20 Best Road Trip Songs for Your Next Long Drive

Quick Summary

The best road trip songs will be a blend of our Bollywood hits and the best English tracks. For Hindi road trip songs play Dil Chahta Hai, Ilahi, Khwaabon Ke Parinday and Aao Milo Chale. For english road trip songs play Dreams, Fast Car, Rocket Man and Texas Sun. Pick the right tempo for the highway, the scenic detours and the late night drives. Set the tone gradually, so a song per 4km, a mix of English and Hindi songs, and offline before you head off ensures every km is scored to the perfect tune.

Introduction

The right road trip songs can make a long drive feel quite enjoyable. They lighten the mood, keep the driver alert, and the conversation flowing when the road stretches on forever and looks the same way for hours. The wrong playlist, or a playlist that continues buffering, may make the same stretch appear twice as long.

In this article, you will discover 10 Hindi and 10 English songs that fit for various roads, moods and travel buddies. We have also added simple tips for choosing music for your Instagram reels and travel vlogs, plus an easy way to build your own playlist. If you love exploring bollywood travel songs prior to a trip, you’ll get a lot of recommendations here.

20 Best Road Trip Songs

Here is the full list at a glance. More detailed information on each song appears in the next two sections.

No.	Song	Movie or Artist	Mood
1	Dil Chahta Hai	Dil Chahta Hai (2001)	Friends and freedom
2	Yun Hi Chala Chal	Swades (2004)	Calm and open road
3	Patakha Guddi (Female Version)	Highway (2014)	Free-spirited
4	Ilahi	Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)	Spontaneous
5	Khwaabon Ke Parinday	Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)	Sunrise and wonder
6	Phir Se Ud Chala	Rockstar (2011)	Soulful, hilly roads
7	Safarnama	Tamasha (2015)	Reflective, evening
8	Chala Jata Hoon	Mere Jeevan Saathi (1972)	Retro and cheerful
9	Suhana Safar Aur Yeh Mausam	Madhumati (1958)	Nostalgic, scenic
10	Aao Milo Chale	Jab We Met (2007)	Light and happy
11	Dreams	Fleetwood Mac	Dreamy cruising
12	Born To Be Wild	Steppenwolf	Open highway
13	Hotel California (Spanish Version)	Gipsy Kings	Acoustic and warm
14	Rocket Man	Elton John	Mellow night drive
15	Here I Go Again	Whitesnake	Sing-along rock
16	Dancing In the Dark	Bruce Springsteen	Upbeat and nostalgic
17	Thunderstruck	AC/DC	High energy
18	Rolling in the Deep	Adele	Powerful vocals
19	Texas Sun	Khruangbin	Chilled groove
20	Fast Car	Tracy Chapman	Story-driven

10 Road Trip Bollywood Songs You Can’t Skip

Hindi film music has always made the road, the train, and the journey the star of a film. That’s why even now, many of our favourite songs from the 50s to the present just seem perfect, with the windows down. Here are 10 road trip bollywood songs for the vibe you want to create on the road.

1. Dil Chahta Hai : Dil Chahta Hai (2001)

Composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, this song is the friendship anthem for many people. If your plan is a Goa-style getaway with your best friends, it is one of the road trip bollywood songs you will want to play first.

2. Yun Hi Chala Chal : Swades (2004)

A. R. Rahman’s gentle melody suits quiet countryside highways. It slows your mind down and makes you notice the scenery. Among the best travel songs in Hindi, it is perfect for calm mid-day stretches.

3. Patakha Guddi (Female Version) : Highway (2014) 

This Rahman track, sung by the Nooran sisters, has raw, folk-style energy. Pair it with dhaba stops, hill roads and wide-open skies. It also works nicely as one of the songs for travel reels where you want a bold, fun start.

4. Ilahi : Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013)

Pritam’s composition, sung by Arijit Singh, captures the “let’s just go” feeling. Play it when plans are spontaneous and the road ahead is open. It is a happy pick among road trip bollywood songs for a group of friends.

5. Khwaabon Ke Parinday : Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)

Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy created a sunrise-drive feeling with this one. The music rises slowly and gives you goosebumps on an empty road. It also works well as one of the songs for travel videos with wide landscape shots.

6. Phir Se Ud Chala : Rockstar (2011)

Mohit Chauhan’s warm voice and Rahman’s music make this a soulful companion for winding hill routes. Each turn on the ghat road feels more cinematic with it playing, which makes it one of the best travel songs for the mountains.

7. Safarnama : Tamasha (2015)

Lucky Ali’s reflective voice suits evening drives and solo journeys. It is slow, thoughtful and perfect when the sun is setting. If you make a storytelling vlog, this is one of the songs for travel videos that adds emotion without overpowering your visuals.

8. Chala Jata Hoon : Mere Jeevan Saathi (1972)

Kishore Kumar’s cheerful voice and R. D. Burman’s music gives this classic a carefree charm. It is a fun choice when you want a retro mood, and a delight for anyone building a playlist of old-school road trip bollywood songs.

9. Suhana Safar Aur Yeh Mausam : Madhumati (1958)

Mukesh’s soft voice, with music by Salil Chowdhury, makes this a lovely pick for green, rainy or misty routes. It is a nostalgic choice among songs for travel reels, especially if you pair it with slow, scenic clips.

10. Aao Milo Chale : Jab We Met (2007)

Pritam’s light melody, sung by Shaan, feels like a train window opening to fresh air. It is cheerful, easy to hum along to and one of the best travel songs for couples and friends who want a smile-filled drive.

10 Best Travel Songs in English for Long Drives

Travel songs in English bring a different texture to a road trip, with guitars, big choruses and lyrics about freedom. These 10 best road trip songs are easy to sing along to even if you do not know every word.

11. “Dreams” : Fleetwood Mac

Stevie Nicks wrote this smooth, flowing track in the 1970s, and it still feels fresh. Play it around sunset when the traffic thins out. It is easily one of the best travel songs for a relaxed cruise.

12. “Born To Be Wild” : Steppenwolf

Released in 1968, this song is practically the sound of the open highway. The heavy guitar and bold chorus make it a core pick in any list of road trip songs, especially at the start of a trip.

13. “Hotel California (Spanish Version)” : Gipsy Kings

The Gipsy Kings give this well-known song a warm, acoustic, Spanish-guitar feel. It suits coastal and desert routes beautifully, and many creators use it as one of their songs for travel videos with golden-hour shots.

14. “Rocket Man” : Elton John

With lyrics by Bernie Taupin, this is a mellow, spacious song for night drives. It is calming without being sleepy, so it ranks among the best travel songs for long, quiet stretches of road.

15. “Here I Go Again”: Whitesnake

This rock ballad is made for singing together. When everyone in the car joins in on the chorus, the kilometres seem to disappear, which is why it is a favourite among road trip songs for groups.

16. “Dancing In the Dark”: Bruce Springsteen

Its steady beat and nostalgic energy keep the drive moving. The quick, rhythmic feel also works as one of the songs for travel reels that use fast cuts, such as packing the boot, hitting the road and the first chai stop.

17. “Thunderstruck” : AC/DC

That opening guitar riff wakes everyone up. Use it when energy dips in the afternoon, or in action-heavy songs for travel videos, such as bike rides, off-roading and drone shots.

18. “Rolling in the Deep” : Adele

Adele’s powerful voice invites you to belt it out. It is a crowd favourite among road trip songs, and a great way to get a quiet car singing together.

19. “Texas Sun” : Khruangbin

This 2020 track, a collaboration between Khruangbin and Leon Bridges, has a chilled, sun-soaked groove. It suits scenic routes and slow afternoon drives, and it is one of the best travel songs if you like laid-back, instrumental-style music.

20. “Fast Car” : Tracy Chapman

This 1988 classic tells a story about escape and hope. It works wonderfully as one of the songs for travel reels with thoughtful captions, especially for solo trips or fresh starts.

Songs for Travel Reels: Short Clips That Get Views

Reels are short, so the clips you choose matter more than the song. A handful of easy habits will make your clips feel more sharp.

• Pick the 15 to 30 second hook. The chorus, or the first lyric of “Dil Chahta Hai” or “Thunderstruck” makes you realize right away.
• Match the song to the clip.Mountain drive? “Phir Se Ud Chala” comes to mind. City lights at night? “Dancing In the Dark”.
• Cut on the beat. Even the most basic edit will look polished if your video clips switch to the beat.
• Check the music library. Personal accounts have the ability to add music to an Instagram post through the apps Music Library. Business accounts have a limited music library that they can only use when creating the post.

Songs for Travel Videos: How to Choose the Right Track

And if you’re making long travel videos & vlogs, you need music that plays the story, not fights for the story. Here’s a very simple way to choose.

1. Think about the moment. Your intro needs a punch, drone shots need space, ending needs a soul. “Khwaabon Ke Parinday” is your choice for scenic openers, “Safarnama” is a good fit for emotional endings.
2. Keep the volume in the background. When you’re talking on camera, keep the song playing quietly in the background.
3. Check licensing. Music that is monetised on YouTube must often be cleared or royalty-free. Well-known tracks from film or television can cause copyright flagging.
4. Try instrumental versions. Calm or acoustic covers will maintain the mood of your video without taking attention away from the viewers.

Road Trip Songs by Mood and Road Type

Sometimes the road decides the soundtrack. Here is a quick guide.

1. Open Highway

Try “Born To Be Wild”, “Dil Chahta Hai” and “Thunderstruck”. These songs have a steady rhythm that matches fast, straight roads.

2. Hills and Ghats

Try “Phir Se Ud Chala”, “Patakha Guddi” and “Dreams”. Winding roads suit songs with a flowing, emotional feel.

3. Coastal and Sunset Routes

Try “Hotel California (Spanish Version)”, “Texas Sun” and “Yun Hi Chala Chal”. They give you a warm, easy-going vibe.

4. Late-Night Drives

Try “Rocket Man”, “Safarnama” and “Fast Car”. Keep the volume moderate and the tempo calm so the driver stays comfortable and alert.

5. Rainy or Misty Days

Try “Suhana Safar Aur Yeh Mausam”, “Aao Milo Chale” and “Ilahi”. These are gentle and nostalgic, perfect with the wipers going.

How to Build the Perfect Road Trip Songs Playlist

A great road trip songs playlist does not need to be complicated. Follow these steps.

1. Estimate your drive time. A good rule of thumb is about 15 to 17 songs per hour, so a 5-hour drive needs roughly 75 to 85 songs.
2. Plan the energy. Start with upbeat songs, move to mellow ones in the middle and finish with sing-alongs.
3. Mix languages and eras. Combine Hindi and English tracks, old and new. Everyone in the car will find something they love.
4. Add a sing-along block. Place three or four songs everyone knows, like “Dil Chahta Hai” or “Here I Go Again”, around the halfway mark.
5. Download for offline use. Network gaps are common on highways, so save your playlist before you leave.
6. Set it up before you start driving. Keep your phone out of your hands and let the passenger handle changes.

If you enjoy these songs, try learning them yourself. Understanding the notes and rhythm gives you a new way to enjoy music, and a well-chosen song often becomes more special when you can sing or play it. Many learners begin with songs they already love, and our certified teachers help you build from there in 1:1 live classes, following a GRMP-recognised curriculum.

Conclusion

The right road trip songs can turn a tiring stretch of highway into the best part of your trip. With 10 Hindi and 10 English tracks, you now have a mix for every road, mood and companion. Save the list, try the playlist on your next drive and tell us which song became your favourite.

If you ever want to go beyond listening, Artium Academy is here to help. Our certified teachers, 1:1 live classes and masterclasses by renowned artists make learning simple, whatever your starting point.

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