30 Best Songs about Travel That Will Inspire You to Explore!
Put your dancing shoes on and prepare your bags, because after reading this post with the best songs about travel and adventure you’ll want to leave immediately!
After thorough research, I put together a list of the most popular songs about traveling that will inspire you to start a new adventure! I categorized the songs by continent and interest so that you can easily browse through the article!
We’ve also made a playlist with all these songs so that you can listen to your favorite tunes while reading!
Alright, let’s press play!
Quick Picks for Your Stay
Check out my top 3 favorite songs about traveling the world and get inspired to start planning your holiday:
1. Best Travel Road Trip Songs
Need the perfect tune to play while driving around in a new place or heading cross country? Then check out the list below, it has some amazing songs that will get your groove on!
On The Road Again – Willie Nelson
Don’t you just love that feeling when you’re on the road? Whether you’re on a train, bus, car, whatever, sometimes you just need to leave your current place and go!
I feel that this song will definitely get you in that mood! So hit play and enjoy!
“On the road again
I just can’t wait to get on the road again
The life I love is making music with my friends
And I can’t wait to get on the road again”
Road Trippin – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Hitting the road with your buddy or maybe by yourself? Then you definitely need this song in your road trip playlist!
It will immediately put you in that driving mood, where you feel like the world is your oyster and it will spark that excitement of beginning new adventures!
“Road trippin’ with my two favorite allies
Fully loaded we got snacks and supplies
It’s time to leave this town, it’s time to steal away
Let’s go get lost anywhere in the USA”
I’ve Been Everywhere – Johnny Cash
I love this song, it sort of gives off that feeling of when you’ve been traveling for so long, experienced so many seasons, from fall to summer, winter and spring and seen so much that you feel like you saw it all!
If you’re planning to hit the road and just travel relentlessly, then this is surely a song for you!
“I’ve been everywhere, man
I’ve been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I’ve breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I’ve had my share, man”
Born To Be Wild – Steppenwolf
This one is for the restless souls who never say no to a new adventure!
Play this song out loud and dance frantically while imagining that you are just jumping on a plane, car or whatever and heading towards a new destination!
“Get your motor runnin’
Head out on the highway
Lookin’ for adventure
And whatever comes our way”
2. Songs about travel for a trip in Europe
Finally planning that European holiday? Then check out my favorite songs about traveling in some of the most exciting destinations on the continent:
Galway Girl – Ed Sheeran
Planning your Irish travels? Well, then you need to play this song ASAP as it’ll immediately get you ready for some fun nights in Ireland’s pubs!
While listening to this song I immediately feel that rush that you get when heading out in a pub/club in a foreign country, grabbing a drink and making some new friends!
“I met her on Grafton street right outside of the bar
She shared a cigarette with me while her brother played the guitar
She asked me what does it mean, the Gaelic ink on your arm?
Said it was one of my friend’s songs, do you want to drink on?”
Salvatore – Lana del Rey
Traveling to Italy this summer? Then play this song and dream about gorgeous Italians, delicious food and yummy ice cream!
Lana has a very unique style when it comes to songwriting and I just love how this song puts you immediately in a “Under the Tuscan Sun” type of situation! If you haven’t seen that movie, do it now, it’s a “classic” when it comes to stories about tourists in Italy!
“Ciao amore
Salvatore can wait
Now it’s time to eat
Soft ice cream”
I Love Paris – Ella Fitzgerald
This song speaks so much truth! It’s hard not to fall in love with Paris, no matter the season!
If you’re getting ready for your French adventures then play this song and picture yourself walking on the streets of Montmartre, eating pastries and enjoying the weather, no matter the season!
“I love Paris in the springtime
I love Paris in the fall
I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles
I love Paris in the summer when it sizzles”
Una notte a Napoli – Pink Martini
One night in Naples? Yes, please!
Just picture it: a hot summer night by the sea in Naple and the moon shining brightly! You’re wandering the ancient streets after eating a delicious pizza Napoletana and drinking some wine.
This is exactly the feeling I get when listening to this song! Give it a go and let me know what you feel.
“Una notte a Napoli
Con la luna ed il mare
Ho incontrato un angelo
Che non poteva più volar”
A Sunday in Madrid – Robert Wyatt
Such a fun song! It really paints such a cool picture of Madrid in a super artistic way!
I especially like these lyrics about all the guides being in Prado Museum, the country’s main national art museum, which by the way, you must visit if you’re heading to Madrid!
“In vain. No guides available. All busy in the Prado
Followed by shuffling feet. Fascinated. Perhaps”
London Calling – The Clash
I guess we can all agree that this song is pretty iconic and once it gets in your head, it sort of remains stuck there! At least that’s what happens to me!
Originally, the phrase “London Calling” was used during WWII by the BBC reporters before giving any news during those terrifying times.
Although the song’s message is not so positive, which is understandable given that when they wrote it, the world was so chaotic, lots of people use this phrase to sort of announce or say they’re going to London.
“London calling to the faraway towns
Now war is declared, and battle come down
London calling to the underworld
Come out of the cupboard, you boys and girls”
3. Songs for a trip to America
Here are some of the best traveling songs for your trip in the US!
Empire State of Mind – Alicia Keys
Okay, this song is all about New York, and that feeling that you get when you finally get there and sort of feel like you can be anything you want and that your dreams will come true!
I guess we all had that feeling when traveling or moving to a big city, like New York, that everything is possible and this song encapsulates that perfectly!
“Now you’re in New York
These streets will make you feel brand-new
Big lights will inspire you
Let’s hear it for New York”
(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 – Nat King Cole
Traveling hasn’t always been so accessible for people and I feel that this song really speaks about that freedom that we now have, to just jump in the car and hit the highway and drive through multitudes of cities, maybe even countries!
Playing music, eating snacks and getting excited about what the new day might bring us!
“If you ever plan to motor west,
Travel my way, take the highway that is best.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.”
New York, New York – Frank Sinatra
You can never go wrong with a classic! I love how Sinatra plays this song, it immediately makes you feel like you’re the one who’s in New York, that city which “doesn’t sleep”!
I guess we all feel that when staying in a big city! It’s like you can do anything at any time! I feel like it gives us that freedom that we always seek!
“I want to wake up
In a city that doesn’t sleep
And find I’m king of the hill
Top of the heap”
New York State Of Mind – Billy Joel
Here’s another New York song! But I guess we can’t be surprised since this is such a major destination!
Usually people use the phrase “I’m in a New York state of mind” when they refer to something that is connected to New York City, like a mood or a certain way of thinking. You might’ve heard this in movies, I know I have a few times!
While listening to this song you can really feel the writer’s love for this city and honestly, you’ll probably get in a New York state of mind!
“But I’m taking a Greyhound
On the Hudson River Line
I’m in a New York state of mind”
California Dreaming – Mamas And The Papas
I love this song! It’s so dreamy (as the lyrics say) and it just puts you in that mood where you’re thinking where you should go next!
Maybe you’re sitting in your room and it’s cold and rainy, or you’re in the city and want to escape all the noise and you’re already searching for some fab destinations and start planning your trip!
Although it sings about California, I think you can play this song whenever you catch yourself daydreaming about which place to visit next.
“California dreamin’
On such a winter’s day”
I Left My Heart In San Francisco – Tony Bennet
I think we all have that one place that we fall in love with and feel like it sort of “has our heart” and no matter where you go or how many places you see and explore, you always go back to that city, country, forest or whatever it is.
For this songwriter, it was San Francisco but you can replace that name with whatever place has your heart and sing along, while dreaming about the day when you’ll return there!
“When I come home to you, San Francisco
Your golden sun will shine for me”
Midnight Train To Georgia – Gladys Knight And The Pips
I feel like we always encounter this “midnight train” motif in lots of creative works, and I think it means different things for everyone.
To me, it speaks of that moment when you get on a late train, sleepy but sort of excited for what’s to come! You’ve packed snacks, drinks and maybe have some of your favorite books with you and you’re ready to see where this new journey will take you!
“He’s leaving
On that midnight train to Georgia
Said he’s going back
To a simpler place and time”
Take me home, Country Roads – John Denver
Another classic!
Although this one is set in the US I feel its message is about all country roads and that feeling you get when you return to your hometown in the countryside or maybe you’ve been living in the city but now feel like the countryside is “the place where you belong”!
“Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West Virginia, mountain mama
Take me home, country roads”
American Woman – The Guess Who
Gotta love this one! This is one of those songs that you play out loud in your speakers, headphones or whatever you have and just dance!
“American woman gonna mess your mind
Mmm, American woman gonna mess your mind”
4. Songs for a Trip in Asia
Pack your bags and get ready for a bit of fun! These songs are all about those unforgettable holidays in Asia!
One Night In Bangkok – Murray Head
This song reminds me of the famous movie Hangover Part II. If you haven’t seen it, definitely check it out, as it gives the same feeling as this song!
It basically talks about the unique vibe of this city and how just in one night you can experience so many things and feel like everything is possible! But also how you can lose yourself in all that craziness!
“One night in Bangkok and the world’s your oyster
The bars are temples but their pearls ain’t free
You’ll find a god in every golden cloister”
Tokyo – Thundercat
What a city! Tokyo is huge and filled with iconic attractions! I feel like this song really captures the writer’s experience in Tokyo, which sounds a bit crazy!
Give it a listen and let me know what you think in the comments below.
“Restless nights in Tokyo
Wanna hear all the sounds and see all the sights
From the Champs Élysées to the Gundam Cafe”
5. Travel Love Songs
In this section you’ll find travel songs that speak about love, traveling, the love for traveling and traveling with your loved one, or having to leave your loved one to travel away! It’s a bit of a mix of all that but I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Everywhere – Fleetwood Mac
This song is giving me “I want to travel the world and go everywhere with you” vibes!
If you were looking for the perfect song to play for you and your partner or whoever is your travel buddy with whom you explore new places, then play this one and start your adventures!
“Oh, I
I want to be with you everywhere”
Dance of the Druids – Bear McCreary & Raya Yarbrough
If you love a bit of magic and time-traveling, then this song is for you!
Even if we don’t have Claire Fraser’s skills from Outlander when it comes to time-traveling and finding the love of our lives, we at least can travel from country to country and this song is the perfect tune for those who love traveling to magical and sacred places!
“A Rìgh na gile
A Rìgh na grèine
A Rìgh na rinne”
Chan Chan – Leandro Gonzales
Whenever I listen to this song I picture Cuba’s colorful houses, the music, the vibrant atmosphere, couples dancing around and having fun!
It’s an oldie but definitely a goldie.
“De Alto Cedro, voy para Marcané
Llego a Cueto, voy para Mayarí”
Alive – Ajeet, Nessi Gomes & Peia
This song speaks about those places where you feel most alive! For some it’s in a museum in Florence, the highlands in Scotland, or a castle in Germany.
The message that I feel this song sends so beautifully is that we all have these unique spots that we travel to or that we have right near us, where we go and feel so full of life and vibrant!
Find those places and keep them close to you, as the song says!
“Speak to me in colors
Of the places you have seen
Tell me, oh,
Where do you feel alive?”
Wanderlust – Frank Turner
A sort of sad love song! But I like how it says ‘the distance keeps calling me on”!
Sometimes in life, you hear a calling, and you feel like you just have to answer and go, even if it means leaving people behind! Although sad, I feel like this happens often in one’s life!
Luckily we have the promise of some new adventures and uncharted lands ahead of us that will make it all worth it!
“Darling, I’m leaving
The distance keeps calling me on
Darling, come morning
I’ll be gone”
Desert Rose – Sting
I’ve been listening to this song since I was little and honestly, it has the same effect on me now as it did back then!
It gives me the feeling of the desert and all its mysteries and myths! If you’re planning to visit a desert soon, play this song as you get ready for your trip!
“Sweet desert rose
Whose shadow bears the secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this”
Anywhere – Passenger
Such a cute song! This is like the ultimate love declaration! Just having a person telling you they’ll go anywhere with you!
If you listen carefully to the lyrics you’ll get what I mean! This person would do anything from “climbing trees” to “sailing out on the sea” and many other things! Such a cute one!
“If you wanna ride in a fast car
And feel the wind in your hair
Darling just look beside you
Oh, I’ll go with you anywhere”
Leaving on a Jet Plane – Chantal Kreviazuk
Sometimes I feel like we all just want to leave on a jet plane and forget all about our responsibilities and just travel from place to place, am I right?
If you need a break from everyday life and all the things that come with being a human on planet Earth, just play this song and imagine for a second that you’re on a plane, flying from country to country and exploring the world!
“’Cause I’m leaving on a jet plane
Don’t know when I’ll be back again”
The Gates of Istanbul – Loreena McKennitt
Lorena McKennitt is the ultimate modern troubadour who sings about forgotten, mystical places, love and many other subjects dear to me!
I love this song because it sort of makes you feel like you’re right near the city gates of Istanbul getting ready to enter!
“See there, past that far-off hill
A tower held in the sky
Hear there, in that dark blue night
The music calling us home”
Final thoughts on the best songs about travel
Already started the dance party? Hope you’re enjoying yourself as much as I enjoyed gathering these amazing traveling songs!
To wrap up, I’ll leave you with my top 2 favorite best travel songs that always put in the mood to buy a plane ticket, or jump in the car and go somewhere new:
There you have it!
Have fun listening to all these songs and traveling! And definitely let me know in the comments which song is your favorite, or if you have some song that I haven’t included that always makes you want to travel!
Happy exploring,
Victoria
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