Top Summer Road Trip Itineraries for Food, Music and Sports Fanatics

DALLAS, June 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Taking a road trip is one of the most fun and unique ways to explore America's most popular cities, but not everyone can afford to spend several weeks or a month on the road. Some travelers opt to fly to a destination and hit the road in a rental car to save precious time. Whether your wanderlust is food, music or sports, the experts at Hotels.com® have picked three of the best "fly and drive" road trip itineraries for summer travel.

"So much of our typical travel revolves around family or work obligations, but road trips offer travelers a way to discover parts of the country that they would never see otherwise," said Taylor L. Cole, APR, travel expert for Hotels.com. "Travelers with limited time can make the most of their road trips taking advantage of the one-way car rentals that many companies offer."

Food: Southern BBQ Tour
Stops and Hotel Rates: Dallas ($120), Hot Springs, Ark. ($110), Memphis, Tenn. ($110), St. Louis ($119), Kansas City, Mo. ($109)*
Total Distance (one-way): 1,013 miles
Average Daily Driving: 3 hrs
Estimated Gas: $145**

Memphis, St. Louis and Kansas City-style BBQ each a have taste of their own that make these cities famous for a classic staple of American cuisine - smoked and barbecued meat. Foodies will also find some of the best BBQ joints in Dallas, Texas, while Hot Springs is home to some of the most famed and unique BBQ restaurants in the country.

Music: Live Music Road Trip
Stops and Hotel Rates: Austin, Texas ($143), Lafayette, La. ($92), New Orleans ($173), Memphis ($110), Nashville, Tenn. ($142)*
Total Distance (one-way): 1,119 miles
Average Daily Driving: 3 hrs 18 min
Estimated Gas: $160**

Whether your music preference is jazz (New Orleans), country (Nashville) or the blues (Memphis), these cities are renowned for their local acts and live music venues. Music lovers can also appreciate the origins of Cajun music and the Zydeco dancehalls of Lafayette, as well as the live music capital of the world that is Austin.

Sports: Ballpark Tour
Stops and Hotel Rates: Boston ($190), New York City ($267), Philadelphia ($148), Baltimore ($130), Pittsburgh ($143)*
Total Distance (one-way): 656 miles
Average Daily Driving: 3 hrs 29 min
Estimated Gas: $94**

Some of the country's most renowned and breathtaking ballparks can be found in the northeast according to Athlon Sports. Baseball fans can catch a home game while visiting or simply take a tour of a historic ballpark like Fenway Park or Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

To find last-minute hotel deals on-the-go, download the Hotels.com mobile booking app, or sign up for the Hotels.com newsletter to get exclusive access to Private Sales up to 50% off.

*Average nightly rates (excluding taxes & fees) according to the Hotel Price Index™

**Calculated using the national average price of gas (http://www.fuelgaugereport.com) and the average mpg of new U.S. vehicles (http://www.autonews.com/article/20140606/RETAIL03/140609859/average-u.s.-fuel-economy-rises-to-record-25.6-mpg)

Press contacts:
Pat Burek – Finn Partners for Hotels.com
Phone: (212) 715-1542
Email: [email protected]
@FinnPartners

Taylor L. Cole, APR
Hotels.com North America
Phone: (469) 335-8442
Email: [email protected]
@TravelwithTLC

About Hotels.com (www.hotels.com)
Hotels.com is a leading online accommodation booking website with more than 290,000 properties around the world, ranging from international chains and all-inclusive resorts to local favorites and bed & breakfasts, together with all the information needed to book the perfect stay. Special apps for mobile phones and tablets can also be downloaded enabling customers to book on the go with access to 20,000 last minute deals.

© 2014 Hotels.com, LP. Hotels.com, The Obvious Choice, Captain Obvious, Hotel Price Index and the Hotels.com logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Hotels.com, LP in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. CST # 2083949-50

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140619/119563
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140226/DA72521LOGO-b

SOURCE Hotels.com