If you don't have the time or the funds to take a cross-country Road trip this summer, you can do the next best thing and pop on a classic road trip movie. From Thelma & Louise (1991) to The Muppet Movie (1979), these films will take you on a wild ride.
1 – Thelma & Louise (1991)
When the timid Thelma joins her confident friend Louise on a trip a fishing trip, the two end up on the run from the law. As the women flee to Mexico, they must evade the police and work with other criminals to escape their imminent prison sentences.
2 – Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Little Miss Sunshine is a heartwarming comedic drama about a family who treks across the country in an RV that's seen better days so the youngest member can compete in the Little Miss Sunshine contest. But it seems as if everything goes wrong as the family squabbles and the RV refuses to start.
3 – Road Trip (2000)
After a college student cheats on his girlfriend at a frat party and films his intimate relations with the other woman, someone sends the tape in the mail to his long-distance girlfriend. To make sure she doesn't catch him in the act, the student and his friends embark on a road trip from New York to Texas to recover the tape before the truth comes out.
4 – Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
When a willful older woman totals her car, her worried son hires a driver for her. Stung by her loss of independence, the woman is not initially pleased with the arrangement. But over the years, she and her driver share conversations during long drives that bring the two together.
5 – Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)
Two men with a 1955 Chevy they adore spend their time drag-racing on the highways. The film chronicles their adventures on the road, from picking up an alluring hitchhiker to agreeing to a long-distance road race that jeopardizes their beloved car.
6 – National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)
National Lampoon's Vacation is the first film in this seven-movie comedy adventure franchise. It's about an American family who drives from Illinois to visit a theme park in California. But whenever they hit the road, something steps in their path and derails their plans. Can they make it to the park before it closes?
7 – Crossroads (2002)
After three childhood friends who grew apart over the years come back together on the night of their high school graduation, they decide to take the trip of a lifetime to California so one can pursue a record deal. The friends pile into a convertible before embarking on an epic quest. Will the trip bring the girls back together or show them why they stopped being friends?
8 – Rat Race (2001)
Rat Race is a comedy adventure film about the greedy owner of some popular Las Vegas casinos who offers his top gamblers a new high-stakes game to bet on. The casino owner filled a locker with cash and asked six contestants to race across the country by car to find the locker and win the money. The gamblers bet on their favorite competitor in the hopes of winning big.
9 – Due Date (2010)
Due Date follows an excited father-to-be whose wife is due to give birth in just five days. But her husband is in Atlanta, and as he waits to board the flight home to his pregnant wife, he gets distracted by a chance encounter with a celebrity. The husband misses his flight, forcing him to drive across the country with his new celebrity friend in the hopes of making it in time for his child's delivery.
10 – EuroTrip (2004)
After his girlfriend breaks up with him, a heartbroken American teenager flies to Europe and searches for his gorgeous German pen pal. But when he and some wacky friends arrive in Europe, they do no know where to find the woman.
As the friends drive around the continent, they encounter silly scenarios that make viewers question if the teen will ever meet his pen pal in person.
11 – A Goofy Movie (1995)
When Goofy's son Max finally catches the eye of the girl of his dreams, he gets the chance to ask her on a date. But his father ruins his plans by bringing Max on a cross-country journey for a father-son fishing trip. Can Max find a way to please his father and still go on a date with his crush?
12 – It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)
After a convict is released from prison, he immediately crashes his car and blocks traffic. When five drivers stop to help him, the dying man tells then he buried a fortune in a park and gives them a clue to help them locate it. Each motorist then races back to their car, hoping to be the first one to find the jackpot.
13 – Something Wild (1986)
When a carefree woman abducts a straight-edge banker for an exciting weekend getaway, she drives him to her high school reunion and has him pretend to be her husband. But when her real husband turns up at the event, he isn't pleased to find the banker beside his wife.
14 – Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Mad Max: Fury Road takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where a terrible tyrant rules over the remaining humans. But when a warrior teams up with a hermit, they escape their confines in an armored truck and must evade the tyrant's soldiers as they drive through their harsh desert surroundings.
15 – The Muppet Movie (1979)
Kermit the Frog leaves his home in Florida for a career in Hollywood in this famous road trip adventure film. Along the way, Kermit meets up with memorable Muppets like Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Gonzo. But their pleasant road trip becomes an escape mission when Kermit rejects a starring role in an ad campaign, and the restauranteur won't take no for an answer.
16 – The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Wizard of Oz is a classic family-friendly fantasy adventure film about a girl from Kansas whose home is taken up by a tornado and tossed into a vivid fantasy land. On her quest to return home, the girl encounters new friends like the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow while attempting to stay out of the Wicked Witch of the West's way.
17 – The Sure Thing (1985)
When a first-year college student who hasn't had much luck with the ladies learns that a woman in California is interested in him, he and a friend drive across the country to make his dreams come true. But his road trip companion, a female friend who rejected his advances before, begins to second-guess her choice as the two get to know each other better on the road.
18 – Paper Moon (1973)
Paper Moon is a comedic drama film about a father-daughter duo who travels the country in a convertible looking for people to scam. But before the two swindlers team up, they must win each others' trust.
19 – The Cannonball Run (1981)
The Cannonball Run is one of America's most famous road trip films of all time. It's about a wild and illegal cross-country road race and the participants who partake in it. Each wacky character has a unique approach to the race, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. But as some people attempt to stop the illicit race, the competitors' hopes of winning could be dashed.
20 – Paul (2011)
When a smart-mouthed alien living in a classified area in the deserts of the U.S. decides it's about time for him to return to his home planet, he sneaks inside an RV driven by two sci-fi geeks. But when the government realizes the alien went missing, the drivers and the alien team up to get him back to his spaceship.
21 – RV (2006)
RV follows a father eager to connect with his Internet-obsessed kids who plans an RV family camping trip for the summer. But his dreams of spending quality time with his kids continue to be crushed as their rebellious attitudes get the better of him.
22 – The Long, Long Trailer (1954)
After an engineer marries the woman of his dreams, they decide to purchase a motor home to live in together to explore the country. But their fantasy life isn't as great as they initially imagined, causing tension in the once-happy couple's marriage.
23 – Almost Famous (2000)
When a music-obsessed teen lands the gig of a lifetime to interview his favorite band, they invite him to tag along on their tour bus as they drive across the country to perform. Despite his mother's wishes, the teen agrees to go and has the trip of a lifetime.
24 – Midnight Run (1988)
Midnight Run is a comedy action film about a bounty hunter who's hired to drive an accountant across the U.S. to L.A. When the bounty hunter locates the accountant, he learns that what he thought would be an easy journey will be challenging. As he attempts to evade the FBI and the mob, the bounty hunter must also cope with his obnoxious passenger.
