it’s killing me And taking control

53. David Bowie- Space Oddity

Ground Control to Major Tom Ground Control to Major Tom Take your protein pills and put your helmet on

Ground Control to Major Tom Commencing countdown, engines on Check ignition and may God’s love be with you

54. Queen – Don’t Stop Me Now

Tonight, I’m gonna have myself a real good time I feel alive and the world I’ll turn it inside out, yeah And floating around in ecstasy So don’t stop me now don’t stop me

‘Cause I’m having a good time, having a good time I’m a shooting star, leaping through the sky Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity I’m a racing car, passing by like Lady Godiva

I’m gonna go, go, go There’s no stopping me I’m burnin’ through the sky, yeah Two hundred degrees That’s why they call me Mister Fahrenheit I’m traveling at the speed of light I wanna make a supersonic man out of you

55. Mando Diao – Dance With Somebody

Break your happy home learn to sing alone to the music, to the music Clap your hands and shake on a summer’s day to the music, to the music

I’m falling in love with your favorite song I’m gonna sing it all night long I’m gonna dance with somebody dance with somebody dance dance dance

56. David Gray – “Sail Away”

Sail away with me honey I put my heart in your hands Sail away with me honey now, now, now Sail away with me What will be will be I want to hold you now, now, now

Crazy skies all wild above me now Winter howling at my face And everything I held so dear Disappeared without a trace Oh all the times I’ve tasted love Never knew quite what I had Little darling if you hear me now Never needed you so bad Spinning ’round inside my head

57. Foster The People – Pumped up Kicks

Robert’s got a quick hand He’ll look around the room, he won’t tell you his plan He’s got a rolled cigarette, hanging out his mouth he’s a cowboy kid Yeah found a six shooter gun In his dad’s closet hidden oh in a box of fun things, I don’t even know what But he’s coming for you, yeah he’s coming for you

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks You’d better run, better run, out run my gun All the other kids with the pumped up kicks You’d better run, better run, faster than my bullet All the other kids with the pumped up kicks You’d better run, better run, out run my gun All the other kids with the pumped up kicks You’d better run, better run, faster than my bullet

58. Gorillaz – Clint Eastwood

I ain’t happy, I’m feeling glad I got sunshine in a bag I’m useless but not for long The future is coming on I ain’t happy, I’m feeling glad I got sunshine in a bag I’m useless but not for long The future is coming on It’s coming on It’s coming on It’s coming on

59. Weezer – Island In The Sun

When you’re on a holiday You can’t find the words to say All the things that come to you And I wanna feel it too

On an island in the sun We’ll be playing and having fun And it makes me feel so fine I can’t control my brain

60. Modest Mouse Float

I backed my car into a cop car the other day Well, he just drove off – sometimes life’s okay I ran my mouth off a bit too much, ah what did I say? Well, you just laughed it off and it was all okay

And we’ll all float on okay And we’ll all float on okay And we’ll all float on okay And we’ll all float on anyway, well

A fake Jamaican took every last dime with that scam It was worth it just to learn some sleight of hand Bad news comes, don’t you worry even when it lands Good news will work it way to all them plans We both got fired on, exactly, the same day Well, we’ll float on, good news is on the way

61. MGMT- Kids

You were a child Crawling on your knees toward him Making momma so proud But your voice is too loud

We like to watch you laughing Picking insects off of plants No time to think of consequences Control yourself Take only what you need from it A family of trees wanting to be haunted

62. Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out

So if you’re lonely You know I’m here waiting for you I’m just a cross hair I’m just a shot away from you And if you leave here You leave me broken, shattered, I lie I’m just a cross hair I’m just a shot, then we can die

63. Black – Wonderful Life

Here I go out to sea again The sunshine fills my hair And dreams hang in the air

Gulls in the sky and in my blue eyes You know it feels unfair There’s magic everywhere

Look at me standing Here on my own again Up straight in the sunshine

64. Beirut – Elephant Gun

If I was young, I’d flee this town I’d bury my dreams underground As did I, we drink to die, we drink tonight

Far from home, elephant guns Let’s take them down one by one We’ll lay it down, it’s not been found, it’s not around

Let the seasons begin – it rolls right on Let the seasons begin – take the big king down

65. Eagles – Hotel California

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim I had to stop for the night.

There she stood in the doorway; I heard the mission bell And I was thinking to myself ‘This could be heaven or this could be Hell’ Then she lit up a candle and she showed me the way There were voices down the corridor, I thought I heard them say

66. The Cranberries – Zombie

Another head hangs lowly Child is slowly taken And the violence, caused such silence Who are we mistaken?

But you see, it’s not me It’s not my family In your head, in your head, they are fighting With their tanks, and their bombs And their bombs, and their guns In your head, in your head they are crying

67. The Strokes – You Only Live Once

Some people think they’re always right Others are quiet and uptight Others they seem so very nice nice nice nice (oh-ho) Inside they might feel sad and wrong (oh no)

Twenty-nine different attributes Only seven that you like Twenty ways to see the world (oh-ho) Twenty ways to start a fight (oh-ho)

68. The Black Keys – Lonely Boy

Well I’m so above you And it’s plain to see But I came to love you anyway So you pulled my heart out And I don’t mind bleeding Any old time you keep me waiting Waiting, waiting

Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting I’m a lonely boy I’m a lonely boy Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting

69. Come With Me Now – Kongos

Come with me now Come with me now

Woah come with me now I’m gonna take you down

Woah come with me now I’m gonna show you how Woah come with me now I’m gonna take you down

Woah come with me now I’m gonna show you how

Afraid to lose control And caught up in this world I’ve wasted time, I’ve wasted breath I think I’ve thought myself to death

70. Passenger | The Wrong Direction

When I was a kid the things I did were hidden under the grid Young and naive I never believed that love could be so well hid With regret I’m willing to bet and say the older you get It gets harder to forgive and harder to forget It gets under your shirt like a dagger at work The first cut is the deepest but the rest still flipping hurt You build your heart of plastic Get cynical and sarcastic And end up in the corner on your own

‘Cause I’d love to feel love but I can’t stand the rejection I hide behind my jokes as a form of protection I thought I was close but under further inspection It seems I’ve been running in the wrong direction oh no

71. Billy Joel – Travelin’ Prayer

Hey Lord, take a look all around And I’d a find where my baby’s gonna be Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight ‘Cause she is far across the sea Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight And make sure that she’s gonna be alright And things are gonna be alright with me

Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight And make sure that all her dreams are sweet Said now, would ya guide her on the roads And make them softer for her feet Hey Lord, would ya look out for her tonight And make sure that she’s gonna be alright Until she’s home and here with me

72. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Travellin’ Band

Seven thirty seven comin’ out of the sky Won’t you take me down to Memphis on a midnight ride I want to move Playin’ in a travelin’ band Yeah Well I’m flyin’ ‘cross the land tryin’ to get a hand Playin’ in a travelin’ band

Take me to the hotel baggage gone, oh well Come on, come on won’t you get me to my room I want to move Playin’ in a travelin’ band Yeah Well I’m flyin’ ‘cross the land, tryin’ to get a hand Playin’ in a travelin’ band

73. Have Love, Will Travel – The Sonics

Wow,Have love Whoa baby will travel Uh huh, uh huh,have love Woah baby will travel I said if you need loving then Mm,hmm,I’ll travel

Yeah,I’ll travel from Main to Mexico Just to find a little girl that loves me so No matter when, no matter where I’ll be I’m looking for a woman that’ll satisfy me

74. Queens Of The Stone Age – Go With The Flow

She said “I’ll throw myself away, They’re just photos after all” I can’t make you hang around. I can’t wash you off my skin. Outside the frame, is what we’re leaving out You won’t remember anyway I can go with the flow But don’t say it doesn’t matter anymore I can go with the flow Do you believe it in your head? It’s so safe to play along Little soldiers in a row Falling in and out of love With something sweet to throw away. But I want something good to die for To make it beautiful to live. I want a new mistake, lose is more than hesitate. Do you believe it in your head? I can go with the flow But don’t say it doesn’t matter anymore I can go with the flow Do you believe it in your head?

75. Maïa Vidal – Our Place

Last but not least, the ultimate travel song to wanderlust. I’d like to stay here For a while And go wild You’ll call me crazy But I don’t care ‘Cause I know where

Where I go where I go, you’re gonna take me Where I go where I go, you’re gonna take me Take me for a ride, And I’ll be by your side

Just let me stay here A little while We’ll go wild They’ll call us crazy But I don’t care ‘Cause I’ll be where you are

This all happened fast But I know how I feel Like you were the sand And I was the se

Extra 76. Sky on the Loose – Inkfield

Do you want an insider tip for cool travel songs? Then listen into Inkfield’s Sky on the Loose. Inkfield is a solo solo indie rock act from Edinburgh, UK.

Here are the lyrics.

Messaging like nights before, crashing through the wall I’m using all my strength and breath, I’m gonna show them all

You talk of my impending doom, no promise nor a myth You justify avoiding me to sell out on a whiff

Oh if I, I want to be the lonely one, I want to be the only one And if I, lord I And if I, I want to be the chosen one, I want to be the chosen one And if I, lord I

Don’t you tire of telling me? ‘The world ends at the sky, You’re just a little fish another simple passer by, All your songs and poetry are droplets in the sea’ I said ‘That is ok for you, your words won’t follow me!’

Sum it up: The 75 Travel Songs

By now your notebook should be full and you should have taken lots of notes.

This is your ultimate list of best travel songs. We tried to make a compulsive list of all the important things you have to put on your iPod, your Smartphone and Spotify list.

More travel songs here:

Again, this is your inspiration. Take it with you, let is inspire you, but make sure you add your own travel songs to your very own memory list.

The world is wide and there is a lot of adventures out there, waiting for you to live them.

We are Hostelgeeks, and we are here to help you to travel smarter, longer, and especially safe. We collect for you the best hostels in the world, the 5 Star Hostels.

Do you have your own favorite travel song?

We would love to grow this list, add more travel tracks to it. Leave us a comment with your favorite ones, we are curious what songs you love when you are on the road.

Love, cheers and safe travels,

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The Ultimate Travel Playlist: 100 Best Travel Songs (with Lyrics and Videos)

Katie Hammel

July 18, 2023

10 min read

Music has the power to transport us, change our moods, and conjure memories. And, for many travelers, music is closely linked to travel. It can helps us understand the people and culture of a place, break down language barriers, and sear certain moments into our memories forever.

With help from members of our Travel Community and Going staff, we've created the ultimate travel playlist of 100 travel songs. Some reference specific places, others showcase the musical talent of a specific country, and others simply celebrate the joy of exploration.

Here, in no particular order, are 100 of our favorite travel songs.

56 songs that reference specific places in the title or lyrics

Sure, some of these songs, such Paris by the Chainsmokers or Toto’s Africa , actually have little to do with the specific place; it’s just used as the title or the setting for the story. But others not only reference a country or city, they also evoke a specific sense of that particular place or tell a story about that destination.

For example, in Marrakech Express , Crosby, Stills & Nash recount scenes from a train ride Nash actually took in 1966. In London Calling , the Clash sing about the social issues facing London in the late 70s. In Walking in Memphis , Marc Cohn croons about his experience wandering the city. And Simon & Garfunkel's America was inspired by a road trip that Paul Simon took with his girlfriend.

Here are some of our favorite songs that mention a specific city or country, and a snippet of the lyrics.

Listen when:  you're on a $388 flight to Vienna, or a $671 flight to Johannesburg, or a $353 flight to Paris, or...

1. Kathmandu – Bob Seger

I think I'm going to Katmandu

‍ That's really, really where I'm going to

If I ever get out of here

That's what I'm gonna do

I know my plane is due

The one that's going to Katmandu

Up to the mountain's where I'm going to

K-k-k-k-k-k Kathmandu ‍

2. One Night in Bangkok – Murray Head

One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster

The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free

You'll find a god in every golden cloister

A little flesh, a little history

I can feel an angel sliding up to me

3. I've Been Everywhere – Johnny Cash

I've been everywhere, man

Crossed the deserts bare, man

I've breathed the mountain air, man

Travel, I've had my share, man

I've been everywhere

I've been to

4. Africa – Toto

The wild dogs cry out in the night

As they grow restless, longing for some solitary company

I know that I must do what's right

As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti

I seek to cure what's deep inside, frightened of this thing that I've become

It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you

There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do

I bless the rains down in Africa

Gonna take some time to do the things we never have

Bonus: Check out the 2018 cover by Weezer and this awesome 2016 video from Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard.

5. Marrakech Express – Crosby, Stills & Nash

Take the train from Casablanca going south

Blowing smoke rings from the corners of my my, my, my, my mouth

Colored cottons hang in air

Charming cobras in the square

Striped jellabas we can wear at home

Don't you know we're riding on the Marrakesh Express

6. Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) – Shakira

Today's your day

You paved the way

If you get down get up oh oh

When you get down get up eh eh

Tsamina mina zangalewa

This time for Africa

7. San Francisco – Scott McKenzie

If you're going to San Francisco

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

You're gonna meet some gentle people there

8. London Calling – The Clash

The ice age is coming, the sun is zooming in

Engines stop running, the wheat is growin' thin

A nuclear era, but I have no fear

'Cause London is drowning, and I, I live by the river

9. Galway Girl – Ed Sheeran

You know, she played the fiddle in an Irish band

But she fell in love with an Englishman

Kissed her on the neck and then I took her by the hand

Said, "Baby, I just wanna dance"

With my pretty little Galway girl

You're my pretty little Galway girl

10. Istanbul (Not Constantinople) – They Might Be Giants

Every gal in Constantinople

Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople

So if you've a date in Constantinople

She'll be waiting in Istanbul

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam

Why they changed it I can't say

People just liked it better that way

11. Ramblin’ Man – the Allman Brothers Band

I'm on my way to New Orleans this mornin'

I'm leavin' out of Nashville, Tennessee

They're always having a good time down on the bayou

Lord, them Delta women think the world of me

Lord, I was born a ramblin' man

Tryin' to make a livin' and doin' the best I can

And when it's time for leavin'

I hope you'll understand

That I was born a ramblin' man

12. Aux Champs-Élysées – Joe Dassin

Aux Champs-Elysées, aux Champs-Elysées

Au soleil, sous la pluie, à midi ou à minuit

Il y a tout ce que vous voulez aux Champs-Elysées

In English:

Champs-Elysees, Champs-Elysees In the sun, in the rain, at noon or midnight There is everything you want on the Champs-Elysées

13. Lovers in Japan – Coldplay

Tonight, maybe we're gonna run

Dreamin' of the Osaka sun

Ohh, ohh, ohhh

Dreamin' of when the morning comes

14. Barcelona – George Ezra

Every time you have to go

Shut my eyes and you know

I’ll be lying right by your side

In Barcelona

15. April in Paris – Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

I never knew the charm of spring

I never met it face to face

I never knew my heart could sing

I never missed a warm embrace

Till April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom

Holiday tables under the trees

April in Paris, this is a feeling

16. Blue Hawaii – Elvis Presley

Come with me

While the moon is on the sea

The night is young

And so are we, so are we

Dreams come true

In blue Hawaii

17. Back in the U.S.S.R. – The Beatles

Well the Ukraine girls really knock me out

They leave the West behind

And Moscow girls make me sing and shout

That Georgia's always on my mind

Aw come on!

Yeah I'm back in the U.S.S.R.

You don't know how lucky you are boys

Back in the U.S.S.R.

18. Rio – Netsky featuring Macklemore

It’s the “Rio” remix, you should see us

Swimming in the ocean like the pool is hella heated

Expedited Visa and I’m posted with my feet up

Parasailing over beaches, got my girl from Ipanema

19. Barcelona – Ed Sheeran

And you and I we're flying on an airplane tonight

We're going somewhere where the sun is shining bright

Just close your eyes

And let's pretend we're dancing in the street

20. Havana – Camila Cabello

Havana, ooh na-na

Half of my heart is in Havana, ooh na-na

He took me back to East Atlanta, na-na-na, ah

Oh, but my heart is in Havana ‍

21. In America – Neil Diamond

Everywhere around the world

They're coming to America

Every time that flag's unfurled

Got a dream to take them there

Got a dream they've come to share

22. Tennessee – Arrested Development

They tell me my ears are so young

Go back, from whence you came

My family tree, my family name

For some strange reason it had to be

He guided me to Tennessee

Take me to another place, take me to another land

Make me forget all that hurts me, let me understand your plan

23. Paris – The Chainsmokers

We were staying in Paris

To get away from your parents

You look so proud

Standing there with a frown and a cigarette

Posting pictures of yourself on the internet

24. Graceland – Paul Simon

The Mississippi Delta was shining

Like a National guitar

I am following the river

Down the highway

Through the cradle of the civil war

I'm going to Graceland

25. Carolina in My Mind – James Taylor

In my mind I'm gone to Carolina

Can't you see the sunshine?

Can't you just feel the moonshine?

And, ain't it just like a friend of mine

To hit me from behind?

Yes, I'm gone to Carolina in my mind

26. New York State of Mind – Billy Joel

Some folks like to get away

Take a holiday from the neighborhood

Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood

But I'm takin' a Greyhound on the Hudson River line

I'm in a New York state of mind

27. Walking in Memphis – Marc Cohn

Saw the ghost of Elvis

On Union Avenue

Followed him up to the gates of Graceland

Then I watched him walk right through

Now security they did not see him

They just hovered 'round his tomb

But there's a pretty little thing

Waiting for the King

Down in the Jungle Room

When I was walking in Memphis

I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale

Walking in Memphis

But do I really feel the way I feel?

28. America – Simon & Garfunkel

Cathy, I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh

Michigan seems like a dream to me now

It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw

I've gone to look for America

29. Mexico – James Taylor

Way down here you need a reason to move

Feel a fool running your stateside games

Lose your load, leave your mind behind Baby Jane

It sounds so simple I just got to go

The sun's so hot I forgot to go home

Guess I'll have to go now

30. California – Phantom Planet

Hustlers grab your guns

Your shadow weighs a ton

Driving down the 101

California here we come

Right back where we started from

California, here we come.

31. Chicago – Sufjan Stevens

I fell in love again

All things go, all things go

Drove to Chicago

All things know, all things know

32. Kokomo – The Beach Boys

Off the Florida Keys, there's a place called Kokomo

That's where you want to go to get away from it all

Bodies in the sand, tropical drink melting in your hand

We'll be falling in love to the rhythm of a steel drum band

Down in Kokomo

Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama

Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go

down to Kokomo, we'll get there fast and then we'll take it slow

That's where we want to go, way down in Kokomo

33. Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Sweet home Alabama

Where the skies are so blue

Lord, I'm coming home to you

34. Vertigo – FM Belfast

We are going far away

Don't you look down

You are high above ground

We are driving with our friends

We are driving to a faraway place

35. California Love – Tupac and Dr. Dre

Say what you say, but give me that bomb beat from Dre

Let me serenade the streets of L.A

From Oakland to Sacktown

The Bay Area and back down

Cali is where they put they mack down give me love!

California, knows how to party

In the city of L.A.

In the city of good ol' Watts

In the city, the city of Compton

We keep it rocking

36. Malibu – Miley Cyrus

But here I am

Next to you

The sky is so blue

37. Midnight Train to Georgia – Gladys Knight and the Pips

He's leaving

On that midnight train to Georgia

And he's goin' back

To a simpler place and time

And I’ll be with him

I'd rather live in his world

Than live without him in mine

38. California Dreaming – The Mamas and the Papas

All the leaves are brown

And the sky is grey

I've been for a walk

On a winter's day

I'd be safe and warm

If I was in L.A.

California dreamin'

On such a winter's day

39. New York Groove – Ace Frehley

Many years since I was here

On the street I was passin' my time away

To the left and to the right,

Buildings towering to the sky

It's outta sight in the dead of night

Here I am, and in this city, with a fistful of dollars

And baby, you'd better believe

I'm back, back in the New York groove

40. Miami – Will Smith

Party in the city where the heat is on

All night, on the beach till the break of dawn

Welcome to Miami

Bienvenidos a Miami

Bouncin' in the club where the heat is on

I'm goin’ to Miami

41. Vienna – Ultravox

The music is weaving

Haunting notes, pizzicato strings

The rhythm is calling

Alone in the night as the daylight brings

A cool empty silence

The warmth of your hand and a cold grey sky

It fades to the distance

The image has gone only you and I

It means nothing to me

This means nothing to me

42. Viva Las Vegas – Elvis Presley

Bright light city gonna set my soul

Gonna set my soul on fire

Got a whole lot of money that's ready to burn

So get those stakes up higher

There's a thousand pretty women waitin' out there

And they're all livin' devil may care

And I'm just the devil with love to spare

Viva Las Vegas, viva Las Vegas

43. Rocky Road to Dublin – The Irish Descendants

Well in Dublin next arrived, I thought it'd be a pity

To be so soon deprived a view of that fine city

So then I took a stroll down among the quality

Me bundle it was stolen in a neat locality

Something crossed me mind, then I looked behind

No bundle could I find upon me stick a-wobblin'

Inquiring for the rogue, said me connaught brogue wasn't much in vogue

On the rocky road to Dublin

44. Beverly Hills – Weezer

Beverly Hills

That's where I want to be (gimme, gimme)

Livin' in Beverly Hills

Rollin' like a celebrity (gimme, gimme)

45. Surfin' USA – The Beach Boys

Haggerties and Swamies

Pacific Palisades

San Anofree and Sunset

Redondo Beach L. A.

All over La Jolla

At Waimea Bay

Everybody's gone surfin'

Surfin' U.S. A.

46. I'm Shipping Up To Boston – Dropkick Murphys

I'm a sailor peg

And I've lost my leg

Climbing up the top sails

I've lost my leg!

I'm shipping up to Boston, whoa

I'm shipping off to find my wooden leg

47. Hello Seattle – Owl City

Hello Seattle, I am a manta ray

Deep beneath the blue waves

I'll crawl the sandy bottom of Puget Sound

And construct my summer home

48. God Blessed Texas – Little Texas

God blessed Texas

With His own hand

Brought down angels from the promised land

Gave 'em a place where they could dance

If you want to see heaven, brother, here's you chance

I've been sent to spread the message

49. Taj Mahal – Sam Roberts Band

Sitting with you on the banks of the Ganges

Stealing a kiss on the streets of Bombay

Caressing your hair like the wind through the palm trees

I never dreamed that anyone could take you away

Keep on keep on keep on singing

I'm building a beautiful statue

To make sure that no one forgets you

50. Alaska – Maggie Rogers

I was walking through icy streams

That took my breath away

Moving slowly through westward water

Over glacial plains

And I walked off you

And I walked off an old me

Oh me, oh my, I thought it was a dream

So it seemed

51. Miles from Minnesota – The Lower 48

Yes next year we'll go traveling

Our escapades so baffling

Our sovereign love returning to the sea

We'll be miles from Minnesota then

Writing letters we won't send

For no words shall contain what will be

Well your sweet voice and my rough hands

When darkness prowls we will dance

Through bluffs and fields and orchards with the moon

Yes next year we will leave this place summer's kiss is just a taste

Fall's warm embrace is coming to us soon

Oh! We've got everywhere to go

You should sleep, I'll see you in the morning

52. Take Me Home Country Roads – John Denver

Almost heaven, West Virginia

Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River

Life is old there, older than the trees

Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze

Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong

West Virginia, mountain mama

Take me home, country roads

53. Miles Away – The Maine

I took a trip up the west coast

Was searching for a temp so low

And a summer high

The Sun swayed and set slow

Made waves with some friends I know

Got lost in the ebb and flow

Of the drifting tide

I didn't ever want to come down

From that west coast rush and summer high

And easy, peaceful sense of time

54. Brazil – Declan McKenna

I wanna play the beautiful game while I'm in Brazil

'Cause everybody plays the beautiful game while out in Brazil

'Cause it's all you've ever wanted, and it's all that you want still

Don't you wanna play the beautiful game out in Brazil?

55. Under African Skies – Paul Simon

Joseph's face was as black as the night

And the pale yellow moon shone in his eyes

His path was marked

By the stars in the Southern Hemisphere

And he walked the length of his days

Under African skies

56. Take It Easy – The Eagles

Well I'm a standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona

Such a fine sight to see

It's a girl, my lord, in a flatbed

Ford slowin' down to take a look at me

Come on baby

Don't say maybe

I gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me

We may lose and we may win

Though we will never be here again

So open up, I'm climbin' in

Take it easy

26 awesome international songs

A song’s title or lyrics don’t need to explicitly mention a specific place; sometimes it's the artist, the melody, the language, or simply the emotion of the song that ties it in our memories to a place we love.

Whether it’s the sultry sounds of Gotan Project’s Amor Porteno taking us back to a tango club in Buenos Aires, or the ethereal sounds of Hoppípolla from Sigur Rós transporting us to the otherworldly landscapes of Iceland, these international songs make us think of the places they are from or written about.

Listen when:  you're on your cheap flight to Iceland, or packing for your trip to Seoul, or strolling the streets of Paris, or driving the backroads of Scotland, or...

57. The Last – Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra

58. let the music play – shamur, 59. la vie en rose – edith piaf, 60. gangnam style – psy.

61. Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin

62. money (that's what i want) – cheryl k, 63. royals – lorde, 64. rewrite – asian kung fu generation, 65. redemption song – bob marley, 66. dreams – the cranberries, 67. little busters – the pillows, 68. jai ho – a.r. rahman.

69. Counting Stars – Nujabes

70. i’m gonna be (500 miles) – the proclaimers, 71. sni bong – dengue fever, 72. jungle drum – emiliana torrini.

73. On and On – VIXX

74. beds are burning – midnight oil, 75. amor porteño – gotan project, 76. dui bu qi – transition, 77. sirocco – ulrich schnauss and jonas munk, 78. mi gente – j balvin.

79. Hoppípolla – Sigur Rós

80. somewhere over the rainbow – israel kamakawiwoʻole, 81. land down under – men at work, 82. guantanamera – celia cruz.

‍ 18 great songs about travel and wanderlust

Finally, the last songs on the list are those that inspire us to get out and see the world, that commiserate with those us of suffering from the travel bug, and that celebrate the beauty of a life less ordinary.

Listen when: you're suffering from an acute case of wanderlust or dreaming of your next great adventure.

83. Born to be Wild – Steppenwolf

Get your motor runnin'

Head out on the highway

Lookin' for adventure

And whatever comes our way

Yeah Darlin' go make it happen

Take the world in a love embrace

Fire all of your guns at once

And explode into space

84. Roam – The B52s

Roam if you want to

Roam around the world

Without wings, without wheels

Without anything but the love we feel

85. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For – U2

I have climbed the highest mountains

I have run through the fields

Only to be with you

I have run, I have crawled

I have scaled these city walls

These city walls

But I still haven't found

What I'm looking for

86. Come Fly with Me – Frank Sinatra

Come fly with me, we'll fly, we'll fly away

If you can use some exotic booze

There's a bar in far Bombay

Come on fly with me, we'll fly, we'll fly away

87. On the Road Again – Willie Nelson

On the road again

Goin' places that I've never been

Seein' things that I may never see again

And I can't wait to get on the road again

88. Road to Nowhere – Talking Heads

We're on a road to nowhere

Come on inside

Taking that ride to nowhere

We'll take that ride

I'm feeling okay this morning

And you know

We're on the road to paradise

Here we go, here we go

89. Life is a Highway – Tom Cochran

Life's like a road that you travel on

When there's one day here and the next day gone

Sometimes you bend, sometimes you stand

Sometimes you turn your back to the wind

There's a world outside every darkened door

Where blues won't haunt you anymore

Where the brave are free and lovers soar

Come ride with me to the distant shore

We won't hesitate, break down the garden gate

There's not much time left today

90. When I’m Gone (Cups Song) – Anna Kendrick

I’ve got my ticket for the long way ‘round

The one with the prettiest of views

It’s got mountains, it’s got rivers, it’s got sights to give you shivers

But it sure would be prettier with you

When I’m gone

You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone

You’re gonna miss me by my walk

You’re gonna miss me by my talk, oh

91. Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen

Someday girl I don't know when

We're gonna get to that place

Where we really wanna go

And we'll walk in the sun

But till then tramps like us

Baby we were born to run

92. Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root

Well, I would like to hold my little hand

And we will run, we will, we will crawl, we will

I would like to hold my little hand

And we will run, we will, we will crawl

Send me on my way (on my way)

93. Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffett

I blew out my flip flop

Stepped on a pop top

Cut my heel had to cruise on back home

But there's booze in the blender

And soon it will render

That frozen concoction that helps me hang on

Wastin' away again in Margaritaville

Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt

Some people claim that there's a woman to blame

But I know it's my own damn fault

94. Moon River – Audrey Hepburn

Two drifters, off to see the world

There's such a lot of world to see

We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend

My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me

95. Leaving on a Jet Plane – Peter Paul, and Mary

My bags are packed

I'm ready to go

I'm standing here outside your door

I hate to wake you up to say goodbye

But the dawn is breakin'

It's early morn

The taxi's waitin'

He's blowin' his horn

Already I'm so lonesome

I could cry

So kiss me and smile for me

Tell me that you'll wait for me

Hold me like you'll never let me go

I'm leavin' on a jet plane

I Don't know when I'll be back again

Oh, babe, I hate to go

96. The Passenger – Iggy Pop

I am a passenger

And I ride and I ride

I ride through the city's backside

I see the stars come out of the sky

Yeah, they're bright in a hollow sky

You know it looks so good tonight

I stay under glass

I look through my window so bright

I see the stars come out tonight

I see the bright and hollow sky

Over the city's ripped-back sky

And everything looks good tonight

97. Vacation – The Go-Go's

All I ever wanted

Had to get away

Meant to be spent alone

98. Homeward Bound – Simon & Garfunkel

Every day's an endless stream

Of cigarettes and magazines

And each town looks the same to me, the movies and the factories

And every stranger's face I see reminds me that I long to be

Homeward bound

I wish I was

Home where my thought's escaping

Home where my music's playing

Home where my love lies waiting

Silently for me

99. No Roots – Alice Merton

I like standing still, but that's just a wishful plan

Ask me where I come from, I'll say a different land

But I've got memories and travel like gypsies in the night

I count gates and numbers, then play the guessing game

It's just the place that changes, the rest is still the same

And a thousand times I've seen this road

A thousand times

I've got no roots, but my home was never on the ground

100. Fly Away – Lenny Kravitz

I want to get away

I want to fly away

Yeah, yeah, yeah ‍

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Katie is Going's Director of Content Marketing. She has been to 30+ countries, prefers markets to museums, hates cucumbers, and dreams of one day living in a small cabin by the sea in Iceland. Originally from Detroit, she lived in Seattle and Chicago before settling in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and their two cats.

Published July 18, 2023

Last updated December 28, 2023

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31 Best Travel Songs 2024 (to have the perfect background music!)

Over time we collected a bunch of great and cool travel songs we just love to share.We love good travel music, it doesn’t matter where we are. On a boat floating through the Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, driving along the coast in Australia, or catching a plane.

Just hit the play button on the first song and enjoy your road trip wherever you are.

More the backpacker type? Find 17 more backpacker songs here .

If you still wanna more travel music, we just summed up my 29 favorite songs about traveling . Or check out these 117 cool and funny Instagram captions .

So, here it goes, A collection of the best travel songs for this 2024.

And we want to start with The Sonics!

1. Have Love, Will Travel – The Sonics

The Sonics’ “have love, will travel” is one of my favorite travel music.

Have love, whoa Baby I will travel (I say)Have little love, whoa Darlin’ will travel (Isaid) If you need lovin Then yeah, yeah, Ill travel

Well I might take a boat, or I’ll take a plane Might hitchhike, or jump a railroad train Your kind of lovin’ drives a man insane So look for me a walkin’ just any ol’ way

2.  The House of the Rising Sun – The Animals

There is a house in New Orleans They call the Rising Sun And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy And God I know I’m one

My mother was a tailor She sewed my new bluejeans My father was a gamblin’ man Down in New Orleans

Now the only thing a gambler needs Is a suitcase and trunk And the only time he’s satisfied Is when he’s on, a drunk

3. KONGOS – Traveling On

So long my friend, my foe, my love, my pain The road’s calling out my name Dreaming of La Boheme Maybe I’ll go to Barbizon Or see a girl before she catches cold and she’s gone Or maybe I’ll just travel on

So long my flame, my warmth, my fear, my fight The road’s calling again tonight Dreaming under street lights Maybe I’ll catch a train to Rome See the world until I can’t go on Then maybe I’ll come traveling home

4. KONGOS – Escape

Every few thousand years Come true man’s greatest fears All the living things Mother nature brings to tears When the bombs are bursting in the air And the rockets are making that red glare I’m heading down Down to that good hope town, where the weather’s fair

So why don’t you come away With me my love We’ll do what it takes I’ll keep you safe

Why don’t you stay by me And when the time comes We’ll escape

5. Angus & Julia Stone – A Heartbreak

I saw your friends at the drive-in They were falling in love I met your friends, they were lying About falling in love

Girl, you’re just a child A heartbreak Girl, you’re just a child A heartbreak

6. Seafret – Oceans

It feels like there’s oceans Between me and you once again We hide our emotions Under the surface and tryin’ to pretend But it feels like there’s oceans Between you and me

Fancy more songs? keep scrolling or check out our favorite 29 songs for the road.

7. The Lumineers – Sleep On The Floor

Pack yourself a toothbrush dear Pack yourself a favorite blouse Take a withdrawal slip Take all of your savings out ‘Cause if we don’t leave this town We might never make it out I was not born to drown Baby come on

8. Snow Patrol – Just Say Yes

Just say yes, just say there’s nothing holding you back It’s not a test, nor a trick of the mind Only love

It’s so simple and you know it is You know it is, yeah We can’t be to and fro like this All our lives You’re the only way to me The path is clear

9. Asaf Avidan & The Mojos – One Day

One day baby, we’ll be old Oh baby, we’ll be old And think of all the stories that we could have told

No more tears, my heart is dry I don’t laugh and I don’t cry I don’t think about you all the time But when I do, I wonder why

10. Empire Of The Sun – We Are The People

We can remember swimming in December Heading for the city lights in 1975 We share in each other Nearer than farther The scent of a lemon drips from your eyes

We are the people that rule the world A force running in every boy and girl All rejoicing in the world Take me now, we can try

11. MGMT – Electric Feel

I said ooh girl Shock me like an electric eel Baby girl You turn me on with your electric feel

I said ooh girl Shock me like an electric eel Baby girl Turn me on with your electric feel

All along the eastern shore Put your circuits in the sea This is what the world is for Making electricity

You can feel it in your mind Oh you can do it all the time Plug it in and change the world You are my electric girl

12. Two Door Cinema Club – Sun

Drawn apart New York and London All I see now Are distant drumlins

The roads I knew Became a city And I wonder Will you wait for me?

You can find more New York City Songs here .

13. Love of Lesbian – Fantastic shine

Did I ever tell you we are drivers through a road called life Oh, what is life A piece of pie bursting from the seems that everything’s alright Spin in circles, jump together now

Shine, you can make it grow From the summer ground To the highest clouds

14. Ramon Mirabet – Those Little Things

I remember that first summer. Settled on the (dark) you said, Open up your heart

Even good things can leave scars, Don’t be afraid.

15. Manel Navarro – Candle

Your smile is like the sunset in the month of June. When we’re together there is nothing out of tune. ‘Cause I hear your voice and I don’t know what to do.

I’m not feeling heavy when I’m next to you. ‘Cause you’re the endless fire that shows me the way. When the night is dark you can be my flame, oh oh. ‘Cause the candle you hold inside, oh oh.

16. The Chainsmokers – Paris

We were staying in Paris To get away from your parents And I thought, “Wow If I could take this in a shot right now

I don’t think that we could work this out” Out on the terrace I don’t know if it’s fair but I thought “How Could I let you fall by yourself

While I’m wasted with someone else”

17. Ed Sheeran – Shape of You

Girl, you know I want your love Your love was handmade for somebody like me Come on now, follow my lead I may be crazy, don’t mind me

Say, boy, let’s not talk too much Grab on my waist and put that body on me Come on now, follow my lead Come, come on now, follow my lead

18. Coldplay – Paradise

When she was just a girl She expected the world But it flew away from her reach And the bullets catch in her teeth

Life goes on, it gets so heavy The wheel breaks the butterfly Every tear a waterfall In the night the stormy night she’ll close her eyes In the night the stormy night away she’d fly

19. Bob Dylan – A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall

Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son? Oh, where have you been, my darling young one? I’ve stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains I’ve walked and I’ve crawled on six crooked highways I’ve stepped in the middle of seven sad forests I’ve been out in front of a dozen dead oceans I’ve been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, and it’s a hard And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall

20. Jake Bugg – Simple As This

Traveled to each ocean’s end Saw all seven wonders, trying to make some sense Memorized the mantra Confucius said But it only let me down

Tried absolution of the mind and soul It only led me where I should not go Oh and the answer well how could I miss Something as simple as this Something as simple as this

21. Birdy – Wings

Sunlight comes creeping in Illuminates our skin We watch the day go by Stories of all we did It made me think of you It made me think of you

Under a trillion stars We danced on top of cars Took pictures of the stage So far from where we are They made me think of you They made me think of you

22. George Ezra – Barcelona

Barcelona, I still long to hold her once more, oh, My boots of leather, From Europe I gather you know, know,

Every time you have to go Shut my eyes and you know I’ll be lying right by your side In Barcelona

23. The Killers – When You Were Young

You sit there in your heartache Waiting on some beautiful boy to To save you from your old ways You play forgiveness Watch it now, here he comes

He doesn’t look a thing like Jesus But he talks like a gentlemen Like you imagined When you were young

24. Semisonic – Closing Time

Closing time Time for you to go out to the places you will be from Closing time This room won’t be open till your brothers or your sisters come So gather up your jackets, move it to the exits I hope you have found a friend Closing time Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end

25. Incubus – Drive

Sometimes, I feel the fear of uncertainty stinging clear And I can’t help but ask myself how much I’ll let the fear Take the wheel and steer It’s driven me before And it seems to have a vague, haunting mass appeal But lately, I am beginning to find That I should be the one behind the wheel

26. Blur – Song 2

I got my head checked By a jumbo jet It wasn’t easy But nothing is No

Woo-hoo When I feel heavy-metal And I’m pins and I’m needles Well, I lie and I’m easy All the time but I am never sure Why I need you Pleased to meet you

27. Foo Fighters – Times Like These

it’s times like these you learn to live again it’s times like these you give and give again it’s times like these you learn to love again it’s times like these time and time again

I am a new day rising I’m a brand new sky to hang the stars upon tonight I am a little divided do I stay or run away and leave it all behind?

28. Milky Chance – Stolen Dance

And I want you We can bring it on the floor You’ve never danced like this before We don’t talk about it Dancin’ on do the boogie all night long Stoned in paradise, shouldn’t talk about it

29. Coldplay – Hymn For The Weekend

Oh, angel sent from up above You know you make my world light up When I was down when I was hurt You came to lift me up

Life is a drink, and love’s a drug Oh, now I think I must be miles up When I was a river, dried up You came to rain a flood

30. Boston- More than A Feeling

So many people have come and gone Their faces fade as the years go by Yet I still recall as I wander on As clear as the sun in the summer sky

It’s more than a feeling when I hear that old song they used to play (more than a feeling) I begin dreaming (more than a feeling) ‘Till I see Marianne walk away I see my Marianne walkin’ away

31. Toto – Africa

It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do I bless the rains down in Africa Gonna take some time to do the things we never have

32. Guaranteed – Eddie Vedder

On bended knee is no way to be free Lifting up an empty cup I ask silently That all my destinations will accept the one that’s me So I can breath

Circles they grow and they swallow people whole Half their lives they say goodnight to wive’s they’ll never know Got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul So it goes

Don’t come closer or I’ll have to go Holding me like gravity are places that pull If ever there was someone to keep me at home It would be you

Everyone I come across in cages they bought They think of me and my wandering But I’m never what they thought Got my indignation but I’m pure in all my thoughts

I’m alive Wind in my hair, I feel part of everywhere Underneath my being is a road that disappeared Late at night I hear the trees

They’re singing with the dead Overhead Leave it to me as I find a way to be Consider me a satellite for ever orbiting

I knew all the rules but the rules did not know me Guaranteed

I also summed up my 29 favorite songs about traveling . Find 17 BEST backpacker songs here .

And why not check out these good reads, too?

• Funny Quotes for Instagram Bio
• 119 Cool Quotes for WhatsApp
• Best Adventure Quotes of all time

How to download travel music?

There are awesome songs for travel videos.

Please be aware that you cannot use any music for your own videos. You have the own the license.

Either way. There is a website we hear that is perfect to download music and videos from YouTube. The website is www.filsh.net .

Just visit the website, include the link of the video and add your settings. It is as simple as that.

Sum it up: Time to Dance, time to Travel

The background music of a trip is crucial.

Well, okay, the trip and experience itself are obviously more important.

Nevertheless, it is always awesome to have these awesome travel songs up your sleeve.

And if you’re looking for more, you can find amazing travel quotes with these articles below.

• 603 best travel quotes
• funny travel quotes
• 23 travel quotes for friends
• 499 best Instagram captions you can copy and paste

If you know more songs, please leave us a comment. We are always keen to add more songs to our own list.

Therefore, please LEAVE me a comment below.

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This playlist is perfect for when I’m going traveling! Thanks from Malaysia. :)

So much to listen to, thank you! Another one to add to the list is My Wild Heart by Tiffany Hill

Thanks for sharing this nice blog. This blog is really too good.

Im sick of the fake free mp3 downloaders that have literally no songs to download and makes you waste your time typing things out like Fatty Wap or Disturbed

Harold Burton

There are plenty of tools to download MP3 version from platforms like Youtube. That might be something for you to consider.

Safe travels, Matt

Or you could just download the songs you like on your computer and connect your phone to your pc with a USB wire or whatever it’s called and transfer.

This does not work for iPhone, I am afraid 🙂

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Insider’s Guide to the 100+ Best Songs about Travel

By: Author Girl with the Passport

Posted on Last updated: July 7, 2022

Categories Travel Tips

Looking for an expertly curated, super comprehensive selection of the all-time best songs about travel ?

If so then this list of 100+ best songs about travel is DEFFO for you. I mean, not only have I been traveling the world for the past 15+ years but I also love music.

So, when I’m not traveling, you can find me rocking out to some of the best songs about travel on this list.

Yeah, you may or may not find me hardcore lip-synching to some of these best travel songs while I dance around my room like Elaine from Seinfeld .

Heck, I even listen to a lot of these sick beats when I’m on the road and jamming to my very own travel songs playlist .

Therefore, if you’re in need of a bit of musical inspiration then give this list of the best songs about travel a read.

Because whether you’re traveling to New York, San Francisco, or somewhere in between, you’re sure to find the top travel songs for you!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for more information. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

1. Alaska by Maggie Rogers

“I was walking through icy streams

That took my breath away

Moving slowly through westward water

Over glacial plains

And I walked off you

And I walked off an old me

Oh me, oh my, I thought it was a dream

So it seemed”

2. Taj Mahal by Sam Roberts Band

“Sitting with you on the banks of the Ganges

Stealing a kiss on the streets of Bombay

Caressing your hair like the wind through the palm trees

I never dreamed that anyone could take you away

Keep on keep on keep on singing

I’m building a beautiful statue

To make sure that no one forgets you”

3. Carolina in My Mind by James Taylor

“In my mind I’m gone to Carolina

Can’t you see the sunshine?

Can’t you just feel the moonshine?

And, ain’t it just like a friend of mine

To hit me from behind?

Yes, I’m gone to Carolina in my mind”

4. New York State of Mind by Billy Joel

Some folks like to get away

Take a holiday from the neighborhood

Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood

But I’m takin’ a Greyhound on the Hudson River line

I’m in a New York state of mind”

Pro Tip: Be sure to check out some of the other best songs about NYC . This is also just one of my personal picks for best travel songs since I’m from New York.

5. Hello Seattle by Owl City

“Hello Seattle, I am a manta ray

Deep beneath the blue waves

I’ll crawl the sandy bottom of Puget Sound

And construct my summer home”

6. Miles from Minnesota by The Lower 48

“Yes next year we’ll go traveling

Our escapades so baffling

Our sovereign love returning to the sea

We’ll be miles from Minnesota then

Writing letters we won’t send

For no words shall contain what will be

Well your sweet voice and my rough hands

When darkness prowls we will dance

Through bluffs and fields and orchards with the moon

Yes next year we will leave this place summer’s kiss is just a taste

Fall’s warm embrace is coming to us soon

Oh! We’ve got everywhere to go

You should sleep, I’ll see you in the morning”

7. God Blessed Texas by Little Texas

“God blessed Texas

With His own hand

Brought down angels from the promised land

Gave ’em a place where they could dance

If you want to see heaven, brother, here’s you chance

I’ve been sent to spread the message

God blessed Texas”

8. Graceland by Paul Simon

“The Mississippi Delta was shining

Like a National guitar

I am following the river

Down the highway

Through the cradle of the civil war

I’m going to Graceland”

9. Miles Away by The Maine

“I took a trip up the west coast

Was searching for a temp so low

And a summer high

The Sun swayed and set slow

Made waves with some friends I know

Got lost in the ebb and flow

Of the drifting tide

I didn’t ever want to come down

From that west coast rush and summer high

And easy, peaceful sense of time”

10. I’m Shipping Up To Boston by Dropkick Murphys

“I’m a sailor peg

And I’ve lost my leg

Climbing up the top sails

I’ve lost my leg!

I’m shipping up to Boston, whoa

I’m shipping off to find my wooden leg”

11. Lovers in Japan by Coldplay

“Tonight, maybe we’re gonna run

Dreamin’ of the Osaka sun

Ohh, ohh, ohhh

Dreamin’ of when the morning comes”

12. Aux Champs-Élysées by Joe Dassin

“Aux Champs-Elysées, aux Champs-Elysées

Au soleil, sous la pluie, à midi ou à minuit

Il y a tout ce que vous voulez aux Champs-Elysées”

And in English:

“Champs-Elysees, Champs-Elysees

In the sun, in the rain, at noon or midnight

There is everything you want on the Champs-Elysées”

I’m Shipping Up To Boston – Dropkick Murphys

I’m a sailor peg

13. Rock the Casbah by The Clash

“Sharif don’t like it

Rockin’ the Casbah

Rock the Casbah

Sharif don’t like it

Rock the Casbah”

14. Brazil by Declan McKenna

“I wanna play the beautiful game while I’m in Brazil

‘Cause everybody plays the beautiful game while out in Brazil

‘Cause it’s all you’ve ever wanted, and it’s all that you want still

Don’t you wanna play the beautiful game out in Brazil?”

15. Surfin’ USA by The Beach Boys

“Haggerties and Swamies

Pacific Palisades

San Anofree and Sunset

Redondo Beach L. A.

All over La Jolla

At Waimea Bay

Everybody’s gone surfin’

Surfin’ U.S. A.”

16. California by Phantom Planet

“Hustlers grab your guns

Your shadow weighs a ton

Driving down the 101

California here we come

Right back where we started from

California, here we come.”

17. Mexico by James Taylor

“Way down here you need a reason to move

Feel a fool running your stateside games

Lose your load, leave your mind behind Baby Jane

It sounds so simple I just got to go

The sun’s so hot I forgot to go home

Guess I’ll have to go now”

18. Beverly Hills by Weezer

“Beverly Hills

That’s where I want to be (gimme, gimme)

Livin’ in Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills

Rollin’ like a celebrity (gimme, gimme)

Livin’ in Beverly Hills”

19. Barcelona by George Ezra

“Every time you have to go

Shut my eyes and you know

I’ll be lying right by your side

In Barcelona”

20. Rocky Road to Dublin by The Irish Descendants

Well in Dublin next arrived, I thought it’d be a pity

To be so soon deprived a view of that fine city

So then I took a stroll down among the quality

Me bundle it was stolen in a neat locality

Something crossed me mind, then I looked behind

No bundle could I find upon me stick a-wobblin’

Inquiring for the rogue, said me connaught brogue wasn’t much in vogue

On the rocky road to Dublin”

21. America by Simon & Garfunkel

“Cathy, I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh

Michigan seems like a dream to me now

It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw

I’ve gone to look for America”

22. Walking in Memphis by Marc Cohn

“Saw the ghost of Elvis

On Union Avenue

Followed him up to the gates of Graceland

Then I watched him walk right through

Now security they did not see him

They just hovered ’round his tomb

But there’s a pretty little thing

Waiting for the King

Down in the Jungle Room

When I was walking in Memphis

I was walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale

Walking in Memphis

But do I really feel the way I feel?”

23. Africa by Toto

“The wild dogs cry out in the night

As they grow restless, longing for some solitary company

I know that I must do what’s right

As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti

I seek to cure what’s deep inside, frightened of this thing that I’ve become

It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you

There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do

I bless the rains down in Africa

Gonna take some time to do the things we never have”

Pro Tip: Weezer also did a fantastic cover of this song in 2018 that you should DEFFO add to your list of best travel songs today.

24. Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) by Shakira

“Today’s your day

You paved the way

If you get down get up oh oh

When you get down get up eh eh

Tsamina mina zangalewa

This time for Africa”

25. Marrakech Express by Crosby, Stills, & Nash

“Take the train from Casablanca going south

Blowing smoke rings from the corners of my my, my, my, my mouth

Colored cottons hang in air

Charming cobras in the square

Striped jellabas we can wear at home

Don’t you know we’re riding on the Marrakesh Express”

26. Blue Hawaii by Elvis Presley

“Come with me

While the moon is on the sea

The night is young

And so are we, so are we

Dreams come true

In blue Hawaii”

27. I’ve Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash

“I’ve been everywhere, man

I’ve been everywhere, man

Crossed the deserts bare, man

I’ve breathed the mountain air, man

Travel, I’ve had my share, man

I’ve been everywhere

I’ve been to

Winslow”

28. Rio by Netsky and featuring Macklemore

“It’s the “Rio” remix, you should see us

Swimming in the ocean like the pool is hella heated

Expedited Visa and I’m posted with my feet up

Parasailing over beaches, got my girl from Ipanema”

29. Back in the U.S.S.R. by The Beatles

“Well the Ukraine girls really knock me out

They leave the West behind

And Moscow girls make me sing and shout

That Georgia’s always on my mind

Aw come on!

Yeah I’m back in the U.S.S.R.

You don’t know how lucky you are boys

Back in the U.S.S.R.”

30. April in Paris by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

“I never knew the charm of spring

I never met it face to face

I never knew my heart could sing

I never missed a warm embrace

Till April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom

Holiday tables under the trees

April in Paris, this is a feeling”

31. Budapest by George Ezra

“My house in Budapest

My hidden treasure chest

Golden grand piano

My beautiful Castillo

I’d leave it all

My acres of a land

I have achieved

It may be hard for you to

Stop and believe

But for you

I’d Leave it all

Give me one good reason

Why I should never make a change

And baby if you hold me

Then all of this will go away.”

32. Viva Las Vegas by Elvis Presley

Bright light city gonna set my soul

Gonna set my soul on fire

Got a whole lot of money that’s ready to burn

So get those stakes up higher

There’s a thousand pretty women waitin’ out there

And they’re all livin’ devil may care

And I’m just the devil with love to spare

Viva Las Vegas, viva Las Vegas”

33. Vienna by Ultravox

“The music is weaving

Haunting notes, pizzicato strings

The rhythm is calling

Alone in the night as the daylight brings

A cool empty silence

The warmth of your hand and a cold grey sky

It fades to the distance

The image has gone only you and I

It means nothing to me

This means nothing to me

Oh, Vienna”

34. Midnight Train to Georgia by Gladys Knight & the Pips

“He’s leaving (leaving)

On that midnight train to Georgia (leaving on a midnight train)

Said he’s going back (going back to find)

To a simpler place and time (and when he takes that ride)

Oh yes, he is (guess who’s gonna sit right by his side)”

35. Malibu by Miley Cyrus

“But here I am

Next to you

The sky is so blue

Next to you”

36. New York Groove by Ace Frehley

“Many years since I was here

On the street I was passin’ my time away

To the left and to the right,

Buildings towering to the sky

It’s outta sight in the dead of night

Here I am, and in this city, with a fistful of dollars

And baby, you’d better believe

I’m back, back in the New York groove”

37. Road to Nowhere by the Talking Heads

“We’re on a road to nowhere

Come on inside

Takin’ that ride to nowhere

We’ll take that ride”

38. California Love by Tupac and Dr. Dre

“Say what you say, but give me that bomb beat from Dre

Let me serenade the streets of L.A

From Oakland to Sacktown

The Bay Area and back down

Cali is where they put they mack down give me love!

California, knows how to party

In the city of L.A.

In the city of good ol’ Watts

In the city, the city of Compton

We keep it rocking”

39. Renegades by X Ambassadors

“Run away-ay with me

Lost souls in revelry

Running wild and running free

Two kids, you and me

Hey, hey-hey-hey

Livin’ like we’re renegades

Hey-hey-hey

Renegades.”

Pro Tip: This is a fantastic song that is highly underrated IMHO. So, be sure to add it to your playlist filled with the best songs about travel.

40. Miami by Will Smith

“Party in the city where the heat is on

All night, on the beach till the break of dawn

‘Welcome to Miami’

‘Bienvenidos a Miami’

Bouncin’ in the club where the heat is on

I’m goin to Miami

‘Welcome to Miami'”

41. The Wanderer by Dion DiMucci

“I’m the type of guy that likes to roam around

I’m never in one place I roam from town to town

And when I find myself a-fallin’ for some girl, yeah

I hop right into that car of mine and ride around the world

Yeah I’m the wanderer, yeah the wanderer

I roam around around around, let’s go”

42. Hotel California by The Eagles

“Welcome to the Hotel California

Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)

Such a lovely face

Plenty of room at the Hotel California

Any time of year (Any time of year)

You can find it here.”

43. Where the Streets Have No Name by U2

“Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name

We’re still building then burning down love

Burning down love

And when I go there, I go there with you

It’s all I can do.”

44. Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z and featuring Alicia Keys

“In New York (Ay, aha) (Uh, yeah)

Concrete jungle (Yeah) where dreams are made of

There’s nothing you can’t do (Yeah) (OK)

Now you’re in New York (Aha, aha, aha) (Uh, yeah)

These streets will make you feel brand-new (New)

Big lights will inspire you (Come on) (OK)

Let’s hear it for New York (You welcome, OG) (Uh)

New York (Yeah), New York (Uh)”

45. Around the World by Daft Punk

“Around the world, around the world

Around the world, around the world

Around the world, around the world”

46. Down Under by Men at Work

“Buying bread from a man in Brussels

He was six foot four and full of muscle

I said, “Do you speak-a my language?”

He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich

And he said:

I come from a land down under

Where beer does flow and men chunder

Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder

You better run, you better take cover.”

47. Traveling On by The Decemberists

“Cause we’re traveling on

Sold for a song

We’re traveling on

And it won’t be long

‘Til we’re traveling on”

48. Hopeless Wanderer by Mumford & Sons

“But hold me fast, hold me fast

‘Cause I’m a hopeless wanderer

And hold me fast, hold me fast

‘Cause I’m a hopeless wanderer”

49. When I’m Gone (The Cups Song) by Anna Kendrick

“I’ve got my ticket for the long way ‘round

The one with the prettiest of views

It’s got mountains, it’s got rivers, it’s got sights to give you shivers

But it sure would be prettier with you

When I’m gone

You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone

You’re gonna miss me by my walk

You’re gonna miss me by my talk, oh

You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone”

50. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

“Someday girl I don’t know when

We’re gonna get to that place

Where we really wanna go

And we’ll walk in the sun

But till then tramps like us

Baby we were born to run”

51. Moon River by Audrey Hepburn

“Two drifters, off to see the world

There’s such a lot of world to see

We’re after the same rainbow’s end, waitin’ ’round the bend

My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me”

52. Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts

“Life is a highway

I wanna ride it all night long

If you’re going my way

I wanna drive it all night long”

53. Kathmandu by Bob Seger

“I think I’m going to Katmandu

‍That’s really, really where I’m going to

If I ever get out of here

That’s what I’m gonna do

I know my plane is due

The one that’s going to Katmandu

Up to the mountain’s where I’m going to

K-k-k-k-k-k Kathmandu‍”

54. The Passenger by Iggy Pop

“I am a passenger

And I ride and I ride

I ride through the city’s backside

I see the stars come out of the sky

Yeah, they’re bright in a hollow sky

You know it looks so good tonight

I am a passenger

I stay under glass

I look through my window so bright

I see the stars come out tonight

I see the bright and hollow sky

Over the city’s ripped-back sky

And everything looks good tonight”

55. Havana by Camila Cabello

“Havana, ooh na-na

Half of my heart is in Havana, ooh na-na

He took me back to East Atlanta, na-na-na, ah

Oh, but my heart is in Havana” ‍

56. Fast Car by Tracy Chapman

“You got a fast car

Is it fast enough so we can fly away?

We gotta make a decision

Leave tonight or live and die this way”

57. Paris by The Chainsmokers

“We were staying in Paris

To get away from your parents

You look so proud

Standing there with a frown and a cigarette

Posting pictures of yourself on the internet”

58. Hotel Walls by Smith & Thell

“So I stand back and I watch us fall

As we break everything inside these hotel walls

Life’s for rent and it called us out

So I hand back the key as the door man bows”

Pro Tip: This is a really great Swedish band and you should listen to some of their other best travel songs too, like Forgive Me, Friend .

59. Vacation by The Go-Go’s

“Vacation

All I ever wanted

Had to get away

Meant to be spent alone”

60. On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons

‘Cause I’m on top of the world, ‘ey

I’m on top of the world, ‘ey

Waiting on this for a while now

Paying my dues to the dirt

I’ve been waiting to smile, ‘ey

Been holding it in for a while, ‘ey

Take it with me if I can

Been dreaming of this since a child

I’m on top of the world”

61. No Sleep Till Brooklyn by The Beastie Boys

“No sleep ’till

No sleep ’till Brooklyn

No sleep till Brooklyn”

62. Barcelona by Ed Sheeran

“And you and I we’re flying on an airplane tonight

We’re going somewhere where the sun is shining bright

Just close your eyes

And let’s pretend we’re dancing in the street

In Barcelona

Barcelona”

63. Homeward Bound by Simon & Garfunkel

“Every day’s an endless stream

Of cigarettes and magazines

And each town looks the same to me, the movies and the factories

And every stranger’s face I see reminds me that I long to be

Homeward bound

I wish I was

Home where my thought’s escaping

Home where my music’s playing

Home where my love lies waiting

Silently for me”

64. Tennessee by Arrested Development

“They tell me my ears are so young

Go back, from whence you came

My family tree, my family name

For some strange reason it had to be

He guided me to Tennessee

Take me to another place, take me to another land

Make me forget all that hurts me, let me understand your plan”

65. In America by Neil Diamond

“Everywhere around the world

They’re coming to America

Every time that flag’s unfurled

Got a dream to take them there

Got a dream they’ve come to share

They’re coming to America”

66. No Roots by Alice Merton

“I like standing still, but that’s just a wishful plan

Ask me where I come from, I’ll say a different land

But I’ve got memories and travel like gypsies in the night

I count gates and numbers, then play the guessing game

It’s just the place that changes, the rest is still the same

And a thousand times I’ve seen this road

A thousand times

I’ve got no roots, but my home was never on the ground”

67. California Dreamin’ by the Mamas and the Papas

“All the leaves are brown (all the leaves are brown)

And the sky is gray (and the sky is gray)

I’ve been for a walk (I’ve been for a walk)

On a winter’s day (on a winter’s day)

I’d be safe and warm (I’d be safe and warm)

If I was in L.A. (if I was in L.A.)

California dreamin’ (California dreamin’)

On such a winter’s day”

68. Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus

“I hopped off the plane at LAX

With a dream and my cardigan

Welcome to the land of fame excess (Whoa)

Am I gonna fit in?

Jumped in the cab, here I am for the first time

Look to my right, and I see the Hollywood sign

This is all so crazy

Everybody seems so famous

My tummy’s turnin’ and I’m feelin’ kinda homesick

Too much pressure and I’m nervous

That’s when the taxi man turned on the radio

And a JAY-Z song was on

So I put my hands up

They’re playin’ my song, the butterflies fly away

I’m noddin’ my head like, “Yeah”

Movin’ my hips like, “Yeah”

Got my hands up, they’re playing my song

You know I’m gonna be okay

Yeah, it’s a party in the U.S.A.

Yeah, it’s a party in the U.S.A.”

69. Galway Girl by Ed Sheeran

“You know, she played the fiddle in an Irish band

But she fell in love with an Englishman

Kissed her on the neck and then I took her by the hand

Said, “Baby, I just wanna dance”

With my pretty little Galway girl

You’re my pretty little Galway girl”

70. Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz

I want to get away

I want to fly away

Yeah, yeah, yeah‍”

71. Kokomo by The Beach Boys

“Aruba, Jamaica, ooh, I want to take you to

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama

Key Largo, Montego, baby, why don’t we go?

Ooh, I want to take you down to Kokomo

We’ll get there fast and then we’ll take it slow

That’s where we want to go, way down in Kokomo”

72. Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett

“Wastin’ away again in Margaritaville

Searchin’ for my lost shaker of salt

Salt, salt, salt

Some people claim that there’s a woman to blame

I agree with that

And I know it’s all you women’s fault”

73. Have Love Will Travel by The Sonics

Yeah, I travel from Maine to Mexico

Just to find a little girl that loves me so

No matter when, no matter where I’ll be

I’m looking for a woman that’ll satisfy me

Whoa, baby, will travel

I said, yeah, yeah, have love

Woah, baby, will travel

I said, if you need loving then

Mm, hmm, I’ll travel

Woah!”

74. Chicago by Sufjan Stevens

“I fell in love again

All things go, all things go

Drove to Chicago

All things know, all things know”

75. One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head

“One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster

The bars are temples but the pearls ain’t free

You’ll find a god in every golden cloister

A little flesh, a little history

I can feel an angel sliding up to me”

76. Leaving on a Jetplane by John Denver

“So kiss me and smile for me

Tell me that you’ll wait for me

Hold me like you’ll never let me go

‘Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane

Don’t know when I’ll be back again

Oh babe, I hate to go”

77. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers

“But I would roll 500 miles

And I would roll 500 more

Just to be the man who roles a thousand miles

To fall down at your door”

78. Ramblin’ Man by The Allman Brothers Band

“I’m on my way to New Orleans this mornin’

I’m leavin’ out of Nashville, Tennessee

They’re always having a good time down on the bayou

Lord, them Delta women think the world of me

Lord, I was born a ramblin’ man

Tryin’ to make a livin’ and doin’ the best I can

And when it’s time for leavin’

I hope you’ll understand

That I was born a ramblin’ man”

79. Istanbul (Not Constantinople) by They Might Be Giants

“Every gal in Constantinople

Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople

So if you’ve a date in Constantinople

She’ll be waiting in Istanbul

Even old New York was once New Amsterdam

Why they changed it I can’t say

People just liked it better that way”

80. Vertigo by FM Belfast

“We are going far away

We are going far away

Don’t you look down

You are high above ground

We are driving with our friends

We are driving to a faraway place”

81. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd

“Sweet home Alabama

Where the skies are so blue

Sweet home Alabama

Lord, I’m comin’ home to you”

82. On the Road Again by Willie Nelson

“On the road again

Like a band of gypsies, we go down the highway

We’re the best of friends

Insisting that the world keep turning our way

And our way

Is on the road again”

83. Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf

“Born to be wild

Born to be wild

Get your motor runnin’

Head out on the highway

Looking for adventure

In whatever comes our way”

84. Roam by The B-52’s

“Roam if you want to

Roam around the world

Roam if you want to

Without wings, without wheels

Without anything but the love we feel”

85. Send Me on My Way by Rusted Root

Well, I would like to hold my little hand

And we will run, we will, we will crawl, we will

I would like to hold my little hand

And we will run, we will, we will crawl

Send me on my way (on my way)”

86. Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver

“Country roads, take me home

To the place I belong

West Virginia, mountain mama

Take me home, country roads”

87. San Francisco by Scott McKenzie

“If you’re going to San Francisco

Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair

If you’re going to San Francisco

You’re gonna meet some gentle people there.”

88. London Calling by The Clash

“The ice age is coming, the sun is zooming in

Engines stop running, the wheat is growin’ thin

A nuclear era, but I have no fear

‘Cause London is drowning, and I, I live by the river”

89. Wonderwall by Oasis (Popular amongst guitar players in hostels the world over)

“And all the roads we have to walk are winding

And all the lights that lead us there are blinding

There are many things that I would like to say to you, but I don’t know how

Because maybe

You’re gonna be the one that saves me

And after all

You’re my wonderwall”

Random Aside : Honestly, if you haven’t heard someone play this pick for one of the best travel songs on their guitar in a hostel, have you really traveled? And the correct answer is, probably not!

90. Come Fly With Me by Frank Sinatra

“Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away

If you can use some exotic booze

There’s a bar in far Bombay

Come fly with me, let’s fly, let’s fly away.”

91. Truckin’ by the Grateful Dead

“Truckin’, like the do-dah man

Once told me, ‘You’ve got to play your hand’

Sometimes the cards ain’t worth a dime

If you don’t lay ’em down.”

92. What We Live For by American Authors

“We’re taking off, woo

We’re taking off, woo

This is what I live for

Baby, you’re my open road.”

93. Holiday by Madonna

“If we took a holiday

Took some time to celebrate

Just one day out of life

It would be, it would be so nice.”

94. Gravity by Cold Play

“Baby

It’s been a long time coming

Such a long, long time

And I can’t stop running

Can you hear my heart beating?

Can you hear that sound?

‘Cause I can’t help thinking

And I won’t stop now“

95. Leaving Las Vegas by Cheryl Crow

“I’m leaving Las Vegas

Lights so bright, palm sweat, blackjack on a Saturday night

Leaving Las Vegas

Leaving for good, for good

I’m leaving for good

I’m leaving for good”

96. Free by Donovan Frankenreiter

“Here comes corner winds and the changin’ tide

We better drop them sails and get inside

When will the weather ever let us go

I guess we’ll have to wait until the trade winds blow”

97. Come Away with Me by Norah Jones

“Come away with me and we’ll kiss

On a mountain top

Come away with me

And I’ll never stop lovin’ you”

98. American Boy by Estelle and featuring Kanye West

“Take me on a trip, I’d like to go some day

Take me to New York, I’d love to see LA

I really want to come kick it with you

You’ll be my American boy.”

99. Destination Calabria by Alex Gaudino featuring Crystal Waters

“I left my job, my boss, my car and my home

I’m leaving for a destination I still don’t know”

100. Toes by the Zac Brown Band

“I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand

Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand

Life is good today”

101. Last Train Home by John Mayer

“I’m on the last train runnin’

I’m on the last train runnin’

And I surrender

And I surrender”

102. Two Tickets To Paradise by Eddie Money

“I’m gonna take you on a trip so far from here,

I’ve got two tickets in my pocket, now baby, we’re gonna disappear.

We’ve waited so long, waited so long.

We’ve waited so long, waited so long.“

103. Do You Want to See the World by the Kooks

“Do you want to see the world?

In a different way, yeah”

104. A Million Miles Away by David Byrne

“Oh oh

A million miles away from here”

105. Space Oddity by David Bowie

“This is Major Tom to Ground Control

I’m stepping through the door

And I’m floating in a most peculiar way

And the stars look very different today

Am I sitting in a tin can

Far above the world

Planet Earth is blue

And there’s nothing I can do”

Additional Travel Resources You’ll Love

• Best Travel Quotes
• Best Travel Captions for Instagram
• Best Songs About West Virginia

There you have it! That just about wraps up this list of the best travel songs of all time!

Tell me, did your favorite road trip songs make the list if not then let. me know in the comments below, and if you found this post about the best travel songs useful, don’t forget to pin this post now so that you can read it again later.

Privacy Overview

The Ultimate Travel Songs Playlist to Inspire Wanderlust

Written By: The Planet D

Inspiration

Updated On: March 2, 2023

The best travel songs playlist had an outstanding turn out by The Planet D fans.

We wanted to hear, what songs inspire travel, make you think of a destination, or simply make you want to hit the road, so we asked our readers to share their favorite songs about travel.

We had such an awesome response that now have a huge list of the best travel songs as chosen by you ! There were a lot of duplicate votes for but after adding up the choices, these are the top songs.

Table of Contents

The Best Travel Songs Playlist

We took some of our favorite quotes from people when they chose their favorite songs about travel and you can read what they below.

• If you want some more travel inspiration, check out our 101 Ultimate Travel Quotes.
• Looking for a different playlist? We’ve rounded up the best road trip songs to rock the long drive.

If you have a song to add to our playlist leave a comment below. We update this list regularly

1. Africa by Toto

Nothing makes me want to go to Africa more than this song by Toto.

They capture it beautifully with their lyrics and each time I listen to it, I am brought back to camping in the desert listening to the dog crying out in the night.

Or it makes me think of climbing Kilimanjaro towering over the Serengeti. And it has had a renaissance getting a lot of air time.

“The wild dogs cry out in the night As they grow restless, longing for some solitary company I know that I must do what’s right As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti I seek to cure what’s deep inside, frightened of this thing that I’ve become”

Dina Rosita Koudys says “ Not exactly about traveling, but it does mention Africa, Kilimanjaro, and Serengeti. And I love the song!

We replied to Dina saying,  “We think Africa is exactly a travel song. It is our favorite song about travel and makes us want to see the Serengeti again and again.”

2. Galway Girl by Ed Sheeran

Ireland is one of our favorite country’s to visit and when Ed Sheeran wrote about Galway it brought us right back to being in the pubs there.

A lot of playlists omit the modern travel songs, but musicians these days have explored more of the world than anyone. And Ed Sheeran is a huge traveler.

We saw Ed Sheeran on Graham Norton talking about his travels and we love his free spirit and down to earth attitude.

“I meet her on Grafton street right outside of the bar She shared a cigarette with me while her brother played the guitar She asked me what does it mean, the Gaelic ink on your arm? Said it was one of my friend’s songs, do you want to drink on?”

3. One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head

From the Musical Chess, this hit by Murray Head made me want to visit Bangkok in the 1990s.

Whenever I’m in the city, I can’t stop singing it!

“I said, “do you speak-a my language?” He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich And he said I come from a land down under Where beer does flow and men chunder”

4. Land Down Under by Men at Work

When thinking about travel music, this song is at the top for and Australian theme.

Men at work reference the Hippy Trail, muscles in Brussels and a den in Bombay.

All while bonding with people from the Land Down Under. Men at work are from Melbourne , Australia

“Bangkok, Oriental setting And the city don’t know that the city is getting The creme de la creme of the chess world In a show with everything but Yul Brynner”

5. Havana by Camila Cabello

This song takes me to Havana. The groove makes me feel that I am at a lounge in Cuba and I love it.

Even if Camila Cabello is taken to East Atlanta, her heart is always in Havana. Just like so many people feel when they visit Havana too!

Havana, ooh na-na Half of my heart is in Havana, ooh na-na He took me back to East Atlanta, na-na-na Oh, but my heart is in Havana My heart is in Havana Havana, ooh na-na

6.  Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd

This song makes me want to go to the American South.

My favorite lyric is when they mention the recording studio Muscle Shoals.

“Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers And they’ve been known to pick a song or two (yes they do) Lord they get me off so much They pick me up when I’m feeling blue, now how bout you?”

After watching the documentary about Muscle Shoals, I now understand what that lyric is all about.

It was the place for rock musicians to record in the 1960s. Rent Muscle Shoals on Amazon

Kathy Bovair  says “ Dave will have my back on this one “SWEET HOME ALABAMA” is the best travel song and an old high school classic from our past” 

7. I’ve Been Everywhere Man by Johnny Cash

Carmen Davis-Harcum said.  “It’s My favourite travel song.” And we agree. I’ve been everywhere is the ultimate travel song!

If you want to add a song to your travel playlist that captures what it’s like to travel around.

I always envisioned this song being about Johnny Cash writing about his life on the road as a traveling musician.

“I’ve been everywhere, man I’ve been everywhere, man Crossed the deserts bare, man I’ve breatherd the mountain air, man Travel, I’ve had my share, man I’ve been everywhere”

He may not have been everywhere int he world, but he has definitely crossed all of the United States and Canada.

I’ve Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash does the trick.

 8. Route 66 by Nat King Cole

Route 66 certainly captures the heyday of America’s famous highway running across the country.

It makes me think of simpler (and tougher) times of people hitting the open road with nothing but dreams in their heads.

This song makes me want to get in the car and drive.

“Well if you ever plan to motor west Just take my way it’s the highway that’s the best Get your kicks on Route 66 Well it winds from Chicago to L.A. More than 2000 miles all the way Get your kicks on Route 66″

Trisha Miller  is inspired by Route 66, a trip I have dreamed of for a long time, and someday I will do the entire length in one long, leisurely road trip”

9. Desert Rose – Sting

This song is apparently about when Adam was banished from the garden of Eden.

But when I listen to it, I think of travel and it transports me straight to the Middle East.

“I dream of rain, I dream of gardens in the desert sand I wake in vain, I dream of love as time runs through my hand Sweet desert rose Each of her veils, a secret promise This desert flower No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this…”

10. Where the Streets Have No Name by U2

The song is inspired by the streets of Ethiopia where there aren’t (or weren’t) any street names.

I remember cycling through Africa and we barely saw a road sign.

At the time, Ireland was still under a lot of civil unrest and Bono wrote about a place where class, religion and income are not indicitve of the street they live on.

“I want to feel sunlight on my face I see that dust cloud disappear without a trace I wanna take shelter from the poison rain Where the streets have no name.”

11. Sympathy For The Devil by The Rolling Stones

Daniel Stein Says “ Sympathy For the Devil makes you want to drive. Who wouldn’t include this in their best travel songs playlist?”

This travel song had the most votes in our survey.

So it had to be on our playlist even though it isn’t really about travel. It does talk about historical events around the world though. 

“I stuck around St. Petersburg When I saw it was a time for a change Killed the czar and his ministers Anastasia screamed in vain” 

12. On the Road Again by Willy Nelson

Diane Grady .” We were camping year’s ago on Vancouver Island and a big motorhome pulled out playing”On the Road Again” through the loudspeakers. It was hilarious .

But you know what, On the Road Again is one of the most popular songs played when hitting the road.

The words alone. I’m on the road again!

13. I Left My Heart In San Francisco by Tony Bennet

Suggested by Katherine Hill who said, “I left my Heart in San Francisco, of course! This song is the epitome of San Francisco.

Travel Songs don’t have to be about going everywhere. They can be about one place and this is the ultimate love story dedicated to San Francisco.

Add it to your playlist on Amazon

14. Montego Bay by Amazulu

Whenever we go to Jamaica we sing this song. It is perfect for travel.

It not only captures the spirit and energy of Jamaica, it explains a lot about the island.

They drive on the island, they drink rum from a silver tray and greet you like a brother would.

“Vernon’ll meet me when the BOAC lands Keys to th M. G. will be in his hands Adjust to the driving ‘n’ I’m on my way It’s all on the right side in Montego Bay

BOAC is a British airplane and I love how they say, “it’s all on the right side, because when you are in Jamaica, you drive British style.

15. Midnight Train To Georgia by Gladys Knight and the Pips

Lauren Mcleod  made this addition to our playlist.

She says “ Even though it’s about heading home instead of away, it sure gets me groovin’ along like I want to leave.”

“The world is his, his and ‘ers alone Oh he’s leavin’ On that midnight train to Georgia (leavin’ on the midnight train) Said he’s goin’ back to find (goin’ back to find) Oh a simpler place in time”

You can also download on Amazon

16. Roam by the B52s

Genelle Gregorio “ Roam “ by the B-52s is a fantastic song for slideshows of your travels and to get you all pumped up about traveling and seeing the world.

“Roam if you want to Roam around the world Roam if you want to Without wings, without wheels Roam if you want to Roam around the world Roam if you want to Without anything but the love we feel”

In our hearts, aren’t we all roamers at heart?

17. Leaving on a Jet Plane by Chantal Kreviazuk

Jenny Leach “ We love this track when we are traveling . Leaving on a Jet Plane just screams travel song! Famous recordings are from Peter Paul and Mary, and John Denver.

“All my bags are packed I’m ready to go I’m standin’ here outside your door I hate to wake you up to say goodbye”

While the song is more about leaving for work (most likely the life of a rock n roll band, it still makes us think about traveling.

This song has been re-done a lot over the years, our favorite version is from the movie Armageddon  by Chantal Kreviazuk.

18. Kokomo by The Beach Boys

Keith Jenkins of Velvet Escape chose Kokomo. This makes me think of the beach for sure.

What we love about Kokomo is that it is a made up place by the Beach Boys, but it sure makes you want to go there. And it captures the spirit of the islands.

19. Graceland by Paul Simon

Sheri Anderson Wallace  said. “ I love that travel song because it captures all the pieces of a road trip. What could be more of a travel song than a song about road tripping?

We say, it also inspired us to get ourselves to Graceland and see Elvis’ home in Memphis Tennessee.

We’ll never forget visiting Kenya and seeing photographs of Paul Simon at a lodge we stayed at in the Masai Mara. He stayed here with Carry Fisher and it was this place that inspired his music for the album Graceland. I think that was one of the coolest things to see that we stayed at the same lodge.

2 0. Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf

Bonnie Paridaen says “ By Steppenwolf Baby!”  Need we say more?

“Get your motor runnin’ Head out on the highway Lookin’ for adventure And whatever comes our way Yeah Darlin’ go make it happen Take the world in a love embrace Fire all of your guns at once And explode into space.”

Born to Be Wild is all about taking a motorcycle trip across the country. The movie isn’t bad either.

21. New York State of Mind by Billie Joel

Merav Benaia  told us that it’s the travel song that makes me want to pack my bag and hop on a flight. (event though it’s about taking the bus)

Some folks like to get away Take a holiday from the neighborhood Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood But I’m takin’ a Greyhound on the Hudson River line I’m in a New York state of mind

I love New York and this is a love song dedicated to the beautiful State. 

Get New York State of Mind on Amazon

22. Sailing, Christopher Cross

Stephanie Broschart stated. “The lyrics from Sailing totally make for a great travel song.”

It’s not far to never-never land, no reason to pretend And if the wind is right you can find the joy of innocence again Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see. Believe me.

23. Proud Mary – Tina Turner

Whenever we’re in New Orleans , this is the song that comes to mind. It has amazing energy and gets you in the mood to hop on a riverboat and explore!

Big wheel keep on turnin’ Proud Mary keep on burnin’ Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ on the river

It wasn’t until we took a riverboat tour in New Orleans that we even understood what big wheel keeps on turnin’ meant. It’s the big wheel that propels these riverboats. Cool eh?

24. American Woman by The Guess Who

Lorna Hazen-Francavilla said.  “ It is one of those “roll down the windows and makes crank the tunes kind of songs!”

Even though it is a song about dissing America, a lot of people look at it as a tribute to America. Regardless, it is a song that has a lot of energy.

Check it out on Amazon .

25. Man in the Mirror by Micheal Jackson

Claire Algarme “ I like the beat and the message of the song. It also reminds me to be open to everything I see & meet in my travels and how to be a better person at the end of my journeys.

We love the words of The Man in the Mirror .

Travel creates compassion. It brings people together and it is the best education.

This song empowers that feeling. Through travel we have often been compelled to make a difference.

If you want to make the world a better place Take a look at yourself, and then make a change

26. Kathmandu

When we were in Kathmandu before climbing to Everest Base Camp in Nepal.

This song captures the wanderlust of travel.

“I figure baby I’ve got nothing to lose, I’m tired of being blue, That’s why I’m going to Kathmandu Up to the mountains where I’m going to.”

It’s such a fun song.

Check it out on Amazon

27. London Calling by the Clash

Okay, so it might be an anti travel song, but if you just listen to the chorus, London is calling!

so even though the lyrics are pretty angry and depressing, I always sing it when I go to London.

“The ice age is coming, the sun’s zooming in Meltdown expected, the wheat is growing thin Engines stop running, but I have no fear ‘Cause London is drowning I live by the river”

28. Coming to America by Neil Diamond

I said this in our best road trip songs post, and I’ll say it again, I loved listening to this song while cycling down the continent of Africa .

Coming to America captures the hope and freedom of what was America.

Far We’ve been traveling far Without a home But not without a star Free Only want to be free We huddle close Hang on to a dream

The world looked America for so much when he sang this. Hopefully, it will get it’s welcoming status back again in our life.

But in the meantime, we love listening to Neil Diamond, he is the coolest cat in town.

29. Rambling Man by The Allman Brothers

Voted by – Rasheed Hooda – It’s a classic

“I’m on my way to New Orleans this mornin’ I’m leavin’ out of Nashville, Tennessee They’re always having a good time down on the bayou Lord, them Delta women think the world of me”

30. Laredo by Band of Horses

Catherine Reyes   says.”It has been my favourite of song to inspire travel for the past three months. It’s pretty recent and has that good on the road again feel.

“Gonna take a trip to Laredo Gonna take a dip in the lake Oh, I’m at a crossroads with myself I don’t got no one else”

31. Istanbul not Constantinople by They Might Be Giants

I had never heard this song before watching the Umbrella Academy on Netflix. When I heard it, it was my new favourite travel song.

We’ve been to Istanbul many times and we did know that it was once called Constantinople.

Istanbul was Constantinople Now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople Been a long time gone, Constantinople Now it’s Turkish delight on a moonlit night

So now whenever we go back, you know we are going to be singing this song. It is so much fun.

Seriously, give it a listen!

And add it to your playlist through Amazon $1.29

32. Carolina on my Mind by James Taylor

I just love James Taylor’s calm and soothing voice. And that is exactly what travel is meant to do – calm and sooth.

A lot of can’t travel right now, but we do go to places in our mind, and this captures that daydreaming part of our lives where we imagine being somewhere else.

“In my mind I’m gone to Carolina Can’t you see the sunshine? Can’t you just feel the moonshine? Ain’t it just like a friend of mine To hit me from behind? Yes, I’m gone to Carolina in my mind.”

33. California Dreaming – Mamas and the Papas

I think we all feel this way about California on a winter’s day:

I’d be safe and warm, If I was in L.A. California Dreaming, On such a winter’s day?

And who doesn’t love the vocal harmonies of the Mamas and the Papas?

Start dreaming and get it now.

33. Bali Eyes – Porno for Pyros

When traveling through South East Asia, we discovered this song and became huge fans of the unplugged version by Porno for Pyros.

Ate a mushroom turned into Bali Didn’t look it just jumped down my throat I was starting to die until I Took a trip to Bali Their eyes are god In a glass full of jelly Bali in my eyes

Once we reached Bali, we couldn’t stop playing this one. I think you’ll like it!

34. Sand in My Shoes – Dido

This song captures how amazing travel can be, but how much of a let down it is when you get home.

“Two weeks away feels like the whole world should have changed, But I’m home now, and things still look the same I think I’ll leave it ’til tomorrow to unpack, Try to forget for one night that I’m back in my flat On the road where the cars never stop going through the night, To a life where I can’t watch the sun set”

35. New York by Alicia Keys

There are so many songs about New York City, we could have created a travel song playlist all about New York alone! (Hey that’s a great idea! )

But we could only choose one and while Frank Sinatra, Beastie Boys, and even New York New York from Guys and Dolls springs to mind, I’m going with Alicia Keys beautiful song about New York.

In New York! Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There’s nothing you can’t do now you’re in New York! These streets will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you Now you’re in New York

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our Best Travel Songs Playlist. I found a lot of songs I’d never heard of, some old classics and some fun ones too!

Save this list to Pinterest to share these songs about travel.

Do you have a favourite travel song? Share it with us and see if it makes the list!

• 44 of the Best Road Trip Songs to Rock the Long Drive
• 44 Best Gifts for Travelers
• 20 Best Movies to Inspire Wanderlust
• 101 Best Travel Quotes
• Best Travel Books to Inspire the Wanderer in You
• 27 Best Travel Tips from 20 Years of Traveling
• How to Travel the World – The Ultimate Travel Resource

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25 thoughts on “The Ultimate Travel Songs Playlist to Inspire Wanderlust”

Ah these are some great songs! Some old school, some new, it’s perfect! Its pretty much my karaoke list too. Thanks so much for sharing!

Africa by Toto is classic. Its my favourite one :))) Does anyone use a travel itinerary on the worldee? For inspiration?

Please add the Spanish song Ay Carmela to your playlist.

Haha of course Sweet Home Alabama when you are cruising through bama!

Admiring the time and effort you put into your blog and detailed information you offer. This is the first time i am reading your post and admire that you posted article which gives users lot of information regarding particular topic thanks for this share.

This list is as bad as you could do without trying to be the worst… One Jason Mraz is bad enough, but two? And no Canned Heat “Going Up The Country”.

Great suggestion with – going up the Country.

Thank You for this amazing list, A Playlist for Best English, Hindi and Bengali songs for travel is a very tough work and you have done a great work.

Great list, I’m glad I contributed to the list 😀 I like Midnight train to Georgia. I don’t know bunch of the song, but now I need to have this playlist, I want to hear what others suggested! .-= Dina´s last blog ..Top 8 Animal Street Signs from Australia and New Zealand =-.

We are putting a playlist together on playlist.com when we have the final list compiled we will be putting up the playlist as well so everyone can hear. We didn’t know a few of the songs either, they are awesome. Can’t wait until monday when the new post goes out.

That’s cool! Looking forward to having the playlist 🙂

Hey, hows about something a BIT less cheesy though guys n gals. I give you M.Ward’s Paul’s Song, beautifully mournful and full of bittersweet lonesomeness.

‘How does it feel to be travelling, to live your life on the train oand the aeroplane. Well I ain’t gonna lie to you. Well every town is just the same, when you’ve left your heart in the Portland rain.’ Check it out! .-= Jools Stone´s last blog .. Edinburgh TweetUp Hatches =-.

Thanks Jools, Put it on our facebook fan page and we can include it in our list. Sounds like beautiful lyrics, I would love to include it:)

Whoever submitted “Leaving on a Jet Plane” by John Denver must be unaware that he perished in an experimental aircraft.

Haha, I forgot about that. Very ironic.

Great idea guys! I found myself spending too much time on YouTube 😉 and realised I have so many favourite travel songs I can hardly choose. I chose New York State of Mind; I think it is obvious it’s been a while since I last visited my one and only NYC. .-= Merav | AllWays Rental´s last blog ..Take the Tranz Alpine Train and Dream a Little =-.

Great list!! we have a theme song not so much a travel song. What do you think?? 🙂 http://gotpassport.org/2010/01/08/our-gotpassport-family-theme-song/ .-= GotPassport´s last blog .. That’s Right We’re Bad We’re Locals OK- Sort Of! =-.

#40 is my favourite on the list… I remember listening to this song watching the sun going down on Caye Caulker in Belize… amazing! .-= Brendan van Son´s last blog ..Fun Fotography on the Salt Flats =-.

Such an awesome list!!! .-= Andi´s last blog ..Love- Head Over Heels For The Amalfi Coast =-.

I’d love to make a second vote for Weather with You — such a great suggestion by Career Break HQ! (Especially because you two are such fundamentally happy people, and it’s a fundamentally happy song. :)) .-= Melanie@TravelsWithTwo´s last blog ..Strolling Through Hacienda Baru =-.

Thanks Melanie. We will be opening votes on the 9th, looks like it might be a winner already:)

My vote is for the Grateful Dead, the most comforting travel music I can think of. Trucking up to Buffalo is the best album for travel. .-= Shawn´s last blog ..FeedBurner’s Delusional Subscription Statistics =-.

Thanks Shawn. I don’t know if you want to enter your song. You still have a week. We need a specific song, sorry not an album and we have to have it on our facebook page to be included in the final list. Sorry, but we have to follow the rules:)

Excellent list of songs, and such a fun contest! I love that people who are submitting their favorites aren’t just pulling them out of thin air – the songs have real meaning to them…..I’ve been enjoying reading all the entries on your Facebook Page. .-= Trisha´s last blog .. Increase Your Travel Writing Exposure and Readership with Syndication =-.

Thanks Trisha, I have to say we are blown away with the song choices. They are so clever, heartfelt and interesting. It puts my post to shame about favorite travel songs. People are coming up with better choices than I ever could have thought of. It really is the ultimate playlist!

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10 Songs About Travel

Even if the trip is only in your mind, this list of songs about travel has something for you.

By Kat Bein

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Who goes on a trip without a proper soundtrack? Whether you travel by road, air or sea, you need a playlist to get you where you’re going, and it turns out that electronic dance musicians love to create soundscapes for adventurous souls. From atmospheric and ethereal to energetic and bass-ridden, these dance music songs are both your guiding light and your worldly companion.

Even if the trip is only in your mind, this list of songs about travel has something for you.

See more:  What Song Is This? How to Identify Music Now?  |  How to Download Free Music?  |  Top 25 Songs for Studying  |  15  Songs About Cars and Driving  |  10 Songs About Work  |  10 Songs About Kissing  |  10 Songs About Colors

10 Dance Songs About Waking Up

Trending on billboard.

San Holo – “trip”

First of all, any song that opens with a cool recorded intro like this is a winner in our book. San Holo  really knows how to create a mood, and “trip” sounds kind of like he’s creating a whole universe. The synthetic bleeps and bloops rain down in vibrant glitches. It’s a textural landscape forever unfolding between your ears, and it’s the perfect song with which to kick off our travel playlist.

Skrillex – “With You, Friends (Long Drive)”

From 2010’s breakout  Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites  EP, this melodic song about travel showcases a softer side of Skrillex , a man we all know to be diverse in 2018, but who was best known for bass-fueled insanity eight years ago. Listen for his beautiful singing voice in the glitchy melody. Put this one on when you’re feeling sentimental for your best buds.

Swedish House Mafia – “Miami 2 Ibiza” Feat. Tinnie Tempah

Turn on the bright lights and get ready to put your hands up. Nobody does big-room festival dance songs as well as Swedish House Mafia , and no two cities encapsulate the glamour and energy of that movement as Miami and Ibiza. Put this song on when you want to travel to the party from anywhere in the world.

The Klaxons – “Isle of Her”

Row, there’s only seven more miles to go. Whenever you’re in need of a little motivation at the gym or on a long journey, put this mid-aught electro-era jam on and feel yourself finding the strength to hold on in those final moments. The Klaxons ‘ are a killer electro band, too. Definitely explore the album  Myths of the Near Future  in full if you never have.

Maya Jane Coles – “Take Flight”

This song about travel is no ordinary 747. It’s space-age bleeps and bloops bring you to interstellar heights previously unexperienced by human kind. It’s deep and atmospheric, the kind of magical meandering only Maya Jane Coles can offer. It’s easy to get lost in her ghostly vocals. This is the kind of sound you’ll want to curl up in and stay cozy with all night.

Petit Biscuit – “On The Road”

Keeping in the interstellar vibe, Petit Biscuit draws us “On The Road” with alluring atmosphere and inspires us to march ever onward with a sweetly-thumping beat. This song will keep your spirits high and your mood at an even keel, no matter what surprises lay on the horizon. It’s also one of the songs from his debut LP  Presence  that features his own French-accented singing.

10 Songs About Rivers

Krewella – “Marching On”

Speaking of “Marching On,” this inspiring anthem from Krewella ‘s 2016 EP  Ammunition  is the melodic pick-me-up you need to get you to the finish line. The Yousaf sisters deliver one of their most beautiful performances as they sing about smashing fear in the face. The travel here is perhaps metaphorical, but it also helps to hear them cry “left, right, left” if you’re making serious moves.

GRiZ – “Dtw to Dia (The Travels of Mr. B)”

“DTW to DIA” is airport code for Detroit to Denver, and that is one helluva funky flight path. Detroit is the home of Motown soul, and Denver is the epicenter of Colorado’s genre-blending, electronic-meets-organic musical vibe. GRiZ ‘s song marries the spirit of both in one deliciously danceable groove. Just try not to jump up and jive to this.

Maceo Plex – “Kepler’s Journey”

Care for some IDM on your journey? Maceo Plex is a bold deep house and techno producer, but this tune from 2017’s experimental concept LP  Solar  dives deep into the outer-reaches of sound and space. The track is named after German mathematician, astronomer and astrologer Johannes Kepler best known for his laws of planetary motion. See if this tune doesn’t take you places.

Gryffin – “Heading Home” feat. Josef Salvat

Every good trip inevitably comes to an end, but that can sometimes be the best part of the journey. After all, is there any better feeling than crashing on your own bed after a long journey, your head swimming with memories of the adventure you just shared alongside friends old and new? Gryffin and his buddy Josef Salvat  perfectly capture that feeling in this final song about travel on our list. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

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50+ BEST Road Trip Songs for the Ultimate Road Trip Playlist

Heading on a road trip soon and looking for the top road trip songs to add to your road trip playlist?  I’ve got you covered with 50+ of the best road trip songs to listen (and sing along to) on long car drives.

Road Trip Songs For Your Road Trip Playlist

I hope you enjoy this list of great road trip songs. I have included a mix of road trip songs from different genres (including rock, pop and country) and different eras (from classic road trip songs to modern road trip songs). Most of these great songs are about road trips and travel or cars, highways and driving in general.

(And if you are planning on taking a road trip soon make sure to check out my essential road trip packing list  to make sure you have all your road trip essentials before you go!)

10 Best Road Trip Songs of All Time

I think these are the 10 best road trips songs of all time (in no particular order).

• “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen
• “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson
• “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver
• “Life Is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane
• “Little Red Corvette” by Prince
• “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by the Proclaimers
• “Take It Easy” by the Eagles
• “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf
• “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd (This song is perfect for a classic American road trip in the South.)
• “I Can’t Drive 55” by Sammy Hagar

Best Classic Road Trip Songs

Below are the greatest classic road trip songs that need to be on your music playlist:

• “Long Lonely Highway” by Elvis Presley
• “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC
• “American Pie” by Don McLean
• “Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles
• “Route 66” by Chuck Berry
• “No Particular Place to Go” by Chuck Berry
• “Truckin’” by The Grateful Dead
• “Running on Empty” by Jackson Browne
• “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John
• “Mustang Sally” by Wilson Pickett
• “Radar Love” by Golden Earring
• “Hotel California” by Eagles
• “America” by Simon & Garfunkel
• “The Passenger” by Iggy Pop

80s Road Trip Songs

Below are best 80s road trip songs to add to your music playlist:

• “Holiday Road” by Lindsey Buckingham
• “Road to Nowhere” by Talking Heads
• “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins (from the movie Top Gun)
• “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey
• “Love Shack” by the B52s
• “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake
• “Born in the U.S.A” by Bruce Springsteen
• “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• “I Drove All Night” by Cyndi Lauper
• “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman

90s Road Trip Songs

Below are best 90s road trip songs to add to your music playlist:

• “Road Trippin'” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
• “I’ve Been Everywhere” by Johnny Cash
• “The Distance” by Cake
• “Drive” by Incubus
• “The Way” by Fastball
• “Everyday is a Winding Road” by Sheryl Crow

Modern Road Trip Songs

Below are best modern road trip songs to add to your music playlist:

• “Shut Up and Drive” by Rihanna
• “California” by Phantom Planet – this is one of my favorite California road trip songs .)
• “Keep the Car Running” by Arcade Fire
• “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton
• “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus
• “California Gurls” by Katy Perry (featuring Snoop Dogg)
• “Maps For The Getaway” by Andrew McMahon
• “Holocene” by Bon Iver
• “I Am The Highway” by Audioslave
• “Wild” by John Legend and Gary Clark Jr.
• “Thousand Miles” by Miley Cyrus (feat. Brandi Carlile)
• “Levitating” by Dua Lipa
• “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – this is the perfect song to listen on the way back home after a long trip

Road Trip Playlist on Spotify

To make it easier for you to listen, I have created a spotify playlist of the best road trip songs of all time:

What are your favorite road trip songs?

Need some road trip inspiration?

• Best Road Trips in the USA
• Best Road Trips In Europe For Your Bucket List
• Best Road Trips in Australia
• Best Road Trip Quotes to Inspire You to Go!

Related Posts

savvyglobetrotter

These are all classics for sure when you’re talking about a road trip. My favorite would be Sammy Hagar “I Can’t Drive 55”. Something about that cool flow that makes it perfect for a summer road trip. But I would not follow the advice because I wish not to get pulled over crossing the country LOL.

Thank you so much for putting out this list of road trips and songs!!

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The best road trip songs of all time

These road trip songs will make your next excursion a memorable one, whether you’re driving for few hours or a few days

Don’t get us wrong—we really love city life. But sometimes day-tripping to a nearby summer music festival doesn’t quite satiate our need for escape, and that’s where these classic road trip songs come in. When the urge strikes, it’s time to hit the highway/motorway/ whatever for a good, old-fashioned road trip. Of course, you can’t drive in complete silence—well, you can, but the very thought is giving us a flat tyre—so we’ve compiled our list of the best road trip songs to get your motors running and propel your journey into fifth gear. Crank up classics from the Boss, the Dead and Prince, and even some Whitesnake, as you cruise along the open road, forgetting every care in the world.

RECOMMENDED: 🤝   The best songs about friendship 🎉  The best birthday songs of all time 🎶  The best ’80s songs 🎤  The best karaoke songs 🕺  The best pop songs of all time

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Best road trip songs, ranked

1.  ‘Born to Run’ by Bruce Springsteen

Like Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the U.S.A.,’ ‘Born to Run’ is darker than it may seem. Embedded in the scuffed poetry of the lyrics is a potent combination of rebellion, sex, disgust and determination—brought to life by the throaty passion of Springsteen’s voice, the liberating wail of Clarence Clemons’s sax and the sheer propulsive force of the E Street Band’s backup. “Someday girl, I don’t know when/We’re gonna get to that place where we really wanna go,” Springsteen promises. ‘Born to Run’, for all its spikes, takes you there. It’s a love song, an urban-jungle cry and a perfect anthem of pedal-to-the-metal escape.

2.  ‘Little Red Corvette’ by Prince

It doesn’t take a B.A. in poetry to figure this ditty’s got nothing to do with cars. In the world of Prince, coupés are women, horsepower is a pack of Trojan condoms, and gas is stamina in the sheets. The beat takes its time, synthetic drums echoing into the distance, just as the Purple One implores his one-night stand to take it slow, to make it two, three or more nights. Dez Dickerson peels out in the guitar solo, but she’s the one driving here. Perfect choice of car model—elusive, American, curvy, risky. It wouldn’t work as a Ferrari or Rolls.

3.  ‘Here I Go Again’ by Whitesnake

Been dumped recently? You need to go for a drive (preferably in a Jaguar XJ). You’ve made up your mind. You ain’t wasting no more time. So tease your hair, don your pleather, and crank up the volume on this 1982 hit—just try not to get stuck in traffic. This power ballad works better on the open road (with no adjacent drivers to judge your Coverdale cover moves).

4.  ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ by U2

This anthemic opening track from U2’s landmark 1987 LP, The Joshua Tree, is an ideal kick-starter for any road trip (particularly if you're wandering about the California desert where the titular yucca plant is commonly found). From a whisper, the sound of an organ builds up like a spiritual beacon being unveiled. It’s well over a minute before the Edge’s churning guitar and Adam Clayton’s propulsive bassline kick in, and another 40 seconds before Bono’s vocals touch down. By then, you’re ready to hit top gear and wail along: ‘I want to run/I want to hide/I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside.’ Though this road trip song is about Bono’s vision of an Ireland free from class boundaries, it has inspired countless highway warriors to venture out to those places that maybe aren’t on the map.

5.  ‘Love Shack’ by the B-52s

‘Hop in my Chrysler! It’s as big as a whale, and it’s about to set sail!’ booms Fred Schneider on this all-time great party song . Admittedly, it’s hard to dance like no one’s watching when you’re behind the wheel of a Chrysler (or a Fiat Punto, for that matter), but ‘Love Shack’ will liven up any road trip. If your bum’s getting numb, just whack it on and have yourself a little front or backseat disco. 

6.  ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ by Lynyrd Skynyrd

American football possibly killed off Southern boogie rock. Hear us out. Because of college pigskin rivalries, this song could not be made today. College football is a matter of life and death down there, literally. Iconic trees and people have been murdered over games. Skynyrd was born deep in SEC country: The boogie-rock brothers were from Jacksonville, not Alabama, and cut the track in Georgia. Could you imagine a bunch of Gators fans cutting a tune that could in any way be construed as ‘Roll Tide’? Yankees and rivals love to mock and loathe the Crimson Tide, but when this ditty plays, every human in the room, no matter the allegiance, becomes a temporary, gen-u-wine Mobile redneck.

7.  ‘I Drove All Night’ by Cyndi Lauper

The irreverent thrift-shop spunk that defined Cyndi Lauper’s persona in the 1980s sometimes overshadowed her killer range and sensitivity as a vocalist, but ‘I Drove All Night’—from her third album, 1989’s ‘A Time to Remember’—finds her in a different mode. Driven by a feverish desire, she takes the wheel and makes her own way to her lover’s bed. (She may coyly ask, ‘Is that all right?’ but by that time she’s already done it.) And Lauper’s impressively sustained last note is a perfect expression of the song’s sense of undeterrable yearning.

8.  ‘Fast Car’ by Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman’s beautifully direct 1988 hit, from her eponymous debut album, gives escapism an especially poignant twist. The speeding car and its romantic freedom (‘City lights stretched out before us/Your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder’) can’t be separated from what it’s speeding from: a life of urban poverty, trapped taking care of deadbeats—first a drunk father and then, at the end, the very driver that she had dreamed might carry her to rescue.

9.  ‘Keep the Car Running’ by Arcade Fire

If there’s one quality that characterizes Arcade Fire’s sound, it’s urgency—and nowhere is that more evident than on ‘Keep the Car Running’ from the band’s super noir, grandiose 2007 ‘Neon Bible’ album. Based on singer Win Butler’s childhood nightmares (‘Men are coming to take me away!’ he pines), ‘Keep the Car Running’ expands these fears into a sense of global anxiety, and the certainty that there must be something better down the road (‘Don’t know why, but I know I can’t stay’). On its release, the song was likened to prime-era Bruce Springsteen; imagine fans’ joy when Butler and Régine Chassagne made a surprise showing at the Boss’s stadium gig to bust out the song with him. Warning: You will need to be super-careful not to break the speed limit if you play this song while driving.

10.  ‘Truckin’’ by Grateful Dead

Let us pause, and acknowledge the fact that this road trip song has been recognised by the U.S. Library of Congress as a national treasure. Mmmm. Written and performed communally by Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and lyricist Robert Hunter, the catchy, bluesy shuffle turns the band’s misfortunes on the road into a metaphor for getting through life’s constant changes. And really, what’s a good trip—or a good life—if you can’t exclaim at the end, ‘What a long, strange trip it’s been’?

11.  ‘Road to Nowhere’ by Talking Heads

The gospel-choir intro to this upbeat single, off 1985’s ‘Little Creatures’ LP , makes for a great start to any road-trip mix. The song celebrates the journey over the destination—as frontman David Byrne puts it, ‘I wanted to write a song that presented a resigned, even joyful look at doom.’ (Typical of him.) Not every end point is a good one, but we’ll be damned if this march doesn’t have us enjoying the ride.

12.  ‘Graceland’ by Paul Simon

Road trips are a time for contemplation, whether we expect it (or like it) or not. Paul Simon’s 1986 single is a perfect, toe-tapping example—we’re treated to what’s basically his stream of consciousness on a drive to Graceland with his son after the failure of his marriage to the late, great Carrie Fisher. At turns both nostalgic and hopeful, it runs the gamut of emotions we always seem to experience a little more profoundly on the road.

13.  ‘Take It Easy’ by the Eagles

The Eagles took flight in 1972 with their debut single: a quick but mellow paean to the romance of the road, where a world of troubles—romantic and otherwise—can be shucked at the mere sight of a girl (my lord!) in a flatbed Ford. Cowritten by frontman Glenn Frey and his friend Jackson Browne, the song’s rejection of worry and release into insouciant adventure are perfect for relieving tension on a drive. As the lyrics gently urge: ‘Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy.’

14.  ‘America’ by Simon and Garfunkel

Add this one to your bucket list: Everyone should be required (at least once) to listen to their restless side, hitchhike, board a bus and go to another city/state/country to find something better—as described in Simon and Garfunkel’s 1968 classic, which follows two young lovers on a Greyhound in search for America. Take your sweetie along for the ride, smoke cigarettes on the side of the road, chat with the weirdos you meet on your journey, and by all means, indulge in a few slices of all-American pie.

15.  ‘Route 66’ by Chuck Berry

This R&B standard, written in 1946 by Bobby Troup, has been covered by everyone from the Rolling Stones to John Mayer and Depeche Mode. We’re partial to Chuck Berry’s 1961 rendition, which matches the 2,400-mile pilgrimage on the L.A.–Chicago-connecting titular highway to a T. Who better than the father of rock & roll to accompany a trip past greasy-spoon diners, tiny towns frozen in time and striking Americana landscapes?

16.  ‘Home’ by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

First and foremost a love song, the L.A. troupe’s jingly-jangly 2010 smash single is also, obviously, about coming home – making it the perfect road trip song. Naturally, the feel-good tune should be played at the end of your voyage, when you’re speeding a bit because you just can’t wait to get home to your significant other/parents/puppy/comfy bed.

17.  ‘Going Up the Country’ by Canned Heat

Released in 1968 and adapted from a 1920s blues song, Canned Heat’s highest-charting single was the unofficial anthem of Woodstock—and even after all this time, it’s the perfect track to kick off a road trip, a steering-wheel-tapping, grin-inducing song that makes you immediately pine for sun-drenched fields: “I’m going where the water tastes like wine, we can jump in the water, stay drunk all the time.” Those dudes had their priorities straight…just so long as they had a designated driver.

18.  ‘I’ve Been Everywhere’ by Johnny Cash

Music has always had the power to educate. Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ taught us more 20th-century American history than a year’s worth of school hisoty lessons. For a CliffsNotes anatomy lesson, we turned to Professor Sir Mix-a-Lot. And when it comes to geography, there is no better musical resource than this name-dropping country ditty, first released with North American locales in 1962 by Canadian crooner Hank Snow. In four verses, 91 places are rattled off in rapid-fire succession—destinations both big (Chicago and Nashville) and small (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and Haverstraw, New York). This road trip song has been covered many times and adapted for different regions of the globe, but we’re partial to the Man in Black’s 1996 rendition, simply because his weathered, gravelly bass-baritone suggests a man who has indeed been everywhere.

19.  ‘Hit the Road Jack’ by Ray Charles

Fiendishly simple with its descending piano chords, ‘Hit the Road Jack’ is sung from the perspective of a philanderer being ejected by his lady. By all rights this 1961 R&B classic should win a prize for being impossible not to sing along to: ‘What you say?!’ screams soul hero Charles to his velvet-voiced Raelettes. Later he complains, ‘You can’t mean that,’ about as convincingly as a cat picking bird feathers from between its teeth. The track's most memorable use in a road trip appears in the 1989 comedy movie The Dream Team .

20.  ‘Holiday Road’ by Lindsey Buckingham

Hard to hear this seemingly happy little sock hop without thinking of the Griswold family station wagon zooming to Walley World. As its dark video helps to underline, the lyrics speak more of feeling trapped than free. The Fleetwood Mac man was an ace at hiding his boyish ache behind melodic smiles. Which is why this road trip song is such simple genius: It works the same whether you’re chained to a desk and longing for a vacation or finally on the highway, shooting to God knows where with no deadlines.

21.  ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ by Electric Light Orchestra

The sweet spot is 176 beats per minute. That’s a giddy run, the pace of your footsteps hitting the pavement as you jog home after a first kiss. Though we haven’t tested this, we theorise it is the precise cadence of fence posts whipping past your window as you motor down a highway just above the speed limit. ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ is 176 beats per minute, which is why, whenever it plays, you have the urge to run like a big dumb puppy dog to a boyfriend/girlfriend, or let the wind blow through your hair at 76mph, as you croon along to the vocoder like a robot. Warning: When ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ is used without such outlets, it can cause deep wanderlust.

22.  ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ by the Proclaimers

If there’s one road trip song that can unite everyone in the car in the simple act of thumping whatever surface is near them in time with a ludicrously catchy tune, it’s this one—a hit in 1988 for Scottish twins the Proclaimers. Fun fact: The ‘havering’ referred to in the first verse (‘And if I haver, I know I’m gonna be the man who’s havering to you’) is Scots slang for babbling foolishly. So now you know.

23.  ‘Ride Like the Wind‘ by Christopher Cross

Take your EGOT and stuff it. Chris Cross has the transportation trifecta—mega-hits for the sea (‘Sailing’), sky (‘Arthur’s Theme’) and road (‘Ride Like the Wind’). People condescendingly pigeonhole the guy as yacht rock (the pink flamingo on his smash album doesn’t help), but he’s truly yacht-jet-and-rental-car rock. Despite its lily-white reputation, ‘Ride‘ is cool and dangerous. It’s possibly—no, probably—about drug smuggling. Racing away to Mexico with Michael McDonald as the devil on your shoulder. Hearing those percolating bongos, wind effects, electric piano and oily guitar licks, it could fit right on Daft Punk’s ‘Random Access Memories’ album . It remains DJ gold. Call it ‘Get Unlucky’.

24.  ‘Ramblin’ Man’ by the Allman Brothers Band

We may not have been born in the backseat of a Greyhound bus (thanks, mum!), but for whatever reason, the idea of being a ramblin’ man (or woman) is endlessly appealing. And when we play this 1973 hit—based on Hank Williams’s 1951 song of the same name—on the open road, that’s exactly who we are. At least until Monday.

25.  ‘On the Road Again’ by Willie Nelson

Nothing beats hitting the open road, where you can escape the stress of work, family, bills, city life and just be free, man. Just ask tireless road dog Willie Nelson. The Red Headed Stranger penned this 1980 country hit—the ultimate get-the-hell-out-of-town anthem—not in the back of a tour bus but rather, of all places, on a barf bag midflight.

26.  ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’ by Tom Petty

Some would argue that we could have built this entire list solely out of Petty tunes—but we had to make a choice, and we picked this 1989 single from the song man’s first solo record, ‘Full Moon Fever’. Not only does it take place in a car, but the tune’s reference to Del Shannon’s ‘Runaway’ and killer guitar solo make it a perfect fit for blasting out of your speakers while cruising down the interstate in pursuit of the American dream, your future destination or simply that next roadside burger.

27.  ‘Let Me Ride’ by Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ album arrived on the heels of the 1992 South Central riots. Folks in Compton were looking to escape and could not—and not just because of the traffic on the 110 and 405. This was a cry for cruising with the bucket seats dropped back, slow rolling on a resting-heart-rate rhythm and those G-funk dog-whistle keyboards. ‘Swing down, sweet chariot, stop, let me ride,’ goes the chorus lifted from Parliament’s ‘Mothership Connection,’ itself based on a slave spiritual. But just because the song hides a deeper political meaning the way lowriders hide a subwoofer in the trunk, there’s no reason Dre can’t roll in style. Specifically, in a 1964 Chevy Impala shoed with Dayton rims (a.k.a. ‘Ds,’ as in ‘Throw some Ds on that bitch’).

28.  ‘Born to Be Wild’ by Steppenwolf

The riff, like the rev of a motorcycle throttle, has become so terribly commonplace, it’s hard to imagine what it must have been like to hear its ‘heavy-metal thunder’ with virgin ears during the opening credits of Easy Rider . Today, Steppenwolf’s monster hit is a movie-trailer cliché on par with ‘Bad to the Bone’ and ‘I Got You (I Feel Good).’ What was once-tough biker rock is now Viagra-ad fodder. Still, if you can wash out the soundtrack memories of Problem Child, Dr. Dolittle 2, Rugrats Go Wild, et al., the dirty little number still rips, along with a deep huff of exhaust fumes and jazz cigarettes.

29.  ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ by Journey

A thousand terrible karaoke performances have somewhat dulled the lustre of this once-gleaming classic ’80s song , but once it comes on in the car, you’ll be in love with it all over again within seconds. Just don’t use it as a road map—there is no such place as South Detroit. Okay, there is, but it’s in Ontario, Canada, so you might need your passport. 

30.  ‘Interstate Love Song’ by Stone Temple Pilots

The underrated STP (hey, that’s a fuel additive) was never truly a grunge band. The ‘Core’ album was a trend-surfing foot in the door, the American equivalent to Blur’s baggy-riding ‘Leisure’. Really, the bands have more melodic ambitions. Scott Weiland, as his solo albums and pink fur coat proved, had far more Bowie in him than his peers. ‘Interstate Love Song’  was the lifting of the veil, when the Pilots announced, Hey, we actually listen to the Beatles , not the Melvins. It chugs along with drop-top bliss, even if the chorus is oddly about trains, not driving.

31.  ‘Radar Love’ by Golden Earring

Appropriately for a song about driving, this 1973 cut from Dutch rockers Golden Earring is one of the best road trip songs ever written. ‘The road has got me hypnotised, I’m speeding into a new sunrise!’ wails singer Barry Hay, as that bassline gets your head nodding and your foot instinctively pressing down on the gas. ‘Radar Love’ also has the best breakdown of any rock song ever. This is an indisputable scientific fact.

32.  ‘Life Is a Highway’ by Tom Cochrane

Okay. We know how heavy-handed these metaphors are. And how forced the rhymes are. We never said every song on this list was a masterpiece. But we dare you not to sing along with the chorus of this 1991 cheesefest— especially on a highway. Maybe no one ever listens to the song in its entirety (sorry Tom), but one or two ‘life is a highway’s are pretty much mandatory. Give in.

33.  ‘The Way’ by Fastball

Alt-rock band Fastball had a breakout 1998 hit with this fast-driving tale of a married pair that ditches its conventional home and family, in favour of a dream life on the highway with no destination. The feel-good, sing-along optimism of the chorus—‘They’ll never get hungry, they’ll never get old and grey’—has a dark undercurrent: Weeks after their disappearance, the bodies of the real-life Texas couple who inspired the song were discovered in an Arkansas ravine. But all of life’s roads hit a dead-end eventually: Better, maybe, at least to leave the driveway.

34.  ‘California’ by Phantom Planet

Contrary to popular belief, the hair-metal power ballad did not die by grunge’s bullet. The hair just got shorter and the trousers got looser. Case in point: this 2002 theme from The O.C. It is emo made only from the emotion of uncut nostalgia. It is basically Motley Crüe’s ‘Home Sweet Home’ for mollycoddled millennials, right down to the video compiled from sentimental tour footage. And it is oddly reminiscent of Al Jolson’s ‘California, Here I Come.’ That’s some feat, finding the common ground between Jolson and the Crüe. Man, remember when Ryan became a cage fighter after Marissa died?

35.  ‘Shut Up and Drive’ by Rihanna

This electro bop from 2007 isn’t a top-tier Rihanna tune, but it still kinda rips. Driven – pun definitely intended – by a crafty sample from New Order’s club classic ‘Blue Monday’, it’s an unashamedly fluffy new wave pastiche that’s as much about sex as hitting the open highway. Don’t even pretend you can resist it – especially when the chance of RiRi releasing new music any time soon seems to get slimmer with each passing year. 

36.  ‘Running on Empty’ by Jackson Browne

There’s a reason this song soundtracks the Forrest Gump  protagonist’s famous transcontinental jog: Few pop tunes capture the rush of earthbound travel—by foot, by car or, in Jackson Browne’s case, by tour bus—better than this autobiographical FM-radio staple. But what makes it a classic is the ambiguity in Browne’s message. ‘I don’t know where I’m running now; I’m just running on,’ he sings, perfectly summing up how the desire for escape can be its own kind of trap.

37.  ‘Two of Us’ by the Beatles

The Fab Four’s back catalogue is replete with songs about travelling around: ‘Drive My Car,’ ‘Day Tripper,’ ‘Ticket to Ride,’ ‘Yellow Submarine’—the list goes on and on like a long and winding road. No Beatles track, though, captures the feeling of setting off into uncharted territory with someone special better than ‘Two of Us,’ penned by Paul McCartney in 1969. There is debate as to whether McCartney’s partner in crime in this song is future wife Linda Eastman, as he claims, or John Lennon, which some of the nostalgia-infused lyrics would suggest. No matter—an impromptu road trip is a good time whether your passenger-seat companion is your new flame or your counterpart in the greatest songwriting tandem of all time.

38.  ‘Chicago’ by Sufjan Stevens

Some songs make your heart beat faster from the get-go, and 2005 road-trip song ‘Chicago’ is just such a gem, announcing its entrance in a whirlwind of strings and a rush of percussion. The backing cuts suddenly to Stevens’s voice, whispering that most universal human sentiment: ‘I fell in love again—all things go, all things go,’ and then later, another familiar feeling: ‘I made a lot of mistakes, I made a lot of mistakes.’ It’s this acknowledgement of our frailty, coupled with our irrepressible capacity for hope and excitement that gives  ‘Chicago’ its electrifying, driving charge. That and the fact it features in the ridiculously touching road movie Little Miss Sunshine .

39.  ‘Fade Into You’ by Mazzy Star

Night driving found a shimmering musical complement in this ethereal 1994 track from dream popsters Mazzy Star. In a rare bit of sonic magic, it seems that no matter how fast you’re driving, the low beats per minute on ‘Fade Into You’ always manage to sync up perfectly with the passing dividing lines visible from your car’s two headlights. And a night drive, preferably undertaken as you’re pining for an unrequited love, wouldn’t be complete without Hope Sandoval’s dusk, haunting vocals echoing throughout your ride. Two-lane highway bliss, by moonlight.

40.  ‘The Golden Age’ by Beck

This 2002 road trip song, off Beck’s desolate, heartbreaking ‘Sea Change’ , is one of the most perfect and profound illustrations of driving as a means of escape. It’s best played at night, in the desert if you’ve got one handy, when you feel like crap but have pretty much come to terms with it. And when, as Beck says, ‘You've gotta drive all night just to feel like you’re okay.’ Go forth, drive and wallow. Maybe you’ll feel better in the morning.

41.  ‘Scar Tissue’ by Red Hot Chili Peppers

The L.A.-bred Peppers clearly know a thing or two about hitting the highways, as evidenced by a song catalogue riddled with Cali-inspired, crank-up-the-dial tunes. For a journey out on the open road, we like this lead track off the band’s 1999 album, ‘Californication’, due to its lilting desert-by-twilight vibe. The song’s main attraction is John Frusciante’s wailing guitar solos, which achingly embody Anthony Kiedis’s lyrics about isolation and the twisted, drug-fuelled paths he’s traversed (‘With the birds I’ll share this lonely view’). Enter tumbleweed, stage right.

42.  ‘Every Day Is a Winding Road’ by Sheryl Crow

The little sister to Tom Cochrane’s ‘Life Is a Highway,’ Sheryl Crow’s 1996 hit unabashedly co-opts the use of automotive byways as metaphors for life’s ups and downs. (Billy ‘the world is a vampire’ Corgan apparently misread the memo.) The ‘wacky’ characters in Crow’s songs are often a bit too precious for our liking—in this case, a vending-machine repairman with a daughter he calls ‘Easter’ (what?)—but the chorus always gets us fired up for some hairpin turns, even when we’re cruising down a seemingly endless straightaway. This road trip song works perfectly when your destination is San Francisco’s iconic Lombard Street, whose residents probably have this tune swirling in their heads 24/7.

43.  ‘Jack & Diane’ by John Cougar Mellencamp

Inevitably, your road trip is going to hit some lulls: You’re fighting off the yawns, your passengers have passed out, and it's 57 miles to the next pit stop. When this happens, there’s one sure-fire way to get your journey back on course: Unleash the Cougar. Indiana’s favourite son specialiaes in songs about the heartland, and his crowning jewel is this 1982 chart topper about two high-school sweethearts and the twists and turns of their American Dream. Despite the jaunty beat and an epic drum breakdown rivaling the one in Phil Collins’s ‘In the Air Tonight,’ the tale is cautionary, urging us to savour those thrilling, carefree teenage years. Oh, to be young, in love and suckin’ on chilli dogs outside the Tastee Freez.…

44.  ‘King of the Road’ by Roger Miller

Did our dads play this 1964 ditty on long car rides when we were little? You betcha. Do we think they contemplated the potential consequences of making penniless vagabonds sound super cool? Doubtful. Regardless, it’s a timeless everyman’s anthem, and darn if it isn’t catchy. We really like listening to it in our van down by the river.

45.  ‘Green Onions’ by Booker T. & the M.G.’s

This R&B instrumental, recorded in 1962, is the perfect soundtrack for an unhurried drive, when you’re sick of singing along and ready to just cruise. It’s repetitive, much like the open road, but with a steady beat and some soulful Hammond organ to keep things interesting. Widely considered to be one of the greatest songs of all time, it’s received accolades from Rolling Stone , Acclaimed Music, the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress. If AAA had a greatest songs list, we’re sure ‘Green Onions’ would be on that, too.

46.  ‘Mustang Sally’ by Wilson Pickett

You can probably blame censorship for our automobile sex fetishes. Early rock & rollers couldn’t sing about sex, so they sang about their cars…with not-so-subtle undertones. ‘Mustang Sally,’ the grandmother of ‘Little Red Corvette’ only wants to ‘ride around,’ and Pickett howls with his thumb out, looking to hitch. Don’t let this song’s karaoke staple status let you forget what it’s really about. 

47.  ‘Going Back to Cali’ by LL Cool J

From Al Jolson to Led Zeppelin and Phantom Planet, dozens of artists have tapped into the westward dream of the Golden State. Heck, the tradition stretches back to Gold Rush ditties of the mid 19th century, Smithsonian Folkways fodder like ‘Life in California.’ But only one man made the trip wrapped in precious metals, not seeking them. Cool J cruises to the coast, as he proclaims in verse, in a Corvette with a Laurents chrome chain steering wheel, Dayton wire rims and a gold-leaf convertible top. Rick Rubin’s stark 808 beats thunder under the extremely relaxed rhymes of Mr. Ladies Love. ‘I’m going back to Cali,’ he nearly whispers before shrugging it off. ‘Hmm, I don't think so’ He might go, he might not. With his riches, he is a walking California. That’s cool. Cool enough to pull off one of the few sax solos in hip-hop history.

48.  ‘The Distance’ by Cake

With the band’s signature horns and a self-serious melody that practically requires head-bobbing and Speed Racer–esque intensity (you may even want to invest in racing gloves), this single off of 1996’s ‘Fashion Nugget’ album is irresistible. The album is filled with more on-the-nose driving songs than this one (‘Race Car Ya-Yas,’ ‘Stickshifts and Safetybelts’), but this is the money single—and got the album platinum status. Throw it on repeat and hit the open road. Just take an occasional break for track No. 7, the band’s excellent cover of Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive.’

49.  ‘Roadrunner’ by the Modern Lovers

Talk about a brilliant juxtaposition: Jonathan Richman’s 1972 cut, written when he was 19, beautifully contrasts the Velvet Underground’s bare-bones, dirty-as-hell chugalug sound with a subject matter so suburban that Richman’s heroes Lou Reed & Co. wouldn’t dare touch it: The thrill of being young, driving in a car and blasting the radio. The song’s repetitive two-chord propulsion is a perfect late-night road-trip pick-me-up. And there’s a bangin’ cover by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts to check out, too.

50.  ‘Have Love, Will Travel’ by the Sonics

At some stage in your life—at any point between getting your driver’s licence and getting married, really—you’ll drive from ‘Maine to Mexico’ for a piece of ass, as Gerry Roslie does in this proto-punk classic. The high-tension twang of the guitar sounds like the strings are about to snap, the perfect sonic emulation of sexual frustration. A recent ad for Mexican beer claims you need an ‘encyclopedic knowledge of garage rock’ to pull up this song, as if from some lost, dusty volume. Nah, this is Rock & Roll 101.

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43 Epic Songs About Travel to Inspire Wanderlust

Music in its many forms can be a great way to transport you away to another place and help you travel from home or wherever you are. We have several travel themed playlists on our Spotify from road trip anthems to peaceful in-flight songs. Whatever your taste in music this epic playlist of songs about travel recommended by bloggers will have you wanted to hop in the car or book your next flight as soon as possible.

Vienna by Billy Joel

Submitted by Erin from Pina Travels

Vienna was written by Billy Joel and released in 1977. Billy Joel wrote the song after visiting his estranged, elderly father, who was living at the time in Vienna, Austria. There are many different interpretations of the song, but one of the most common is that the song positions Vienna as a metaphor for old age.

The lyrics caution about how important it is in life to slow down, to dream, and to get what you want (rather than getting old). The final lyric of the song goes, “Why don’t you realize, Vienna waits for you?” Meaning, we all will get old one day. In listening to the beautiful piano chorus of this song, I always feel motivated to chase after my travel dreams. And of course, to visit Vienna, Austria.

California Girls by The Beach Boys

Submitted by Ali from Diary of a Detour

My favourite travel song has to be California Girls by The Beach Boys.  It was released in 1970 and to me sums up the Californian vibe perfectly.  When we were travelling on a road trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco it was on my playlist and it evokes a chilled, sunny, warm feeling.

As The Beach Boys sang, “I’ve been all around this great big world and I’ve seen all kind of girls…” but “I wish they all could be California Girls”!  This echoes my own feelings, having travelled to many different countries, but California is top of my list of places to revisit.

Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf

Submitted by Džangir from Dr Jam Travels

Born to Be Wild is a song performed by the band Steppenwolf. It was written by Mars Bonfire and recorded in 1968 for the Dunhill Records label. A year later it was on the soundtrack for the movie Easy rider that launched the song to the top of the charts.

The track essentially talks about riding on the open road and the freedom that comes with it, searching for adventure, and embracing nature. It is considered one of the first heavy metal songs. Also, it is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So, when you hit the open road this tune should be on your list for sure.

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square by Vera Lynn

Submitted by Rosanna from Rosanna Etc

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square is about a pair of lovers on a romantic moonlit walk through central London. Written in 1939 by Eric Maschwitz and Manning Sherwin it has become a jazz standard performed by artists all over the world including Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole.  It was incredibly popular in the UK during World War Two and became an anthem for couples reuniting, especially after it was recorded by ‘the Forces’ Sweetheart’ Dame Very Lynn whose songs helped raise morale across the country. Berkeley Square is one of the largest garden squares in London. It was created in the 18th century and whilst Nightingales are rarely heard in London anymore, it is a still a beautiful place to roam around with all of the best London hotels, shops and restaurants nearby. 

Guaranteed by Eddie Vedder

Recommended by Martina & Jürgen from PlacesofJuma

 Guaranteed by Eddie Vedder, the singer of Pearl Jam, is a true classic among the most popular and best travel songs. This song was written in 2007 for the fantastic film “Into The Wild” and even won a Golden Globe in the category “Best Film Song”. If you haven’t seen this travel film, you should definitely watch it NOW.

The song Guaranteed basically embodies the struggle to go back to the simplest way of life. A very moving and especially touching song about the gift of life, about the freedom we have and also to realise it.

On Top of the World by Imagine Dragons

Submitted by John from Your Destination is Everywhere

“On Top of The World” by Imagine Dragons is a masterpiece released in 2012. Although it can be interpreted in many different ways, I think the song is ultimate about not giving up on your dreams. We all have big dreams and we all work hard in pursuing them. If you are on this blog, then chances are, you want to travel. In the song’s chorus, it says that when you’ve finally made it, you’re standing “on top of the world”, whatever that may mean for you. You will smile, look down, and try to take it all in. Overall, this song is a beautiful reminder that success takes time, your hard work will pay off, the risks you take will pay off, and your dreams will come true. So keep pushing and don’t give up just yet.

A Horse With No Name by America

Submitted by Camille from  Everything Yoga Retreat

A Horse With No Name is a popular song from the folk rock band band America. It was released in 1971 in Europe, and in early 1972 in the United States. It is one the band’s most successful songs. 

This song is about a trip through the desert, which is why it was originally titled ‘Desert Song’. Dewey Bunnell, the writer of the song, says he was inspired by his childhood travels through Arizona and New Mexico when he wrote the song at age 19. It was composed to capture the dry, hot feeling of the desert that had been pictured in a Salvador Dali painting. 

A Horse with No name is a very inspiring travel song, and it’s definitely a must-have on a road trip playlist. 

Down Under by Men at Work

Submitted by Audrey Chalmers from See Geelong 

Released in 1982 the song “Down Under” by Men At Work has inspired many travellers to visit Australia. 

The catchy tune was a smash hit with lyrics that were easy to sing along with. Written by Colin Hay, Down Under is a lighthearted celebration of the Australian culture and lifestyle. 

The lyrics feature Australian slang and drug terms such as “chunder” (vomit), “zombie” (marijuana), and a “vegemite (spread) sandwich”. 

The song tells the story of an Australian man who travels the globe telling the people he meets along the way about his home country “the land down under”. 

He travels the hippie trail, gets taken in by a strange lady, meets a man full of muscle in Brussels, and ends up lying in a den in Bombay all the while extolling the virtues of Australia “the land of plenty”. 

Down Under has become an unofficial national anthem that’s played at sporting events and in pubs and backpacker joints around the world. It’s always a crowd favourite. 

Life is a Highway by Rascal Flatts

Submitted by Kris from My Michigan Travel and Nilu from The Travelling CA

There’s no better song for inspiring you to get out on the road than “Life is a Highway,” originally released by Tom Cochrane from his album, Mad Mad World in 1991. This rock & pop version of the song was covered by Rascal Flatts as part of the soundtrack of Pixar’s  Cars  in 2005. The Rascal Flatts version became a hit, peaking at number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The lyrics carry a deep meaning implying that life is a long road with no directions & no stops. You can’t really control anything in life, you just do the best you can. The singer is thankful for his life with its ups & downs. Life is after all just one really long roadtrip ; it’s up to you whether you’d want to have fun or sulk throughout the way! 

In addition to its lyrics about hitting the road, the song name checks a couple big cities – Memphis and Vancouver – and mentions Mozambique, which is fitting since Cochrane said that it was inspired by a visit to Africa for the World Vision famine relief organization. With its catchy chorus and upbeat lyrics like, “There’s a world outside every darkened door,” it’s the perfect soundtrack for a long drive, especially if you encounter any challenges along the way. If it doesn’t have you itching to pack your bags and go exploring, nothing will.

Galway Girl by Ed Sheeran

Submitted by Charlotte from Bursting My Bubbles

Galway girl is such an uplifting song from Ed Sheeran! Very aptly released on St Patrick’s day, 17th March 2017. This song hooks you from the beginning:

‘She played the fiddle in an Irish band, but she fell in love with an English man’.

These lyrics combined with the perfect mixture of Ed Sheeran’s well known guitar chords and traditional Irish music. As soon as it begins you just want to hop on a plane over to Ireland, in the song Sheeran depicts how one night he met an Irish girl and they fell in love. A heart-warming, relatable and yet dreamy love story, that gives you those excitable butterflies in your stomach. With just the prospect that this could happen, you’ll be wanting to visit Ireland for your very own Galway love story!

Passenger by Traveling alone

Submitted by Alexander and Cynthia from  Travel your Memories

Traveling alone by the Passenger is released in 2015 and is for sure one of the songs that motivate you to travel the world ! Traveling alone is one of those songs to relax and to wonder about places you would like to travel to. The song is self-explanatory, it has two separate stories of lovers who have experienced hardships that broke up their relationships. If you travel alone you can identify with the lyrics because traveling alone can sometimes hard.

The most beautiful part of the lyric in the song is the chorus. He sings “I’m loving a shadow”. That line has a deeper meaning in comparison to the rest of the song. This is a metaphor for loving someone you can’t be with. Easy explanation: a shadow is always with you but you can’t hold or keep it. “Loving a shadow” is loving the memory or the thought of someone. If you love to travel this thought is probably a trip you want to do. If you like songs like this we recommend listening to the whole album of Passenger called Whispers.

New York by Alicia Keys

Submitted by Ingrid from Christmas Time Made Easy

The song that most inspires travel for me is Alicia Key’s song New York Empire State Of Mind which was released in October 2009. Although this song is about New York, what I find most inspiring about it is how it represents that anything is possible, how we can all follow our dreams no matter who we are or where we are from. The lyrics:

‘In New York! Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, There’s nothing you can’t do now you’re in New York! These streets will make you feel brand new, Big lights will inspire you, now you’re in New York!’

This song inspires me to follow my dream to travel to New York and then from there the world awaits me. If I get to New York, I can go anywhere!

Knee Deep by The Zach Brown Band

Submitted by Jenny from Traveling Party of 4

Knee Deep by The Zach Brown Band with my favorite featured artist, Jimmy Buffett, was released in September 2010.  The song is about dreaming of experiencing a peaceful existence on the oceanfront and not worrying about anything — an ultimate vacation goal. My travel philosophy has evolved from ensuring that I experienced everything and didn’t miss out on any adventure while traveling to a much slower and more peaceful vacation experience.   Back in the day, I was exhausted when I returned from vacation.  This go-big-or-go-home way of life didn’t work after I had children.  AND I needed to chill out.   Nowadays, my ultimate vacation goal is rest, relaxation, peace, and wellness, and all of these things I find on the ocean.   When I hear the song “Knee Deep,” I think of losing myself in the warm crystal clear blue waters of the Caribbean , the sound of the crashing waves, and the salty scent of the sea.  And as the song states, “when you lose yourself, you find the key to paradise.”

Ramblin’ Rover by Andy Stewart of Silly Wizard

Submitted by Erica at Trip Scholars

Fellow rambling rovers with a strong sense of wanderlust will be inspired and find great humor in this Scottish classic which was released in 1985. Listeners are reminded that those who love to travel, “see the world and rove and wander, and are happier as a rule.” The lyrics talk of roaming from Orkney down to Dover, stretching fully across Great Britain , and eventually they extend to traveling around the world. The song concludes with a laugh as we are reminded that as we reach old age and the end of life, for those who have traveled over the years, “at least we tried!” Whether you are compiling a playlist of travel inspired songs with the help of this post or looking specifically for Scottish tunes to enjoy  before your trip to Scotland , add this rousing and beautiful acapella gem to your list.

Fast Car by Tracy Chapman

Submitted by Tanya from My Right Sock

Though originally not intended as a travel song, Fast Car by Tracy Chapman has a set of lyrics that will inspire you to leave everything behind and hit the road. Released in 1988, the song paints a wistful tale of escaping the everyday life in a ‘fast car’. The tenderness of Chapman’s vocals combined with the signature guitar riff makes the song absolutely arresting and a legendary piece of music.

 The rhythmic pace of Fast Car ties perfectly into the ending verse (“And I had a feeling that I belonged, that I could be someone”), fitting for a  romantic road trip . Upon its release, the song was an instant success and continues to be an enduring hit even three decades later.

Rocky Mountain High by John Denver

Submitted by Sarah from Our Little Lifestyle

Inspired by his move to Aspen, Colorado, John Denver wrote Rocky Mountain High with Mike Taylor in 1972 to describe the feeling he got while spending time in the Rocky Mountains. He likens his experience to coming home and finding a missing piece of himself that was missing. The song highlights the mountains and references the meteor shower above and the clouds below as well as the forest, and the streams. 

In the mid-1980s, with the song was at risk of being banned by stations nationwide, John Denver actually had to testify in front of Congress to explain the the “high” he is referencing is all-natural and one the mountains alone give you on a clear night or while you are camping with friends. 25 years later, the state of Colorado made Rocky Mountain High one of its official state songs. 

Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks

Submitted by David from Delve Into Europe

Waterloo Sunset by the Kinks is regarded by many as the anthem of London, but it was originally intended to be about the city of Liverpool instead. The song came to Kinks singer Ray Davies in a dream, partly inspired by his love of the Beatles, but he soon changed it to somewhere more familiar, Waterloo in central London. It was then recorded later in 1967.

Davies had seen many Waterloo sunsets in his childhood, having stayed long term at St Thomas’ Hospital there and watched at sunsets behind one of the most famous London landmarks , the Houses of Parliament.  The song is essentially an ode to London, mentioning the many taxi lights and people swarming around Waterloo Underground station, and it’s immensely evocative of the city to anyone familiar with it.

High on Life by Martin Garrix

Submitted by Jori from The Tejana Abroad

Whenever I want to get pumped up about a trip and travel in general, I listen to High on Life which was released in 2018. Although the song doesn’t mention specifically a certain destination, it is upbeat and talks about following a girl to the ends of the earth and living life to the fullest. It’s always a great listen for me when I may feel a bit burn out/exhausted during my trip. It also makes a great background music for any fun travel videos you might create!

The Nights by Avicii

Submitted by Em from That Travelista

“The Nights” is one of several well-known songs from the late Swedish DJ Avicii. It was first released in 2014 for digital download and is sung from the perspective of a man reminiscing on the lessons his father gave him as a young child.

Its inspiring lyrics include lines like “Go venture far beyond the shores, don’t forsake this life of yours,” “Son, don’t let it slip away … When you get older, your wild heart will live for younger days,” and, perhaps most poignantly, “One day you’ll leave this world behind, so live a life you will remember.”

These thought-provoking words from Nicholas Furlong in combination with Avicii’s signature euphoric and upbeat sound leave the listener inspired to face their fears, explore the world, and make the most of this one life we’ve each been given.

I’ve Been Everywhere by Hank Snow

Submitted by Sharon Henry of What The Saints Did Next

Possibly one of the most fun travel songs you’ll ever hear is, “I’ve Been Everywhere,” which topped the US country charts back in 1962 with Canadian singer, Hank Snow. It tells the story of a hitchhiker who catches a lift on a semi and in conversation with the trucker, boasts about the places he’s been. Rattling the names of 90+ locations, up and down North and South America in fast-paced, auctioneer-fashion.

The original version was written in 1959 by Australian, Geoff Mack and mentions 94 dots on the Aussie map. It reached the Sydney number one spot with singer, Lucky Star in 1962.

The song has been covered multiple times, more famously by the great Johnny Cash in 1996 with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, later by Kacey Musgraves and was even featured in an episode of The Simpsons.

The song’s lyrics have been adapted globally with versions featuring, New Zealand, UK , Germany, Finland and many others. Try counting the number of places you’ve been, along with the well-travelled hitchhiker.

Sometimes I feel like I’m in Barcelona by D. Kay and E-Sassin

Submitted by Mal from  Raw Mal Roams

Sometimes I feel like I’m in Barcelona was released in 2004 and is about nostalgia and good memories from Barcelona. The author is saying that every time they hear this song, they want to go back. This is exactly how I feel when I hear this song. In the video clip, you can see all the main Barcelona sights such as Barceloneta Beach, La Rambla street, the Gothic Quarters, La Boqueria Market, and Casa Milo designed the Barcelona’s greatest architect – Antonio Gaudi. If you haven’t been to Barcelona yet, I strongly recommend listening to the song and watching the clip to get inspired. If you’ve been, also listen to the song. It will make you want to go back.

Mountain Sound by Of Monsters and Men

Submitted by Mia from Walk a While with Me

Released in 2012, “Mountain Sound” is a fabulous song by the Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men. While the song doesn’t feature any specific location per se, it inspires the desire for travel, nature, and adventure, with lyrics like “hold your horses now (we sleep until the sun goes down), through the woods we ran (deep into the mountain sound).”

While there are many interpretations to the lyrics of the song, from running away from your problems to escaping into the wilderness to join the fey folk, the overall atmosphere of the song remains the same: one of adventure and travel.

In all honesty, the entire Of Monsters and Men album “My Head is an Animal” is perfect for road trips (especially around Iceland!). Additionally, their song “Dirty Paws” was featured in the film “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” which is one of my absolute favorite travel films!

Barcelona by Freddie Mercury ft. Montserrat Caballé

Submitted by Vicki from Vicki Viaja

The song Barcelona by Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the epic rock band Queen and the Catalan opera singer Montserrat Caballé is one of the most outstanding songs in the history of the Catalan capital Barcelona.

Although the song was initially released in 1987, it was not until 1992 that it became a terrific international success. Because then, half a year after Mercury’s death, the song became the anthem of the Olympic Games in Barcelona.

 This song is still associated with the city’s unique flair for many today and therefore belongs to every  visit to Barcelona . But even today, also younger audiences connect the famous song with Barcelona.

Last Mango in Paris by Jimmy Buffett

Submitted by Susan from Travel Guideline

The entire repertoire of songs by Jimmy Buffett is a travel inspiration for me, probably because I left part of my heart in the Florida Keys years ago. (And I return at least once a year to visit it!) But one that rings particularly true for me is “Last Mango in Paris” which was released in 1985. 

The song starts off with Jimmy saying he “went down to Captain Tony’s” to escape the Key West heat. Captain Tony’s is a famous bar in Key West; it’s the original home of the famous Sloppy Joe’s, which is just up the road at its current location. But it’s also where Jimmy got his start – they even paid him in tequila sometimes! 

As the song continues, you find it is about so much more than Key West. The gentleman that is the subject of the song has spent time in Paris, Vietnam, China, Brazil, and Africa . He has clearly spent his life exploring many parts of the planet! And the lyrics hint at adventure: He ate the last mango in Paris. He took the last boat out of China. He dodged bullets and slept under the stars. 

I hope when I’m old and people describe my life, it too has many destinations and stories to share.

On the Road Again by Willie Nelson

Submitted by Victoria from Guide Your Travel

On the Road again by Willie Nelson is the perfect road trip song. It’s fun and upbeat while describing wanderlust and the constant desire to get back out there and see the world. The song was first recorded in 1979 and even reached number one on the US billboard Country charts. Willie Nelson manages to combine a light-hearted country song with a desire to see the world not alone but with your friends. This is an absolute must-have for any travel playlist especially when it comes to road trips and getting back to travel.

Beer in Mexico by Kenny Chesney

Submitted by Bailey from Inspire with Quotes

Beer in Mexico is a fun-loving light-hearted song about, you guessed it, enjoying a beer in Mexico! It is a country song by Kenny Chesney that was released in 2007. In fact, this song was the first written by Kenny Chesney himself that reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country songs Chart.  

The easy-listening nature of this song can’t help but make you want to visit Mexico and enjoy a beer while sitting at the beach. Similar to  quotes about beaches , this song tells us about how being at the beach often makes you ponder life. It’s those moments of relaxation and stillness that make us think of our past and present life decisions. Listening to it will definitely make you want to book that plane ticket to Mexico! 

Wide Open Spaces by The Chicks

Submitted by Sophie from Just Heading Out

Wide Open Spaces by The Chicks (formerly the Dixie Chicks) is the title track of their fourth album, released in 1998. The song became a hit and spent four weeks at number 1 on the US country charts.

The song covers the theme of leaving home and exploring the world. The chorus goes “She needs wide open spaces, room to make her big mistakes”. In the song, a girl says goodbye to her parents as she sets out on her own for the first time. Although no specific places are named in the lyrics, the music video was filmed in the Rocky Mountains.

California Waiting by Kings of Leon

Submitted by Rai from A Rai Of Light

California Waiting is the fourth single taken from the Youth and Young Manhood album by the Kings of Leon. Released in 2004, it describes the negative aspects of fame, fortune, and flying around the world . These knock-on effects are amplified when in a relationship. The reference to California is the very real likelihood of the end of a relationship resulting from accomplishments in the industry. The track is a replacement version of the song that appears on their debut, the EP Holy Roller Novocaine. It was recorded in a rush to finish the record. However, the band members were not satisfied with the outcome and recorded this version instead. The song has the ability to take you on a journey, not only through its lyrics, but also through its underlying theme of escapism.

London Calling by The Clash

Submitted by Clotilde from A Princess Travelling with Twins

London Calling by The Clash, 1979 is an apocalyptic song about the impending doom of our planet with ecological and nuclear disaster just around the corner, but that’s only if you actually listen to all of the lyrics! To the casual listener the stirring opening line of “London calling to the faraway towns” is an invitation, almost a demand, to leave their faraway town to visit and explore this amazing city.

Thankfully, the picture of horror depicted has not come to pass, although we still have a journey ahead to live in harmony with our planet, but London has certainly got swing and it’s not drowning yet! If London is calling to you too then make sure you  plan a good itinerary  to efficiently take you around the great many sights and attractions of London but leave you with enough energy to enjoy it.

Voyage, Voyage by Desireless

Submitted by Elisa from France Bucket List

Voyage, Voyage, a song by the singer Desireless, is one of my favorite tunes for a  road trip in France . This French song was released in 1987, and it expresses the singer’s wish to travel far away, to exotic places far from her reality.

Sang entirely in French, there was a general surprise when it became a huge international success, even in non-francophone countries like the UK or Germany.

Even if the lyrics mention different places like the Amazon, Mount Fujiyama, India, Spain , or the Equator, this song is more about general travel (the idea of traveling to faraway places) than about a specific country.

I especially like this song in the summertime, when I drive south to the French coast or other places different from my reality in Paris.

Andalucia by John Cale

Submitted by Alison from Alison in Andalucia

‘Andalucia’ featured on John Cale’s 1973 album ‘Paris 1919’, his third solo album. The melody is far removed from the passion and vibrancy of the traditional flamenco sounds that are synonymous with Andalucia. With this tune, though, Cale has written a beautiful, almost fragile, song evocative of the mournful tracks he created with Lou Reed during his time in The Velvet Underground. From the opening line ‘Andalucia when can I see you’ Cale’s vocals are delicate and you can feel the emotion in his delivery of the lyrics, with his voice quivering as he sings about his yearning for Andalucia. Although the lyrics are somewhat vague and open to interpretation (is Cale singing about Andalucia itself, or about someone (a lover perhaps) from Spain?) there’s no denying the heartfelt emotions he displays as he sings his love letter to Andalucia. ‘Andalucia Castles and Christians, Andalucia come to stay’.

Surfin’ USA by The Beach Boys

Submitted by Ale from Sea Salt and Fog

Perhaps no other song perfectly encapsulates the all-American summer vibe like Surfin’ USA by The Beach Boys. Released in 1968, Surfin USA gives you a list of beautiful surfing locations to inspire your summer travels. From sunny San Diego beaches in Southern California, all the way to  Santa Cruz  in the north, The Beach Boys take you on a “surfari” of famous surf locales. Plus, as with most surf rock songs, the catchy beat will have you singing along in no time. If you’re longing for beach time during the hot summer months, this is the perfect song to transport you to the beautiful California coast. 

Roam by the B-52’s

Submitted by Alanna Koritzke from  Periodic Adventures

If you’re looking for the perfect travel song, then look no further. Roam is a gem by The B-52’s that came out in 1989. It praises traveling and encourages listeners to roam the world. Although it doesn’t name any specific destination, lyrics like “kick through continents” and “roam around the world” are sure to inspire your next travels. Plus, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson sing about the wilderness, dusty trails, airstrips, sunsets, and more! It’s a great road trip song or perfect for sparking your wanderlust anytime!

Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

Submitted by Alexandra from Perfect Day To Play

“Somewhere Over the Rainbow ” by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole (1993) is one of those unique songs that instantly sets you into a “vacation mode” and teleports your thoughts to the Hawaii paradise! You can smell the sweet aroma of tropical flowers and hear the bluebirds fly past you on your way to the beach. Feel hot sand between your toes, while the ocean is gently brushing your feet. You marvel at countless rainbows crisscrossing the sky while the soft cool mist from a nearby waterfall is caressing your skin.

It is easy to imagine yourself at the top of Haleakala Volcano at sunset watching demi-God Maui rolling the Sun across the horizon and drowning it in the ocean. An hour later find yourself amidst the mind blowing night sky sparkling with distant stars. And so you can’t help but tune in with IZ’s ukulele and sing along “…someday I’ll wish upon a star to wake up where the clouds are far behind me…” 

Shotgun by George Ezra

Submitted by Dymphe from Dym Abroad

One of the most travel inspiring songs is “Shotgun” by George Ezra. This is a song that was released in the year 2018, and it became a very popular song worldwide. This song is all about travel. It is about discovering new places, which inspires you to do the same. It is about architecture that is different and about a difference in atmosphere of the place he visits.

Moreover, the artist wrote the song when he was in Barcelona, but it features the country of Australia. This is not very obvious, but in the song, you can hear about the colours yellow and green, and he sings about the country being south of the equator and about the activity of deep-sea diving .

Africa by Toto

Submitted by Sharon from Tasmania Explorer

Released in 1982, Africa is a song I have been listening to all of my life. It made it to number one in the US and Canadian charts and the top 10 in many others. The song is meant to be about a love of Africa and the lyrics mention such places as Mount Kilimanjaro and the Serengeti. It’s easy to imagine travelling round the plains of Africa while listening to it.

When I finally made it to Africa in 2017, we did play this song as we drove around and it captured the landscape well. It’s a super catchy song and one definitely worth adding to your travel inspiration playlist

Montana by Owl City

Submitted by Jen Ambrose and Ryan Victor from Montana Discovered

If you’re someone who’s ever dreamed of life under the big sky, Owl City’s song “Montana” will speak to your heart. The band’s one-man wonder Adam Young wrote the song in 2018 as a tribute both to the state and to his uncle who left the city to live there. The song is mainly about the area around Glacier National Park, the most famous part of the state and the home of its iconic jagged mountains.

Some of the lyrics are incredibly literal, telling the story of working in a restaurant, selling souvenirs, buying land, and building a cabin. But anyone who loves the outdoors will relate to lines like “Get lost in Montana / Where the mountains call you home.”

Kokomo by The Beach Boys

Submitted by Ruby from Voyage Florida

Kokomo by the Beach Boys was released in 1988 and was originally made for a film called “Cocktail”. While Kokomo is a made-up destination, it has inferred a lot of Caribbean destinations in the song.

The destinations in the chorus are Aruba, Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahamas , Key Largo, Montego (which presumably refers to Montego Bay, also in Jamaica). One verse mentions the Florida Keys, where there’s plenty of islands to visit like Key Largo, Islamorada, Key West, and Marathon. This part of the verse talks about having a drink , which is a quintessential thing to do on vacation in the islands!

Listen carefully and you will also hear references to Martinique, Montserrat, and Port Au Prince (Haiti). While Haiti is not really considered a Caribbean tropical island destination, it still counts as something, right?

It is a fun and quirky song that one can use as a Caribbean bucket list. It is fun to just sing the song in your head and try to tick off destinations you’ve visited (or may visit in the future).

Runaway by Janet Jackson

Submitted by Sundeep and Bedabrata from Delhi Fun Dos

Talk about the early years of MTV in India and the audience here was swept away by fancy music video culture. Singers and video producers got even more creative and the videos became a visual treat. If there was a song that inspired travel those days, it had to be Runaway by Janet Jackson.

Runway was released in the year 1995 and had a certain edginess about it that was hard to miss. Janet Jackson jumping from one famous monument or city to another – the pyramids to Eiffel Tower, it was travel goals written all over the music video. The  nath  (nose ring with chain) and  tagdi  (the ornamental waist belt) made a beautiful India connection. Runaway was a complete package in fashion, entertainment, worldview and inspiration and is like a travel mantra even today.

Road Trippin’ by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Submitted by Nicole at Affordable Family Travel

Road Trippin’ by Red Hot Chilli Peppers was released in 1999.  The song is about driving the Pacific Coast Highway in sunny California. It references “west of the one” several times which is a reference to California State Route 1 also known as the Pacific Highway, which is the famous scenic route along the California coast. Road trippin’ also mentions, Big Sur which is a scenic town on Highway However, the song captures essence of a road trip with lyrics like “Fully loaded we got snacks and supplies”.  This song is great for when you are cruising down a highway with the sun shining “just a mirror for the sun”.

Down in The Valley by The Head and The Heart

Submitted by Rachita from Meander Wander

Down in the Valley by the folk band, The Head and the Heart, was released in 2010 and is one of my favorite travel songs. Although the song is more about the existential crisis, personally, what I love about this song is how it talks about all the places that are there to visit in this world. When you hear this song and listen to the lyrics lamenting about so many places to discover, it transports you straight into these beautiful valleys that the songwriter is talking about. This is one song that talks about how these amazing places are where you would find most travellers exploring or staying at. 

I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers

Submitted by Ania from The Travelling Twins The Proclaimers is a band of twin brothers from  Scotland  singing about everyday life experiences. The album, Hollywood Soundtracks, is an excellent soundtrack to any road trip. Released in 1987 and consisting of 12 tracks offers an interesting mix between alternative rock songs like “I Would Walk 500 Miles” with the Celtic sound on other tracks such as “My Love will not Let you Down.” I first heard “500 miles on the road trip to Scottish Highlands and couldn’t get the song out of my mind. Later I rediscovered it while watching “How I Met Your Mother”, where Ted and Marshal had the song on their mixtape for the road trip. If you’re feeling stuck and need a change of scenery, switch on “I Would Walk 500 Miles” and hit the road. 

Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffett

Submitted by Lynn from Be Your Own Travel Guide

Say the word vacation, and visions of sandy beaches, palm trees, and crystal-clear water often come to mind. There is no better song to transport you visually on vacation than Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. Listening to this breezy tune instantly puts you at ease and dreaming of better, lazy days spent in paradise.

Often considered to be the father of ‘island escapism’, Jimmy Buffett has many hits songs that center around his beach-bum image. His band, the Coral Reefers, spend their days in the tropics, drawing inspiration for their next song. Margaritaville so embodied the relaxing ideal of vacation that it led to the creation of the Margaritaville brand – a collection of hotels, restaurants, and stores that promote relaxation at every turn. With locations all across North America and as far as Sydney, Australia, you do not need to travel far for a good time.

What an incredible list of songs about travel! I hope this post has inspired your wanderlust, it certainly made us want to hop on a plane and we have created a whole new travel songs playlist from these recommendations!

For more wanderlust inspiration check out these posts:

• 25 Best Travel Memoirs and Non-Fiction Books about Travel
• 20 Best Fiction Books for Wanderlust Inspiration

Let us know your favourite travel inspiring songs or if you added any of these to your own travel playlist!

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Steph is the main writer of Book It Let's Go! and is arguably the better half of the couple. She is an expat originally from England currently residing in St Kitts where she teaches veterinary students. In 2019 Steph packed up her old life, her husband Lewis, and their 2 cats in to leave the cold and wet behind in exchange for beaches and palm trees. Now she has made the leap to move abroad she has no plans to return anytime soon and wants to help others make the leap to move abroad too. Steph is currently enjoying being based in the Caribbean and doing some island hopping while planning her next big adventure with Lewis.

30 Road Trip Hindi Songs to Ad in Your Travel Playlist

We went ahead and made the complete list on Spotify for you here - Holidify's Road Trip Playlist .

1. Yunhi Chala Chal (Swades)

If you're treading along the lesser travelled roads of India, make sure you have this song on your playlist to keep your spirits up when you are squashed in a bus full of locals. Bonus fun if you can find a 'baba' to sing along on the trip.

2. Dil Chahta Hai (Title Track)

It's hard to leave this one of the list. Farhan Akhtar's 2001 debut film is when travel took a front seat in a Bollywood film than just as a backdrop to a scene. Dil Chahta Hai in our opinion will always remain the  ultimate hindi travel song for road trips, especially if during from Mumbai to Goa through the Konkan coast, where this song was shot.

3. Khwabon Ke Parindey (ZNMD)

Exactly ten years later, Farhan Akhtar's sister Zoya comes out with an extension of the road trip  vibe movie, only this time on a much larger scale. As a result, we have a film that not only has travel as the central theme but inspires you to travel . Haven't you all tried waving your hand against the wind, as Hrithik did?

4. Tanha Dil (Shaan)

5. Suhana Safar Aur Ye (Madhumati)

There is a reason why 'old is gold', it's because of classics like this song. From the 1958 movie Madhumati, picturized on Dilip Kumar and Vyjantimala, the tune is so melodious you can't help but hum along with it - A must add on your list of road trip songs.

6. Hum Jo Chalne Lage (Jab We Met)

7. Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana (Andaaz)

8. Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara (Jewel Thief)

Another of Kishore Kumar's best songs, add to that the evergreen Dev Anand's classic strut and you can't help but tap your feet to tunes of S.D. Burman's music while taking in the scenic beauty of the trip. We wholeheartedly approve that this song be added to the greatest list of best hindi travel songs ever.

9. Aaj Kal Zindagi (Wake up Sid)

Whether you're trying to scale the Mt. Everest or take a plunge in the Arabian Sea, this feel-good song is all the pep talk you need. From the movie Wake up Sid, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's beautiful composition!

10. Ilahi (YJHD)

Admit it, you wished for Bunny aka Kabir aka Ranbir's life in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. You repeated this dialogue, " Main udna chahta hoon, daudna chahta hoon, girna bhi chahta hoon bus rukhna nahi chahta" , to anyone who asked you why you want to travel !

11. Patakha Guddi (Highway)

This song from Highway won everyone's heart with its catchy lyrics and music and awesome video showing an actual road-trip ! Put on your headphones, turn up the volume and take a lift on the back of a truck for the best experience.

13. Musafir Hoon Yaaron

14.    Hai Apna Dil Toh Awara - Solva Saal

One of the best songs to bounce to, this number so aptly reverberates with the ethos of our generation, that it is impossible to not be in love with. All the more so when we have our travelling boots on! It is surely one of the best Hindi travel songs from the bygone era.

15. Kabira (Ye Jawani Hai Deewani)

Bunny was pretty nomadic, and boy wasn't his life awesome! Kabira is perfect for when you're leaving a tiny part of your heart in a new place and are dealing with all the blues of separation.

You can also check out this  Playlist of English Travel Songs

16.  Azaadiyan (Udaan)

Strict mucchhadd  dad, cute son, a cuter younger son, and a lovely song all about freedom. The travel playlist is just incomplete without this contemporary classic from Bollywood.

17.  Oh Gujaria (Queen)

Free, fun and lively, Gujariya from Queen is one of those songs that will make your head bounce back and let you soak in the joy of the lovely beats! What's more, it celebrates your aawaarapan ! Perfect road-trip song; isn't it?

18. Chhod Aaye Hum Wo Galiyaan (Maachis)

19. Kyon (Barfi)

20. Dekha Hai Aisa Bhi - Lucky Ali

A waylaid breeze, a road trip, and this blasting in your car? Isn't that the mantra for a great holiday! Last I heard, Lucky Ali was listed as a community favourite among us. We're sure you shall like the guy too!

21. Chala Jaata Hoon Kisi Ki Dhun Mein (Mere Jeevan Saathi)

22. Hairat (Anjaana Anjaani)

23. Safarnama (Tamasha)

24. Banjarey (Fugly)

25. Chota Sa Fasana (Karwaan)

26. Phid Se Ud Chala (Rockstar)

27. Journey Song (Piku)

28. Sooraj Dooba Hain (Roy)

29. Maeri - Euphoria

30. Udd Gaye (Bacardi House Party Sessions) - Ritviz

This post was published by Sneha Powar

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46 Bollywood Travel Songs For An Endless Road Trip Playlist

Bollywood's Musicophile