4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63110

You’ll find plenty of rewards when venturing a little further afield in your St. Louis rental car, with the Missouri Botanical Garden among them. This National Historic Landmark was set up in 1859, making it one of the oldest existing botanical gardens in the entire country.

With a magnificent, clear dome as its centerpiece, the garden boasts 79 acres of displays. Highlights include the 14-acre Japanese strolling garden and a bespoke children’s area, perfect for inquiring minds. A series of regular exhibitions keeps visitors coming back for more.

736 South Broadway, St. Louis, MO 63102

Combining live music with seafood and Cajun dishes, the Broadway Oyster Bar always gets the party started. This New Orleans-style restaurant and music venue hosts a variety of live acts every day of the week.

Oysters are a specialty, just as the venue’s name suggests. But there’s plenty more to get your teeth into, such as fried shrimp, crab cakes, and even the chance to sample fried alligator. Keep your eyes peeled for one-off festivals and special events too, including Mardi Gras, and learn more about the best jazz and blues clubs in St. Louis.

2 South 4th Street, St. Louis, MO 63102

Located downtown, this elegant modern hotel is a convenient place to keep your car rental in St. Louis. The hotel’s eighth-floor terrace is practically an attraction in its own right, offering dramatic views of the nearby Mississippi River and Gateway Arch.

You can easily take a break from driving, with venues like Busch Stadium within walking distance. What’s more, the daily hot breakfast and on-site fine-dining steakhouse should fuel you up for another day or evening of sightseeing.

22 miles & 25 minutes

Breeze straight down I-44 to Lone Elk Park, a 546-acre wildlife management area that’s brimming with elk, deer and bison. Nestled on the outskirts of St. Louis, the park offers plenty of hiking trails to stretch your legs and get up close with nature.

248 miles & 4 hours

Take the I-70 to Kansas City, the largest city in Missouri. This straight route takes you east to west, from one state border to another. The National WWI Museum and Memorial and Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art are among its top attractions.

297 miles & 4.5 hours

Head north from St. Louis in your rental car through neighboring Illinois to reach the ‘Windy City’. As one of the biggest cities in the US, Chicago is a bustling hub of culture, art, architecture and sport, perched on the shores of Lake Michigan.