5 Road Trips Based on Famous Books and Movies

Road trips are a common trope in storytelling—so common that they have turned into somewhat of a cliché. But for every mediocre book or film that regurgitates the tried and tested formula without adding anything new to the mix, there’s another that manages to tell an unforgettable story by way of an unforgettable excursion. 

The itinerary of a memorable road trip is not always jam-packed with exotic locales and thrilling activities. At their best, they’re about appreciating the little things, recognizing the importance of the journey over that of the destination. In many cases, the traveler ends up learning as much about themselves—and their travel companion(s)—as they do about the places they visit.

The following five road trips, based on voyages detailed in famous books and films, vary in scale and scope. Some span entire continents, others a handful of towns. Together, they span every corner of the globe, from the flatlands of Texas to the British countryside. Despite their differences, they all provide a deeply meaningful experience.

1. Paris, Texas
2. The Remains of the Day
3. The Motorcycle Diaries
4. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
5. Kafka on the Shore

Paris, Texas

Seen Perfect Days yet? The film, about the routine of a zen-like toilet cleaner in Tokyo, won various prestigious awards when it was released in 2024. Decades earlier, its director Wim Wenders found as much critical success with Paris, Texas, an equally quiet, intimate portrait of a man whose failed marriage sends him on an unending journey through America’s southwest. 

Wenders based the story and cinematography on a trip he took himself in 1983. Snapping pictures of sunsets and desolate landscapes with a camera, he traveled from Texas to Arizona, New Mexico, and finally California. Though he occasionally passed through big cities like Houston, he mostly stuck to the country, to highway-side motels, diners, and other half-forgotten places that embodied the unique aesthetic he was looking for. 

The Remains of the Day

Written by the Japanese author Kazuo Ishiguro, published in 1989, and awarded a Booker Prize, The Remains of the Day tells the story of Mr. Stephens, an old-fashioned English butler employed at an old-fashioned English estate. Stephens takes his job seriously—so much so that his employer has to convince him to take a break. Offered a car, Stephens reluctantly embarks on a humble but charming road trip through the countryside. 

His six-day journey through England’s West Country took him through a number of historical villages and townships, including Salisbury, Taunton, and Cornwall. In the novel, Stephens waxes poetic about the landscape, which—while lacking in cliffs, mountains, or other awe-inspiring features—projects a quiet, self-assured sense of dignity. 

You May Also Like:

Add Mental Floss as a preferred news source!

The Motorcycle Diaries

Before he became a revolutionary and helped Fidel Castro take over Cuba from a Washington-backed dictatorship, Ernesto “Che” Guevara bought a used motorcycle and went on the road trip of a lifetime, traveling from his native Argentina to Chile, all the way up to Central America. Along the way, Guevara visited ancient ruins and bustling cities. He also saw his fair share of systemic poverty—an experience that shaped his Marxist worldview. 

A born adventurer, Guevara’s stops included cities like Buenos Aires and Cusco, the onetime capital of the Incas. He also traversed desolate natural landscapes in Patagonia and the Atacama Desert in Chile before heading to Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, and Panama. Today, many South American tourist agencies offer themed tours inspired by Guevara’s 1995 memoir and 2004 film adaptation directed by Walter Salles.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Whether you’ve read the book by Hunter S. Thompson or seen the film directed by Terry Gilliam and starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro, the premise is the same: a journalist and his attorney cruise through the Nevada desert in a red convertible on their way to Sin City to cover a motorcycle race, only to be derailed by their own debauchery. 

Although a Fear and Loathing-inspired road trip offers ample opportunity for both interpretation and improvisation, all paths eventually converge on Vegas. For an authentic experience, travel to the city from California by way of Route 66, stop by a roadside diner, and pay a visit to the Flamingo Hotel and Circus Circus on the strip. However, beware of bats.

Kafka on the Shore

Arguably Haruki Murakami’s best-known work to date, Kafka on the Shore first hit bookstores in 2002. An instant and enduring hit, it intertwines the stories of two people: a 15-year-old boy who runs away from home, and an elderly man who talks to cats. Both spend the novel on different, mirroring journeys through Japan. 

Highlights of a Murakami-inspired itinerary through the Land of the Rising Sun include Nogata, Shinjuku, and Yamanashi—neighborhoods of Tokyo that channel different aspects of the megacity’s conglomerated character. After Tokyo, it’s off to Shikoku, to Kobe and Takamatsu, home of the historic Ritsurin Garden, and finally Kochi Prefecture, a mountainous region of the island nation.