With summer now in full swing, plenty of us are making plans for a big UK road trip.

We've already got you covered for 'staycation' ideas, but no summer road trip is complete without some banging tunes to entertain you along the way.

So, we've compiled our favourite driving songs into the Ultimate Summer Road Trip playlist.

But don't worry, it's not just the same old songs rehashed into a different order. While you're sure to see some of the classics, there may also be plenty that you don't recognise.

These are our favourite driving songs that we hope will soon be yours as well!

Here's how our Summer Road Trip playlist works.

 

106 Great Driving Songs

That's 6 hours and 31 minutes of music - plenty of choice for any road trip. It's also a lot to digest, so we've grouped these songs into different sections or 'vibes' if you will. That way, you always have total control over the mood of your journey.

'Bops' - These are the feel-good, up-beat songs you can't help but gently dance along to. Ultimately, they're the driving songs with the best summery feel, so they form the backbone of this playlist.

Easy Listening - Late summer nights = more chilled, mellow drives. These songs are slightly softer, to give your voice a chance to recover, but also keep your road trip vibe rolling.

Sing-Along Hits - We know the words. You know the words (and if you don't, you soon will). Most importantly, you won't be able to resist belting these tunes out at the top of your lungs every time they come on.

Classics & Throwbacks - Everyone loves a bit of nostalgia and no road trip playlist would be complete without these classics. There's also a couple of hidden gems that you might have forgotten just how good they are...

Proper Tunes - These songs are unskippable. Fact. No matter the mood, no matter who's in the car, when one of these driving songs comes on, they won't have any complaints.

Guilty Pleasures - Everyone has them. We don't care how embarrassed these songs might make you feel in front of your mates, we know you're going to crank up the volume as soon as you're alone in the car. Because they are all absolute belters.

Party Tunes - Raise the roof with this selection of hype songs. They're high-energy, high-octane bangers - but still restrained enough to make them great driving songs.

Radio Shuffle - A selection of big-hitting summery tunes from recent years. They're all top 20 UK singles hits with over 90 million streams on Spotify - so you've definitely heard them all before.   Plenty of these driving songs fit into more than one category, so your road trip vibe won't be disrupted by sticking the playlist on shuffle! Listen to the BookMyGarage Summer Road Trip Playlist on Spotify below. 

 

   

 

Want to know what we've included before diving right in? Here's the rundown of our driving songs playlist, as well as an insight into why we love these songs so much.

 

Our Road Trip 'Bops'

1 Thing - Amerie Happy Unhappy - The Beths  

Fresh Air - FLOWVERS

"My friend's band released this song when they were just 17/18 years old" - Paris. (And what a song it is too, we might add)

On Top of The World - Imagine Dragons

New Light - John Mayer  

Wildfire - John Mayer

"The song I always listened to on the train up to uni to calm any nerves I had during my finals." - Sam

Say Something - Lucas & Steve

Crazy Love - MJ Cole, Elisabeth Troy

Kids - OneRepublic

Evergreen - Painted West

New Shoes - Paulo Nutini

Powerless - Rudimental, Becky Hill

Never Leave You - Tinchy Stryder, Amelie

Shy Away - Twenty One Pilots

 

narrow UK street leading down hill to sea and clear blue sky, cars parked on right hand side of road

The firsts sight of the sea is one of the most exciting moments of the summer. Increase the hype with these bops to get everyone in the right mood! Photo by Lyle Hastie on Unsplash

 

Easy Listening Driving Songs

Nostalgic - A R I Z O N A

Ride for Me - B Young  

Chinatown - Bleachers, Bruce Springsteen

"Just simply one of my favourite driving songs, recorded by two amazing artists" - Drew

Baby, I'm Yours - Breakbot, Irfane

That's What I Like - Bruno Mars

Pirouette - Chiiild

Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae  

Call It Dreaming - Iron & Wine

"This song calms me down or cheers me up no matter what and is also a super chill driving song" - Drew

Bambi - Jidenna

My Favourite Part - Mac Miller, Ariana Grande

Fine Apple - Nic D

Kyoto - Phoebe Bridgers

Acolyte - Slaughter Beach, Dog

This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) - Talking Heads

 

silhouettes around a campfire on beach at dusk

Soundtrack those late night beach trips with these chilled out driving songs. Photo by Kimson Doan on Unsplash

 

Sing-Along Hits for Your Road Trip

Best Day of My Life - American Authors

Valerie - Amy Winehouse, Mark Ronson

Wake Me Up - Avicii

Forget You - Cee Lo Green

Club Can't Handle Me Right Now - Flo Rida, David Guetta

Get Away - George Ezra

Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls

Goodbye Mr A - The Hoosiers

It's Time - Imagine Dragons

Take Me Home, Country Roads - John Denver

"Something of a cult classic in my friendship group and reciting the lyrics started probably the funniest conversation we've ever had" - Drew

Unconditionally - Katy Perry  

You Can Call Me Al - Paul Simon

"This song just screams 'summer' to me and I have so many good memories attached to it with friends on the beach and in the car" - Drew

All You Ever Wanted - Rag'n'Bone Man

Pon De Replay - Rhianna

 

female passenger sticking her head out of car window on sunny day driving down mountain road

Roll the windows down and enjoy the summer sun with these sing-along hits!

 

Classics & Throwbacks

Movin' Too Fast - Artful Dodger, Romina Johnson

Uptown Girl - Billy Joel  

Breakfast at Tiffany's - Deep Blue Something

"There's just something about this song that I absolutely love and that makes it stand out as a great summer tune even though it's about a relationship falling apart." - Drew

Mr Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra

Feeling a Moment - Feeder

Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

Go Your Own Way - Fleetwood Mac

Crazy - Gnarls Barkley

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers

Life is a Highway - Rascal Flatts

Dakota - Stereophonics

Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap

"My plane song. I get a bit nervous during takeoff and this song always gets me through the other side" - Sam

Dancing in the Moonlight - Toploader

"I remember doing just as the song says around a fire under the moon and stars, dancing with my best friends til the early hours of the morning" - Paris

 

blue sky with white fluffy clouds

The only thing better than a blue sky is having some classic driving songs to soundtrack your day! Photo by Jelleke Vanooteghem on Unsplash

 

Our Road Trip Proper Tunes

I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas

Feel It - Fin Draper, Deeps

Who Did You Think I Was - John Mayer Trio

Bottom of You - Kokab, Beatchild

Late Night Feelings - Mark Ronson, Lykke Li

Classic - MKTO

Music Sounds Better With You - NEIL FRANCES

Tenderness - Parquet Courts

Pencil Full of Lead - Paulo Nutini

"Reminds me of me and my mum dancing/jiving around the kitchen as she cleaned up on a Saturday morning, both full of energy and singing our hearts out" - Paris

Shut Up and Drive - Rhianna

Dancing on My Own - Robyn

Nothing New - The Strike

Ballroom Blitz - Sweet

 

Guilty Pleasures

Irreplaceable - Beyonce

Cut to The Feeling - Carly Rae Jepson

Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall

Payphone - Maroon 5

Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell

Pocket Full of Sunshine - Natasha Bedingfield

Dream Catch Me - Newton Faulkner

What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction

Fireflies - Owl City

Push the Button - The Sugarbabes

So Into You - Tamia

No Scrubs - TLC

 

Party Tunes to Keep Your Road Trip Bouncing

The Days - Avicii

Feel So Close - Calvin Harris

Summer - Calvin Harris

Drinking From The Bottle - Calvin Harris, Tinie Tempah

GOMF - DVBBS, BRIDGE

Stereo Love - Edward Maya, Vika Jigulina

Low - Flo Rida, T-Pain

Prayer in C - Lily Wood and The Prick, Robin Schultz

Can't Hold Us - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, feat. Ray Dalton

Freak - R3HAB, Quintino

Show Me Love - Steve Angello, Laidback Luke, Robin S

DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love - Usher, Pitbull

Afterglow - Wilkinson, Becky Hill

 

silhouettes of three women dancing at night with orange sunset sky in background

Dance all night long thanks to this selection of party tunes, guaranteed to keep your road trip vibe going at all hours! Photo by Levi Guzman on Unsplash

 

Radio Shuffle Driving Songs

Chocolate - The 1975

Pompeii - Bastille

Castle on The Hill - Ed Sheeran

"This is such a great example of growing up and a song that's stuck with me ever since I first heard it aged 16/17 going through everything that changes at that age" - Drew

Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles

Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

Prisoner - Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa

Let Me Love You (Until You Learn to Love Yourself) - Ne-Yo

Cheerleader - OMI, Felix Jaehn

Good Time - Owl City, Carly Rae Jepson

"I've loved Owl City's music since I was about 12 years old and some of his other stuff has got me through breakups, so I couldn't leave this summer classic off the playlist!" - Drew

Feel This Moment - Pitbull, Christina Aguilera

These Days - Rudimental, Jess Glynne, Macklemore & Dan Caplen

Little Bit of Love - Tom Grennan

 

Any tunes we've missed? Let us know your perfect road trip playlist in the comments!