Road Trips to Take With Your Student Driver

Considering a road trip with a teen in the near future? Then you’ve probably already received the inevitable question: Mom/Dad, can I drive?

If you have an eager student driver and want to give them a little bit of freedom and extra experience behind the wheel, you’ll also want to take precautions to avoid stressful situations. These three road trips on the shorter side are good options to consider. They provide enjoyable travel experiences for the entire family, but also keep your student driver (and everyone else) safe, by not putting them in any tricky situations, such as heavy traffic.

Route 66’s Singing Road

This short route is less than 40 miles, stretching from Albuquerque to Moriarty, New Mexico, and with a 45 mph speed limit, but it’s significant for one reason. The route is supposedly musical, because if you drive the speed limit on the highway, the rumble strips “sing” “America the Beautiful.” In addition to this novelty, there are also plenty of stops to make along the route, primarily historic Route 66 attractions.

Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail

The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail stretches across nearly 60 miles of Alabama and follows the route civil rights demonstrators took in 1965. You don’t have to cover this distance in one day, though. You can stretch out the trail by stopping in small towns along the way and exploring the history, culture and cuisine of rural Alabama.

The Natchez Trace

For something a little longer, take the 444-mile Natchez Trace trail from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee. The trail takes less than 12 hours total driving time, making it suitable for a long weekend or even a week-long trip. It takes you through mostly small southern towns so there’s usually no heavy traffic to worry about, and the mild weather through most of the year and the slow speed limits add to the smooth sailing. Stop at loads of historic spots along the way. This trail was used by Natchez Native Americans centuries ago and, before that, by bison looking for salt licks.

Just remember, before you head out on your road trip: You’ll want to make sure your insurance covers your student driver and there are no permit restrictions prohibiting your teen from driving in another state.