Route 66 and Mustang hire . Help and advice !!

[Micaela]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 21 March 2025 at 11:42

[swisstoni]

Well you’ve come to the right place. I’m regularly amazed at the depth of knowledge about virtually anything you can mention on here.

[paddy1970]

Securing a self-drive rental of a 1967 Mustang "Eleanor" can be challenging, but platforms like Driveshare by Hagerty or Turo connects individuals with owners of classic cars willing to rent them out.

The stretch between Seligman and Kingman is renowned for its well-preserved Americana, including vintage diners, neon signs, and classic motels. Towns like Williams, with its 1950s charm, offer nostalgic experiences.

Towns such as Santa Rosa and Tucumcari boast iconic Route 66 landmarks, including the Blue Swallow Motel and numerous murals. This area provides a glimpse into the historic allure of the Mother Road.

However if you only have 2–3 days and want the best driving experience, this is a great itinerary:

Day 1: Route 66 Adventure

Drive from Las Vegas to Kingman, AZ (~2 hours)

Explore Historic Route 66 Museum

Drive the Oatman Highway (Route 66) via Sitgreaves Pass

Stop in Oatman for lunch and see the wild burros

Continue to Seligman, AZ for the classic Route 66 experience

Stay overnight in Williams, AZ (charming Route 66 town near the Grand Canyon)

Day 2: Grand Canyon & Return to Vegas

Visit Grand Canyon (South Rim) in the morning

Drive back towards Las Vegas via Hoover Dam

Stop at Hoover Dam & Lake Mead for photos

Day 3: Fun Scenic Driving Near Vegas

Morning: Drive Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive

Midday: Drive to Valley of Fire State Park for amazing scenery

Afternoon: Optional drive on Extraterrestrial Highway (if time permits)

Evening: End the trip with a night out in Las Vegas!

[TommyBuoy]

Driveshare or Turo might be worth a look - although I image there might be mileage limits as they are personal cars. Not sure if all the owners would allow foreign drivers etc etc, but asking the question wouldn't hurt.

777exotics do classics, but getting *the car* might be a bit too hard - you may end up having the last day or so in a gt500 vs the whole trip - but I'm sure you could get a classic mustang to do the route and end on a high.

Good luck!

[swisstoni]

I’d start any need to apply for an International Driving Licence for any drivers early.
I had to sort this out recently and I’ve rarely come across a more old fashioned bureaucratic piece of nonsense.

[G321]

swisstoni said:

I’d start any need to apply for an International Driving Licence for any drivers early.
I had to sort this out recently and I’ve rarely come across a more old fashioned bureaucratic piece of nonsense.

You don't need an international drivers licence for the US. I hired a dodge challenger last month and only used my UK licence

[swisstoni]

G321 said:

You don't need an international drivers licence for the US. I hired a dodge challenger last month and only used my UK licence

It’s a bit hit and miss apparently.

[CABC]

I understood that UK licences were valid in all States for up to 3 months.
after that you need a 1949 IDP which can can get in 5 minutes from a local convenience store or post office.

[K50 DEL]

I've been hiring cars in the US for over 20 years, across 48 States (in fact I'm here now and on my second hire (and 4th state) of the last week)
Have hired from all of the major (and some of the minor) rental agencies over the years and never once needed more than my UK license.

[Truckosaurus]

Indeed. You only really need an IDP if you have an ancient UK paper licence with no photo.

[Voodoo Blue]

We did Route 66 last year as part of a coast to coast (Washington to LA via Chicago) road trip and rented a Dodge Challenger which was brilliant. We ended up doing 5k miles in around 25 days but that included a side trip to some NPs in Arizona and Utah.

There is a real contrast in landscape driving east to west from forests, rolling hills and lush farm to flat scrub that goes on for miles to arid desert and searing heat. If you're starting and finishing in Las Vegas the itinerary posted above will give you a good taste of it.

If you could do a bit longer I'd suggest that you could do a one way from St. Louis to Las Vegas via Oklahoma, Amarillo, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Flagstaff. You could do that in 7-10 days and you'll see so much more including the St Louis Arch, The Blue Whale, Cadillac Ranch and a few of the iconic buildings that they used in the movie Cars. You could of course carry on west through Seligman, Kingsman etc. and then up to Las Vegas.

We're going back in June to do the bit from St Louis to Albuquerque as we missed so much and want to spend a bit more time taking it all in.

As an aside we've been to Las Vegas many times over the last 30 years and it's changed a lot in that time. Compared to pre-covid it's got a lot more expensive and incredibly busy. Maybe we're getting old but we're not sure we'll be going back. If you do go I can highly recommend booking a Cirque de Soleil show, they are brilliant. We saw Mad Apple at New York New York last June and it was hilarious. Totally different to all the other shows we've seen and well worth the expense.

Oh, and we've never needed a IDP for the US in the more than 30 years we've been going there. They might want to see your passport however upon collection so make sure you've got that with you.

Edited by Voodoo Blue on Friday 14th February 15:30

Edited by Voodoo Blue on Friday 14th February 19:10

[Essarell]

Great timing, 26 will be the centenary of Route 66 so id expect plenty of events being held along the way.

[softtop]

This sounds fabulous, it's been screen shotted.

paddy1970 said:

Securing a self-drive rental of a 1967 Mustang "Eleanor" can be challenging, but platforms like Driveshare by Hagerty or Turo connects individuals with owners of classic cars willing to rent them out.

The stretch between Seligman and Kingman is renowned for its well-preserved Americana, including vintage diners, neon signs, and classic motels. Towns like Williams, with its 1950s charm, offer nostalgic experiences.

Towns such as Santa Rosa and Tucumcari boast iconic Route 66 landmarks, including the Blue Swallow Motel and numerous murals. This area provides a glimpse into the historic allure of the Mother Road.

However if you only have 2–3 days and want the best driving experience, this is a great itinerary:

Day 1: Route 66 Adventure

Drive from Las Vegas to Kingman, AZ (~2 hours)

Explore Historic Route 66 Museum

Drive the Oatman Highway (Route 66) via Sitgreaves Pass

Stop in Oatman for lunch and see the wild burros

Continue to Seligman, AZ for the classic Route 66 experience

Stay overnight in Williams, AZ (charming Route 66 town near the Grand Canyon)

Day 2: Grand Canyon & Return to Vegas

Visit Grand Canyon (South Rim) in the morning

Drive back towards Las Vegas via Hoover Dam

Stop at Hoover Dam & Lake Mead for photos

Day 3: Fun Scenic Driving Near Vegas

Morning: Drive Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive

Midday: Drive to Valley of Fire State Park for amazing scenery

Afternoon: Optional drive on Extraterrestrial Highway (if time permits)

Evening: End the trip with a night out in Las Vegas!