off the beaten track

Idioms and Phrases

An unusual route or destination, as in We found a great vacation spot, off the beaten track . This term alludes to a well-worn path trodden down by many feet and was first recorded in 1860, although the phrase beaten track was recorded in 1638 in reference to the usual, unoriginal way of doing something.

Example Sentences

The moral: Whenever possible, get off the beaten track.

From Los Angeles Times

Bryan agreed, saying: "The places they visit are glorious and wonderful, and so often off the beaten track. I think they show us places we often wouldn’t see on TV."

From BBC

The town is so off the beaten track, the loudest sound is cows mooing in the distance.

From Seattle Times

The jurors then travelled a further three-miles down isolated country roads, with each turn taking them further off the beaten track.

From BBC

It is off the beaten track for most Palestinians, and far from Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority, the body created in the 1990s that exercises limited self-rule over parts of the West Bank.

From New York Times

Related Words

• confined
• deserted
• detached
• hidden
• lonely
• outlying
• remote
• secluded
• segregated
• unusual