From The Latest Issue: The Season Of Scenic Miles

There’s something warm and celebratory about the months of December and January. December winds down with nostalgia and self-reflection, while January arrives with hope and the promise of a fresh start. For many people today, that shift isn’t defined by crowded parties or midnight countdowns; it’s by choosing to drive into the new year, turning road journeys into a more personal way of celebrating, unwinding, and beginning afresh.

People embark on these year-end drives for different reasons. Some want space after a long, demanding year. Others seek a detox from screens and schedules. Families and friends use the holidays to reconnect. Many solo travellers see the road as a way to start the year on their own terms, with direction and intention. This shift is part of a bigger change in how India travels today. Domestic travel has grown sharply in recent years, much of it driven by people seeking nearby, easy getaways. According to the latest report by Booking.com, searches jumped from 10.3 crore in 2022 to 14.1 crore in 2024, showing travellers now favour short breaks over long vacations. The momentum is also evident in the mobility sector. Self-drive car rental company Zoomcar’s 2025 Travel Trends report shows that in India, 71 percent of trips this year were under two days, up from 66 percent in 2023, highlighting the growing popularity of quick, road-friendly escapes. Adding to the picture, IMARC Group projects India’s car rental market to grow from US$2.74 billion in 2024 to about US$9.29 billion by 2033, suggesting how road travel is slowly becoming a core part of domestic tourism.

All of this explains why, as one year ends and another begins, more people are turning to the road. With new expressways, smoother highways, easier self-drive rentals, and a growing network of homestays in smaller towns, road travel has become accessible and appealing. Because the experience is simple, it also feels restorative.

The Healing Road

Winter changes the way India looks and feels. It naturally slows people down, and at the end of the year, this shift becomes a chance to step away from the pace and pressure of daily life. More travellers are choosing the road not just to explore new places, but to recover from months of city noise, deadlines, and digital saturation.

Recent research has highlighted that being on the move can genuinely improve one's well-being. A 2025 study published in the International Journal of Tourism Research points to travel’s ability to reduce stress, lift mood, support mental recovery, and even help people with chronic conditions feel more energised and engaged.

What matters isn’t grand itineraries but positive, low-pressure experiences: fresh air, a cup of chai warming your hands at a highway stall, mist lifting as you climb through a forested stretch, and a rare sunlit clearing on a shaded road. In this way, a winter road trip becomes its own form of therapy, a simple way to clear the mind, regulate emotions, and ease into a new year with a more grounded sense of self.

Across the country, winter roads invite a slower, more thoughtful kind of travel. Along the Maharashtra-Goa coastline, the drive passes remote villages, fishing boats drying in the sun, and long stretches where the sea appears and disappears beside you.In Uttarakhand and Himachal, familiar hill drives take on a different character this time of year. The pine forests deepen in colour, the terraced fields turn warm and earthy, and the smaller towns move at a softer pace.

Further south, Kerala’s backwater belt offers a different rhythm. The Kochi–Alleppey–Kollam route is less about speed and more about slipping into the landscape. Coconut groves lean over the water, and the road often runs so close to the backwaters that the journey feels like drifting rather than driving.

Road Trips As A Digital Detox

By the time December arrives, most people feel the weight of the year, from notifications, deadlines, and the pressure to “end strong.” It’s no surprise, then, that New Year getaways are increasingly taking the shape of intentional road journeys. The moment you drive out of the city, the shift is immediate: the noise drops away, the pace evens out, and the phone stops dictating the day.

Travellers are choosing routes that allow them to disconnect, rather than opting for busy resorts or crowded parties. Remote cottages, lakeside cabins, plantation stays, and hilltop retreats are becoming the preferred way to close the year, offering spaces where the world feels a little further away. In fact, the 2025 Hilton Trends Report noted that 27 per cent of global travellers want to stop doom-scrolling on vacation, and 17 per cent actively seek stays that force them to disconnect completely. Moreover, younger travellers, despite being heavy tech enthusiasts, are becoming more intentional about their screen time and digital balance, according to the Economic Times' Snapchat Gen Z Index. For many, a winter road trip has become the cleanest way to start a new year. A long stretch of highway. A quiet evening in a place where the phone matters less. A morning drive on January 1 with no alarms. Without constant interruptions, people find themselves thinking more clearly, resting more deeply, and reconnecting with what the year ahead should feel like.

Families, Friends And Found Connections

The end of the year brings an unhurried time with loved ones. Busy schedules often leave little room for deeper connection, but a road journey creates the perfect setting for it. The car becomes its own small world; snacks are passed back and forth, playlists that stir memories, and conversations that stretch easily across kilometres. There’s something about being in motion together that dissolves pressure. No agendas, no timelines, just the road ahead and the people beside you.

“We are seeing a growing interest in drivecations for the upcoming December–January period, with families, multi-generational groups, and young professionals opting for mini-cations and shorter breaks to nearby destinations,” says Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head–Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited. “Indian travellers are also displaying increasing preference for eclectic stays like heritage bungalows, tree houses, tea estates and boutique havelis, along with outdoor experiences such as guided trails, cycling routes and adventure activities—while celebrating the New Year.”

Bookings for SUVs and six to seven-seater vehicles have increased in 2025, mirroring the growing appeal of comfortable, shared travel options. Families across major cities are opting for drivable destinations within a four to six-hour radius, especially during the December-January window. Skyscanner’s recent survey suggests that 41 per cent of Indian travellers plan to travel with family next year, including multi-generational trips, a sign that road journeys are increasingly becoming annual rituals.

Across the country, destinations lend themselves beautifully to these shared escapes. In South India, coffee trails like Coorg, Chikmagalur and Wayanad draw families in with cosy stays, bonfire nights and long, lingering mornings. In Rajasthan and Gujarat, winter nights in the desert, set to the backdrop of folk music, night markets and regional feasts, create celebrations that feel both grounding and memorable. From Delhi and North India, the short drive to Rishikesh, Tehri, or the lower Himalayas offers families sunsets, lakeside walks and a welcome pause from the year behind them.

But the season’s togetherness isn’t limited to families. The rise of found families, friends, colleagues, or tight-knit travel communities has reshaped what year-end celebrations look like. Many young travellers say that ending the year with their chosen people feels more authentic than formal festivities. Skyscanner reports 37 per cent of Indian travellers expect to meet new people on the road, either making friends or forming romantic connections. For families, friends, and the communities we build along the way, the road has become more than a route. It is a shared space that invites connection, conversation, and celebration.

Something For Solo Travellers

Not everyone wants to end the year in a group, and increasingly, not everyone feels they have to. Solo road trips are becoming one of the most meaningful ways people close a year and step into a new one. There is a distinct thrill in choosing your route, rhythm, stops, music, and silence. The road becomes a companion, not a demand.

Zoomcar’s Travel Trends 2025 report shows travellers aged 18 to 25 now account for 31 per cent of all self-drive trips, up from 22 per cent the previous year. This group is driving the solo-travel movement, often seeking flexible plans, less conventional destinations, and the freedom to travel without negotiation. The rise is not limited to metros; self-drive demand from Tier-2 cities has grown by 30 per cent and from Tier-3 cities by 14 per cent, making solo road travel more accessible across the country.

Women are an increasingly important part of this story. According to a recent report by IntrCity SmartBus, India has seen a 135 per cent rise in solo women travellers between 2023 and 2025, and globally, women now drive more than half of all solo-travel searches.

However, even as this growth is encouraging, it’s essential to recognise that we’re not yet there when it comes to ensuring women’s safety on the road. Progress has been made with improved highways, well-lit petrol stations, reliable navigation tools, and a surge in vetted homestays and boutique accommodations. But the concerns haven’t disappeared. Many women still plan carefully, share live locations, research pit stops in advance, and prefer popular routes over remote shortcuts. Even so, winter remains the perfect season for solo journeys. Early-morning drives through Rajasthan’s empty desert roads, birding circuits in Uttarakhand, meandering through Karnataka’s coffee estates, or slipping into the Western Ghats on nearly empty roads become both movement and meditation.

In the end, what stays with us after a winter drive isn’t the distance travelled but the feeling it leaves behind. In a world that moves too fast, these slow miles offer a freedom that feels grounding and hopeful. Perhaps that is why so many are choosing the road to begin again. On an open highway, with a new year ahead, the simplest journey can become the most meaningful.

Some Of The Most Incredible Road Journeys

India’s winter roads have a way of drawing people in. December and January are months when the country feels a bit slower, brighter, and perfectly suited for long, thoughtful drives. What makes these journeys so compelling is the variety of each region's winter rhythm.

• Coastal Drives: Whether you take the Mumbai-Ratnagiri-Goa stretch, cruise past fishing towns between Mangalore and Gokarna, or weave through the backwaters on the Kochi–Alleppey–Kollam route, winter gives these drives a cinematic, soft glow.

• Mountain Routes: In the hills, winter brings its own stillness. The familiar bends of Chandigarh-Shimla-Narkanda, the ridge-top shadows along Dehradun-Mussoorie-Dhanaulti-Tehri, and the misty twists of the Old Silk Route from Gangtok to Zuluk all take on a more reflective mood at the turn of the year.

• Desert and Dry Landscapes: In Rajasthan and Kutch, winter is when the desert feels most alive. Drives like Jodhpur-Osian-Jaisalmer or Ahmedabad-Bhuj-Rann of Kutch offer big skies, stunning sunsets, and night temperatures that make bonfires essential.

• Forest and Plantation Trails: The Western Ghats stay lush even when the rest of the country turns dry. The estate-lined roads from Bangalore to Chikmagalur, the misty curves on Mysore-Coorg, the wildlife-rich bends on Coimbatore-Pollachi-Valparai, and the rolling hills of Kochi-Munnar-Marayoor-Kanthalloor all carry a deep, steady calm.

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