Travelers can get their kicks on Route 66 next year as destinations and tour operators celebrate the Mother Road's centennial.

The iconic roadway, known for its neon lights, roadside motels and retro diners, has captured the imagination of travelers in search of a great American road trip from a bygone era. Destination marketing organizations and operators are eager to capitalize on the nostalgia with dedicated celebrations and special itineraries.

Known as the Main Street of America, Route 66 stretches from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif., and is a draw for both domestic and international visitors. Sam Murray, founder of Gilligans Route 66 Tours, primarily caters to the international market, which he says is in search of a 1950s and '60s America.

A New Zealander, Murray first drove part of Route 66 in 2005, which inspired him to come back and finish the drive. He and an American friend launched the operator in 2014, offering both guided and self-drive tours of the historic route, which was decommissioned as a highway in 1985.

"It's always been and always had the best publicity," Murray said. "It's had a song written about it, of course, and it's had TV shows and movies. It really captures the imagination of people who want a road trip, people who want nostalgia and to see Heartland America."

Gilligans' 26-day group tour in April will focus on the centennial, while a September group tour will include a mix of U.S. highways, since the entire U.S. highway system is also turning 100 next year.

Self-drive tours take 21 days to complete and include a rental car, a 165-page guidebook and an iPhone with a turn-by-turn app. The itinerary features a trip to the Grand Canyon and three nights in Las Vegas.

Inquiries for the centennial are already "very, very good," Murray said.

Cosmos, a tour operator in the Globus family of brands, will offer two itineraries next year: the 16-day Highlights of Route 66 and a special version of the trip that features the Mother Road Festival in Springfield, Mo., and the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico.

"It's epic Americana," said Steve Born, Globus' chief marketing officer, of Route 66's draw.

Guests will travel by coach, stopping at sites like the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum in Pontiac, Ill., the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Okla., and Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. The special-edition itinerary already had a departure sell out, prompting Cosmos to add a second one on Sept. 24.

For those who want to experience Route 66 in a format other than driving, Amtrak Vacations will operate a 14-day Route 66 by Rail itinerary. The trip features two overnight legs on Amtrak and 11 nights in hotels, a hop-on, hop-off tour in Chicago and travel on the Grand Canyon Railway.

The operator originally built the itinerary for the international market due to how enthralled visitors are by the roadway, said Frank Marini, CEO of Railbookers Group, which owns Amtrak Vacations. Next year's itinerary was revamped for the centennial and also built with the nation's 250th anniversary in mind.

"Travel is all about experiences … but with the celebration of America 250, it's a perfect time to experience the U.S. in a different way that you've never thought of before," Marini said. "Who would have thought of taking the train?"

Destination marketing organizations also see the Route 66 centennial as a once-in-a-century opportunity to attract visitors to their cities in droves.

Springfield was designated the host city for the centennial since it is considered the birthplace of the route; a 1926 telegram was sent from the city to Washington proposing the name, said Madison Yohn, the digital content manager for Visit Springfield.

The city expects a "pretty big boom" of visitors, said Andrea Copeland, the vice president of marketing for the DMO. Already, Visit Springfield is observing increased website visits, she said.

Visit Oklahoma City also expects a larger crowd during the centennial, said Angel Green, director of leisure sales. Lately, her conversations with tour operators have been "off the charts," she said.

"People who are wanting to do Route 66 are looking for true Americana," Green said. "They've heard about it. They've seen the Ferris wheel that sits on the Santa Monica Pier. They've seen that in movies, and they're looking for the true Americana, and that is what Route 66 is."