Get Into Gear with Our International Road Trip Playlist

Let the Sonic Route guide your travels.

Published on 5/16/2023 at 10:31 AM

Image by Maitane Romagosa for Thrillist

Travelers, start your engines: You are now entering The [Scenic] Route, a rip-roaring exploration of the world’s most incredible international road trips, from lush Rwandan jungles and ancient Peruvian mountains to seaside Irish villages, dreamy Japanese forests, and twisty Romanian hillsides. For more reasons to hit the pavement—plus tips, interviews, and a custom road-ready playlist—cruise over to the rest of our coverage here.

When it comes to road trips, queuing up a tightly curated playlist is just as important as filling up the gas tank. Music provides a soundtrack for the fleeting scenes streaming past your windows, ignites some epic sing-a-longs with your copilot, and—best of all—fills that silence when all you want to do is daydream.

The tracks become even more important when you’re driving through far-flung locales, desperate to become acquainted with the unfamiliar terrain. The songs on this playlist represent artists from around the world, spanning eras and genres from Moroccan funk and Romanian rap to good ol’ Irish rock, all coming together to form a soundscape of beckoning destinations, the freedom of the open road, and embracing what’s ahead.

So roll your windows down, crank up the volume, and tune into these hand-picked international bangers.