Roadtrips are all the rage. After all, driving is one of the best ways to see any destination, so they’ve become some of today’s most exciting and memorable bucket-list adventures.
Here’s our pick of the world’s ultimate roadtrip routes:
NC500, Scotland
Deserted beaches, rugged headlands and clan castles dot a 500-mile circuit from Inverness around Scotland’s north coast.
Between bustling ferry ports and pastel fishing villages, single-track roads wiggle round sea lochs, mountains and moorland.
Great Ocean Drive, Australia
Highlights of this 150-mile stretch of Australia’s southeast coast include the landmark 12 Apostles rock stacks and a series of steamy rainforest waterfalls. The smooth two-lane highway is also the world’s longest war memorial – it was built by 3,000 returning First World War soldiers.
Route 66
The world’s most famous roadtrip stretches more than 2,000 miles from Chicago to LA. It has been taking desperados and dreamers to the west coast for almost 100 years.
Today it’s a backwoods patchwork of old and new roads, period diners, gas stations and ghost towns giving a snapshot of smalltown America.
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Florida Keys Scenic Highway
Here’s a road that offers a unique chance to go island-hopping by car. The 110 miles of bridges link 43 ‘keys’ stretching into the shallow turquoise Caribbean from the tip of Florida.
The road skips across waves to Key West, with chances to spot alligators, pelicans, palm trees – and great seafood shacks.
The Garden Route, South Africa
The drive along Africa’s southern tip appeals to everyone from wine-tasters to wildlife watchers.
Its 124 miles pass wave-bashed sands, rainforest waterfalls, mountains rising from the sea and some of the world’s lushest flowers and trees. Incredibly, this region contains 20 per cent of all Africa’s plant species.
The garden route includes amazing wildlife experiences too, like whale watching from shore plus penguin and ostrich spotting.
Icefield Parkway, Canada
A chance to drive through pristine landscapes of gorgeous white topped mountains, dark forests and sparkling lakes. Alberta’s all-year Highway 93 offers 144 miles dotted with waterfalls and rock pinacles, plus serious wilderness wildlife like bears, caribou and wolves – plus more than 100 glaciers en-route.
Carretera Austral, Chile
‘The Southern Way’ is the 770-mile route between Chile’s lake district and Patagonia that runs north/south between the Pacific and the Andes, passing huge forests, glaciers and fjords while condors soar above the road.
The Golden Triangle, India
Roadtrippers see many of India’s highlights in one 450-mile trip: a circuit from Delhi via Jaipur and Agra taking in the Taj Mahal, Pink City and Old Delhi. Dodge rickshaws, multi-passenger bicycles and ancient trucks to see exotic palaces, bazaars… and plenty of elephants.
SW660, England
Small coastal roads hug the 660-mile coast of England’s southwest peninsular, is a picturesque sequence of fishing villages, sheltered coves and rugged rocky headlands.
Amalfi Coast Road, Italy
The 40-mile stretch between Sorrento to Salerno is a favourite film location for glamorous car chases or open-top wind-in-the-hair romance. Watch for narrow hairpins, high above the sparking Mediterranean to distract you from views of the island of Capri, gardens of Ravello and summit of Vesuvius.
Route One, Iceland
Iceland’s ‘ring road’ is a surprisingly driveable 820-mile loop round the entire island.
There’s geological drama at every turn, like volcanoes, glaciers, lagoons, fjords, hot springs and hot mud pools. It’s normally open all year. Highlights include Hraunfossar’s half-mile wide waterfalls cascading into a tree-lined river from a lava field.
Romantic Road, Germany
Wind through Bavaria’s fairytale mountains, lakes and forests for 250 miles between Wurzburg to Fussen, taking in ancient Augsburg, walled gothic towns like Rothenburg ob der Tauber and the Disney-esque Neuschwanstein Castle.
And here’s the added appeal of traditional multiple Christmas markets from the end of November.
Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland
One of the world’s longest new official roadtrip routes includes the Europe’s highest cliffs, tallest sand-dunes and longest cave stalactites.
The 1,500 wiggly miles of rugged west coast between Malin Head and Kinsale has a long list of highlights like the towering Cliffs of Moher, world heritage moonscape of Clare’s Burren, craic of Galway’s bars and tranquil atmosphere of Sligo’s empty white beaches. Don’t miss Connemara’s Clew Bay, with 365 islands, one for every day of the year.
Swiss Grand Tour
From palm fringed lakes to cow bells in high alpine meadows, this 1020-mile circuit includes an amazing 13 World Heritage Sites, 22 lakes, five mountain passes – and most of Switzerland’s top attractions.
It’s packed with charging stations to encourage EVs too. Exploring, planning and navigating is a doddle with the free Grand Tour app.
