Europe
137 curated road trips
LegendaryRing RoadIceland's Route 1 loops the entire island, glaciers, volcanoes, black sand beaches, and the Northern Lights. No other road delivers this much raw nature in one loop.
LegendaryAmalfi CoastThe SS163 may be the most beautiful road on Earth, hairpin bends cut into cliffs, pastel villages above an impossibly blue sea, lemon groves scenting the air.
LegendaryWild Atlantic WayThe world's longest defined coastal route hugs the entire western seaboard of Ireland, sea stacks, clifftop monasteries, stone-walled roads, Gaelic-speaking fishing villages, and pubs where the session never ends.
LegendaryNorth Coast 500Scotland's answer to Route 66, the NC500 loops 500 miles through the most spectacular and least-visited landscapes in Europe: the Torridon mountains' Precambrian sandstone, the white-sand beaches of Durness above the Cape Wrath headland, the flow country's peatland wilderness, the castle-dotted Black Isle, and the Bealach na Bà (the steepest road in Britain) above Applecross's seafood bar. The most dramatic drive in Britain.
IconicThe Romantic RoadGermany's most celebrated themed route, from the Residenz palace city of Würzburg through the medieval timber-framed perfection of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the walled town of Dinkelsbühl, and the circular Nördlingen (built inside a meteor crater) to the fairy-tale pinnacles of Neuschwanstein Castle above Füssen. The idealised German Middle Ages through the most beautiful medieval townscapes in Europe.
LegendaryThe DolomitesThe Grande Strada delle Dolomiti, the Great Dolomites Road from Bolzano to Cortina d'Ampezzo through the most spectacular mountain scenery in the Alps. Huge cathedrals of rock, the Val di Fassa, the Sella Ronda massif, the Alta Badia, and vertiginous switchbacks between peaks of 3,168m and 3,218m.
LegendaryGrossglockner High Alpine RoadThere's a reason the Grossglockner Road is often cited as the finest drive in the Alps, a 48 km rollercoaster of sheer glacier-encrusted mountains, waterfalls, forested slopes, jewel-coloured lakes, and 4,000 m peaks on almost every distractingly lovely bend. The crown is Grossglockner itself at 3,798 m, Austria's highest peak, and the rapidly retreating Pasterze Glacier below the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe lookout.
LegendaryTrollstigenThe Troll's Path, eleven hairpins on a 10% gradient rising 850m above the Istra valley, with the 180m Stigfossen waterfall cascading alongside the road. Norway's most dramatic single route descends to Geiranger, the country's most celebrated fjord.
LegendaryTransfăgărășan, RomaniaThe road Jeremy Clarkson called the best in the world, the Transfăgărășan Highway slices through the Southern Carpathians from Wallachia to Transylvania with 90 km of hairpin bends, viaducts, and a tunnel through granite. Poenari Castle (Vlad the Impaler's real fortress, 1,480 steps above the Argeș River) guards the route's start; Bâlea Lake sits at the 2,034m summit.
IconicDouro Valley Wine RouteThe oldest demarcated wine region in the world, the Douro Valley winds east from Porto through terraced vineyards carved into schist hillsides, past baroque manor houses and centuries-old quintas that produce some of the world's finest port and table wine.
IconicCappadocia Valleys LoopA compact Cappadocia route for visitors who want more than one balloon-view stop. The loop links Göreme, Uçhisar, Avanos, underground cities, Ihlara Canyon, Soğanlı Valley, and Ürgüp into a short drive through volcanic rock, cave churches, vineyards, and early Christian hideouts.
IconicThree CornichesThree parallel cliff roads between Nice and Monaco, each at a different altitude, the Basse Corniche past Belle Époque villas, the Moyenne past Èze's eagle's nest, and the Grande Corniche where Grace Kelly drove her last road.
LegendaryAdriatic Coastal HighwayThe Jadranska Magistrala hugs Croatia's Dalmatian coast, Venetian-walled cities, island ferries, karst mountains plunging to the sea, the marble streets of Dubrovnik, and the most beautiful archipelago in the Mediterranean.
IconicBlack Forest High RoadThe Schwarzwald-Hochstrasse (B500) runs along the ridge of Germany's most romantic mountain range, dense spruce forests, cuckoo clock villages, thermal spa towns, glass-clear lakes, and cake made with cream and kirsch.
LegendarySwiss Alpine PassesSwitzerland's greatest road trip connects its most legendary Alpine passes, the Grimsel, Furka, Gotthard, and Susten, through glaciers, electric-blue lakes, and mountain villages where the only sounds are cowbells and wind.
LegendaryRoute des Grandes AlpesA true Alpine spectacular, La Route des Grandes Alpes traverses the French Alps from the shores of Lake Geneva to the French Riviera, ascending and descending 16 mountain passes including some of the highest sealed roads in Europe. The route took almost 30 years to construct and passes through three national parks, Vanoise, Queyras, and Mercantour, with views of Mont Blanc from the opening passes.
IconicGorges du VerdonFrance's answer to the Grand Canyon, a 25 km gash through the limestone hills of Provence where the Verdon River has carved sheer cliffs nearly a kilometre high. The usual route begins in the hilltop town of Moustiers-Ste-Marie, creeps around the gorge rim with roadside viewpoints galore, loops the 23 km Rte des Crêtes with 14 lookouts (keep eyes peeled for eagles and vultures), and ends at Castellane.
IconicChianti RoadToscana simply doesn't get more bella than the SR222 through Chianti country, linking two great medieval cities through gently rolling countryside striped with cypress trees, olive groves, and vines. Most photogenic during the late springtime eruption of poppies and wildflowers; stop at every enoteca for Chianti Classico, a sangiovese-dominated drop that tastes like the landscape.
IconicRing of KerryIreland’s classic loop on the Iveragh Peninsula combines Atlantic cliffs, sheep-flecked hills, and bright harbors in a single easy day drive. Expect constant scenery, narrow rural roads, and frequent stops for beaches, stone forts, and mountain passes, with Killarney as the natural gateway.
LegendaryStelvio PassOne of Europe’s classic alpine drives, the Stelvio Pass links Prato allo Stelvio and Bormio through a dramatic ladder of 48 switchbacks. Expect steep gradients, tight bends, soaring views, and a high-mountain atmosphere that feels especially memorable in clear summer weather.
LegendaryAtlantic Ocean RoadNorway’s Atlantic Ocean Road traces a short but dramatic coastal crossing between Kristiansund and Molde, leaping across islets and skerries on a chain of bridges above the Norwegian Sea. It is famous for its sweeping curves, big-sky views, and storm-battered seascapes.
IconicAlbanian Riviera and Llogara PassThis classic south Albania drive follows the Ionian coast from Vlora over the switchbacks of Llogara Pass to the turquoise coves and stone villages of the Riviera. Expect mountain panoramas, beach stops at Dhërmi and Himarë, and a slower pace on one of the Balkans’ most scenic roads.
IconicVršič PassThis classic alpine crossing climbs from Kranjska Gora to the Soča Valley through 50 tight hairpins and dramatic limestone scenery. At 1,611 meters, Vršič Pass delivers sweeping views of the Julian Alps, roadside memorials, and short stops for hikes, making it Slovenia’s most iconic mountain drive.
IconicSnowdonia CircuitThis loop threads through the heart of Snowdonia, combining slate-era heritage, mountain passes, and classic Welsh coast views. Start in Betws-y-Coed, climb toward Llanberis and the slopes of Yr Wyddfa, then swing through Beddgelert, Harlech, and the shores of Porthmadog before returning through inland valleys.
NotableA Venetian SojournPink palaces, teal canals, golden domes, the Veneto is unlike anywhere else. From Venice's lagoon by vaporetto to Murano's glass furnaces, then on to the Brenta Riviera's Palladian villas, Vicenza's architectural masterpieces, and Asolo's hundred hilltop vistas.
NotableAbruzzo HighlandsItaly's most underrated region, the SS17 and mountain roads through the Apennine backbone past medieval hill towns, the wolf-and-bear wilderness of Gran Sasso, and a coastline that the Adriatic sun turns an extraordinary turquoise.
IconicAcross the Austrian AlpsThe great Austrian crossing from Tyrol to Vienna, from Innsbruck's Golden Roof and Habsburg legacy, over the Brenner Pass and through the Salzkammergut's lake district (where Hallstatt gave its name to the Iron Age), into the Baroque splendour of Salzburg (Mozart, the Sound of Music, the Salzburg Festival) and finally the imperial grandeur of Vienna. Austria's full cultural and natural range in one drive.
NotableAlentejo & Algarve BeachesPortugal's southern Atlantic coast, from the long, uncrowded beaches of the Alentejo costa vicentina through the wild Sagres peninsula to the Algarve. This isn't the Mediterranean; it's the Atlantic with surfable waves, maritime history, pine and rosemary dunes, and beaches so remote that access tracks are unmarked. The drive takes in the finest beaches in Portugal's least developed coastline.
IconicAlgarve Coastal DrivePortugal's golden south, the Algarve runs from the white-cube towns of the eastern barrier islands to the wind-battered sea stacks of Sagres, with the most dramatic sandstone cliff scenery in Western Europe between.
IconicAlsace Route des VinsThe Route des Vins d'Alsace winds between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine plain through a string of medieval villages, half-timbered houses hung with geraniums, storks on every chimney, and Riesling in every cellar.
IconicArctic HighwayFrom St. Petersburg north through the Karelian lakes and birch forests to Murmansk, the world's largest city above the Arctic Circle, and an ice-free naval port that never closes. In summer the sun never sets; in winter the Northern Lights arc overhead without interruption.
IconicBay of Kotor to DurmitorThis Montenegro road trip links the Adriatic beauty of the Bay of Kotor with the high alpine landscapes of Durmitor National Park. Expect tight mountain roads, dramatic viewpoints, monastery stops, and a steady climb from sea level to glacial lakes, pine forests, and the iconic Tara River canyon.
Hidden GemBeatles TourThe world's most famous band grew up in the suburbs of Liverpool, a self-guided loop from the Beatles Story at Albert Dock through Penny Lane, Strawberry Field, Paul McCartney's childhood home, John Lennon's Aunt Mimi's house, the Cavern Club, and the NEMS record shop site where Brian Epstein first heard them play. Liverpudlians tell the story with fierce pride.
NotableBelgian Ardennes RouteThis looping drive through Belgium’s forested Ardennes links river valleys, limestone cliffs, medieval towns, and quiet ridge roads. Starting in Namur, it follows the Meuse and Ourthe toward Dinant, Durbuy, La Roche-en-Ardenne, and Bastogne before returning through rolling countryside and castle-dotted landscapes.
NotableBohemian Paradise and South BohemiaThis Czech road trip links sandstone towers, castle ruins, and lakeside South Bohemian towns on a relaxed loop from Turnov to Český Krumlov. It blends the forested trails and viewpoints of Bohemian Paradise with historic squares, ponds, and river scenery around Třeboň and the Vltava valley.
IconicCanary Islands DriveThe volcanic islands off Africa's Atlantic coast where summer never ends, Teide National Park's 3,715m lunar volcano (the highest peak in Spanish territory), the UNESCO laurisilva cloud forest of La Gomera, Masca village in a near-vertical volcanic gorge, the black-sand beaches of Tenerife's southern coast, and the endemic Canarian dragon trees.
IconicCastaway on Flores, AzoresThe most remote and beautiful island in the Azores, Flores (the Island of Flowers) is a crater-lake wonderland at the western edge of Europe, 2,300 km from Lisbon. Seven calderas filled with hydrangea-ringed lakes, the vertical sea cliffs of Fajã Grande (the most dramatic coastline in the Atlantic), and the cascading waterfalls of Poço da Alagoinha in a valley of lush green fern. The end of Europe, dripping with rain and colour.
NotableCatalan PyreneesA border anomaly drives this mountain loop, from Olot's volcanic Garrotxa region northeast to Castellfollit de la Roca (a town stacked on a basalt cliff), west through Ripoll and the Vall de Ribes to hair-raising Route C-16 along the Freser gorge, then north through the peculiar Catalan exclave of Llívia (technically Spain inside France) to the ski resort of Les Angles.
IconicCauseway Coastal RouteFrom Belfast through the Glens of Antrim to the Giant's Causeway, the most scenic coastal road in the UK traces ancient volcanic basalt, a Scottish rope bridge, a whiskey distillery in a clifftop cave, and a Game of Thrones landscape.
IconicChâteaux of the LoireThe Loire Valley is the garden of France, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape of Renaissance royal châteaux, troglodyte wine cellars cut into chalk cliffs, and river islands of white-sand beaches linking Chinon's medieval fortress to Chambord's Renaissance fantasy.
IconicCircuit of MallorcaA full loop around the Mediterranean's most beautiful island, southwest from Palma through Palmanova to Sóller's mountain village in the Serra de Tramuntana, east through Sa Pobla and the flat grape-growing Manacor plains to the east coast beaches, then back to Palma. Six Endesa EV charging stations make it Spain's smoothest electric island loop.
NotableCirque de Combe LavalThe D76 through the Vercors Natural Park cuts a ledge into sheer 400m limestone cliffs above the Lyonne valley, a vertiginous corniche through one of France's least-visited mountain regions, ending on the high Vercors plateau with its dark wartime history.
IconicCorsica Island DriveNapoleon's birthplace and the most dramatic island in the Mediterranean, the Col de Bavella's granite needles, the Gorges de Spelunca's ancient Genoese bridges, Calanche de Piana's UNESCO orange granite formations, Ajaccio's Napoleonic legacy, and the limestone cliffs of Bonifacio above the straits. The island that rewards the driver who goes beyond the beaches.
NotableD-Day BeachesThe beaches and bluffs are quiet today, on 6 June 1944 the Normandy shoreline was the destination for more than 6,000 ships and the largest armada ever assembled. This part of the French coast is strewn with memorials, museums, and cemeteries; starting with Caen's Museum for Peace, the route passes Pegasus Bridge, Omaha Beach, the Pointe du Hoc cliff-top battery, and Utah Beach.
NotableDanube Bend and Balaton LoopThis loop links Hungary’s most rewarding road-trip scenery: the wooded bends of the Danube north of Budapest and the lakefront villages of Balaton. Expect castle towns, riverside viewpoints, ferry crossings, vineyard hills, and easy A-road driving with frequent stops for viewpoints, thermal baths, and lakeside promenades.
NotableDelta Works and Zeeland CoastFollow the Zeeland coast from the engineering marvel of the Delta Works through island-dotted dikes, beaches, and tidal inlets. This relaxed loop links storm-surge barriers, quiet harbor towns, and wide North Sea horizons, with frequent stops for seawalls, cycling paths, and fresh seafood.
NotableDragon's Spine, WalesThe Cambrian Way from Cardiff through the spine of Wales, the Brecon Beacons' sandstone moorland and waterfalls, the empty Cambrian Mountains that form the water divide of Wales, Snowdonia's rocky summits, and the walled medieval town of Conwy at the northern end. The longest upland route in Wales through the least-visited highland terrain in Britain.
NotableEmilia-Romagna Food RoadAlong the Via Emilia, the Roman road built in 187 BC that still runs ruler-straight through Italy's gastronomic heartland from Parma to Ravenna. The route takes in Parma ham, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Modena's balsamic vinegar and tortellini, and Bologna's ragù, the most food-dense drive in the world.
IconicFinnish Lapland Arctic RoadThis Arctic Lapland loop follows Finland’s northern highways from Rovaniemi into the open tundra and forest country of Saariselkä, Inari, and Utsjoki before returning south. Expect reindeer crossings, wide river valleys, quiet Sami landscapes, and long daylight in summer or blue-ice winter drama.
LegendaryGeiranger–TrollstigenNorwegian National Tourist Route 63, one of the world's greatest drives and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Steep inclines averaging 9%, slam-on-the-brakes-and-grab-the-camera hairpin bends, and views of Geirangerfjord's sheer 1,400 m walls make for terrific slow touring. The Trollstigen (Troll's Path) bombards you with mountains named Kongen (the King) and Dronnigen (the Queen), waterfalls spilling down sheer cliff faces, and fjords of the bluest blue.
IconicGerman Alpine RoadThe Deutsche Alpenstraße from Lake Constance to Berchtesgaden, through the Allgäu dairy country, Neuschwanstein Castle above its mountain lake, the Zugspitze (Germany's highest peak at 2,962m), the Bavarian alpine lakes of Walchensee and Chiemsee, and the Eagle's Nest above Berchtesgaden. Germany's most spectacular mountain drive.
NotableGerman Avenues RouteAn 868 km loop through four central German states, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg, and Saxony, following the tree-lined baroque avenues commissioned by Prussian and Saxon nobles: 19,000 trees on 150 avenue roads, through Bauhaus Dessau, Worlitz Park (the first English landscape garden in Germany), and Quedlinburg's UNESCO-listed medieval hill.
NotableGerman Castle RoadFrom the Neckar Valley to the Franconian highlands, 507 km and over 370 castles, ruins, and fortresses following the Burgenstrasse from Mannheim through Heidelberg, the Tauber Valley medieval town of Rothenburg, and Wagner's Bayreuth. No road in Europe has a higher concentration of medieval fortifications.
IconicGreater Caucasus HighwayThis mountain drive follows Azerbaijan’s northern flank of the Greater Caucasus from the Caspian lowlands into the dramatic valleys around Quba, Khinalug, and the Shahdag region. Expect orchards, steep gorges, stone villages, and wide Alpine views on a route that feels remote yet stays firmly road-trippable.
IconicHighlights of SloveniaEurope's best-kept secret, Slovenia's tiny, perfectly scaled landscape contains Lake Bled's fairy-tale island church, the Julian Alps' dramatic Triglav National Park, the emerald Soča River valley (the Isonzo of World War I, Hemingway's Farewell to Arms), the UNESCO Škocjan Caves (the largest accessible underground canyon in the world), and the Venetian port of Piran on the Adriatic. An impossible concentration of perfection.
LegendaryIsle of Skye CircuitOver the Skye Bridge and around Scotland's most dramatic island, the jagged Black Cuillin ridge, the Old Man of Storr, the Fairy Pools, Eilean Donan Castle, and a landscape that looks like the background for every fantasy novel ever written.
IconicKarelian White NightsThe Finnish-Russian lakeland where 60,000 lakes, ancient pine forests, and wooden Orthodox chapels create Europe's most pristine wilderness drive, from St. Petersburg along the shore of Lake Ladoga to Sortavala's granite skerries and the island monastery of Valaam.
IconicKola Peninsula LoopThis Arctic loop starts and ends in Murmansk, tracing the Kola Peninsula through tundra, fjords, fishing villages, and Soviet-era outposts. The drive reaches the Barents Sea coast, the Teriberka area, and inland lake country, with midnight sun in summer and stark, windblown scenery throughout.
IconicLa Rioja Wine RegionThe greatest wine region in Spain, La Rioja loops through medieval walled villages above the Ebro River, where Tempranillo ages in oak-scented cave bodegas beneath Haro's streets, Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid have designed wineries for marquee estates, and every bar runs a pintxo culture as serious as San Sebastián.
IconicLake District PassesA classic loop through England’s Lake District, linking narrow mountain passes, mirror-still lakes, and stone-built villages. From Keswick to Ambleside via Honister, Kirkstone, and Hardknott Passes, the drive packs dramatic climbs, sharp bends, and some of the most iconic fell and valley views in the UK.
NotableLake Ohrid RouteThis relaxed loop traces Lake Ohrid from North Macedonia into Albania, linking Ohrid’s UNESCO-listed old town with cliffside monasteries, clear swimming coves, and the quieter south shore near Pogradec. Expect mountain-and-water views, historic villages, and an easy pace with frequent photo stops.
NotableLavaux VineyardsA short but sublime drive along Route 9 above the northern shore of Lake Geneva, through the UNESCO World Heritage Lavaux wine terraces that stagger up from the water in sheer stone-walled tiers that beggar belief. The road links the higgledy-piggledy French-speaking city of Lausanne to Château de Chillon, an extraordinary 13th-century fortress immortalised in Lord Byron's poem.
NotableLisbon to PortoPortugal's essential north-south drive, from Lisbon's sea-facing hilltop capital through the medieval walled town of Óbidos, the cliff-top surf town of Nazaré (where the underwater canyon channels the world's biggest rideable waves), the university city of Coimbra (where students still wear black capes), Aveiro's lagoon canals plied by painted moliceiro boats, and into Porto's azulejo-tiled city of port wine lodges and the world's most beautiful bookshop. A Portugal of extraordinary depth.
IconicLycian CoastA focused Turkish Riviera drive from Antalya to Fethiye, following the old Lycian shore through Roman harbors, cliff tombs, pine-backed coves, and turquoise water. It turns the broad Turkey loop into a slower coastal route built for travelers who want ruins, beaches, and dramatic Mediterranean roads in one compact trip.
NotableMediterranean MeanderFrom the Costa Daurada to the Costa del Sol, from Catalan pride in Sitges to Andalucian passion in Almería, from the Roman ruins of Tarragona to the Modernisme buildings of Barcelona, proving that not all of southern Spain's Mediterranean coast is tourist clichés. Follow the A7 northeast from Málaga through four regions, two languages, the buzzing urban centres of Barcelona, Valencia, and Málaga.
NotableMille MigliaThe Thousand Miles, from Brescia south to Rome and back, run as a flat-out road race between 1927 and 1957 attracting 5 million spectators. Stirling Moss won in 1955 in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR at an average of just under 100mph, his co-driver reading instructions from an 18ft roll of paper. Today it survives as an annual rally for pre-1957 cars.
IconicMinoan CreteCrete's island circuit, the Minoan palace at Knossos (3,500 years old, Europe's first advanced civilization), the 16-km Samaria Gorge (Europe's longest), the Venetian harbour and old town of Chania, the pink-sand beach of Elafonisi, and the Lasithi Plateau's windmills. An island of three mountain ranges, Europe's oldest civilization, and 300 sunny days a year.
NotableModern Art MeanderThe French Riviera and its hinterland produced more Modern Art masterworks per square kilometre than anywhere on earth, from Matisse's cut-outs in Nice and Chagall's biblical message to Renoir's olive grove studio, Picasso's antibes castle, and Cézanne's Mont Sainte-Victoire, ending with Van Gogh in St-Rémy.
NotableNormandy & BrittanyFrance's northwest corner carries the biggest scars of WWII alongside the most intact medieval coastline in the country, spartan watchtowers and solemn cemeteries haunt the idyllic pine-backed shores of Normandy, while Brittany's rocky coastline of dramatic tides and purple-pink twilight feels like it predates the nation's union. Mont St-Michel rises from the bay at the hinge between the two.
IconicNorth Caucasus Mountain RoadAlong the northern face of Europe's highest mountain range, from the Cossack mineral spa towns of Stavropol through the medieval tower villages of Ingushetia, Dagestan's Atlantic-deep Sulak Canyon, and the ancient Persian citadel of Derbent where the mountains meet the Caspian Sea.
LegendaryNorwegian West CoastNorway's National Tourist Routes string together the most dramatic fjord scenery on Earth, hairpin switchbacks over Trollstigen, the Geiranger serpentine road above a UNESCO fjord, Atlantic Ocean Road's storm-bathed bridges, and Flåm.
IconicPicos de EuropaThe Picos de Europa are where the Atlantic meets the Alps, limestone massifs rising 2,600m from a green Asturian coast. The Cares Gorge, Covadonga, and mountain passes through silent medieval villages make this Spain's finest mountain drive.
IconicRila and Rhodope MountainsThis loop links Sofia with Bulgaria’s grand mountain country, climbing to the Rila Monastery, circling the Seven Rila Lakes area, and continuing south into the quieter Rhodopes. Expect forested passes, alpine viewpoints, traditional villages, and excellent roadside taverns before returning via Plovdiv and the foothills west of the capital.
LegendaryRoad Trip the RivierasThe most glamorous coastal drive in Europe, from Nice along the Three Corniches of the French Riviera through Monaco's baroque excess to Menton's lemon festival, across the Italian border into the Ligurian Riviera's fishing villages, the millionaires' harbour of Portofino, and the five pastel villages of the Cinque Terre above their vertical vineyards. The Mediterranean at its most magnificent.
IconicSarajevo to Mostar and SutjeskaThis Bosnian road trip links Sarajevo’s Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian streets with the turquoise Neretva canyon, the stone beauty of Mostar, and the wild alpine landscapes of Sutjeska National Park. It balances history, mountain driving, and river scenery, with enough flexibility for short hikes and viewpoint stops.
IconicSardinia Island LoopThe most rugged and authentic Mediterranean island, Cagliari's Phoenician quarter, the Barbagia highlands where banditry and ancient dialects survive, the nuraghe tower civilization's 7,000 bronze-age fortresses, Costa Smeralda's turquoise water, and Alghero's Catalan-speaking old town. Sardinia rewards the driver who leaves the coast for the interior.
IconicScandi ExplorerThe great Scandinavian road trip through three kingdoms, from Copenhagen's design-forward capital across the Øresund Bridge into Sweden, north through Gothenburg's West Coast seafood, ferry to Oslo's fjord-city glamour, west to Bergen's painted Bryggen wharf and the UNESCO Nærøyfjord, and the dramatic Flåm Railway descent into the world's most spectacular fjord landscape. Northern Europe at its most spectacular.
NotableScotland, Highlands & HistoryA separatist sentiment and an assertion of independence has long been the hallmark of Scotland vis-à-vis its southern neighbours, this highland drive from the Wallace Monument at Stirling (where the Scots earned their first decisive victory over England in 1297) through Glencoe's massacre landscape and Jacobite country to Culloden, site of Scotland's last battle, and Inverness.
NotableShaki and Lahij Scenic RoadThis loop through northwestern Azerbaijan links the silk-city heritage of Shaki with the cobbled mountain village of Lahij, threading walnut orchards, forested slopes, and classic Caucasus viewpoints. It is a rewarding short road trip for travelers who want culture, scenery, and memorable villages in one drive.
IconicSintra to Arrábida LoopA compact loop around the Lisbon peninsula, from the fairy-tale UNESCO palaces of Sintra on the Atlantic clifftops to the westernmost point of continental Europe at Cabo da Roca, then south through Cascais to the impossibly turquoise bays of the Arrábida Natural Park.
IconicSouth West ExplorerThe classic English road trip, from London through the Wiltshire plain to Stonehenge's mystery, Bath's Georgian perfection, Glastonbury's myths, Exmoor's wild ponies, Dartmoor's granite tors, and finally Cornwall's surfer beaches and the granite edge of Land's End. The full cross-section of England's most beautiful and historically dense corner, from the capital to the Atlantic.
LegendarySusten–Grimsel–Furka LoopThe most concentrated Alpine pass loop on Earth, three legendary roads in a single circuit. The Susten crosses a granite wilderness, the Grimsel skirts black glacial reservoirs, and the Furka passes the Rhône Glacier, where Bond once drove an Aston Martin.
NotableTarga Florio CircuitThe circuit of the Madonie mountains in Sicily was the world's oldest motor race, hairpins over sea views, Norman castles on hilltops, towns carved from golden limestone, and the most atmospheric mountain roads in Italy.
IconicThe Atlantic HighwayEngland's wildest coast, the A39 Atlantic Highway from Barnstaple through the cliffs of Cornwall to the A30's end at Fraddon. King Arthur's Tintagel above the churning Celtic Sea, the fishing village of Boscastle, Newquay's surf beaches, St Ives' Tate gallery above the harbour, and Land's End's granite edge where England runs out. The Atlantic shore of Britain at its most dramatic and most mythological.
IconicThe Basque CircuitThe circuit of one of Europe's most distinct cultures, Bilbao's Frank Gehry Guggenheim, San Sebastián's pintxos bars (more Michelin stars per capita than any city except Kyoto), the fishing ports of Getaria and Bermeo, prehistoric cave art at Santimamiñe, and the dramatic Costa Vasca. The best food per capita in Europe, concentrated into 480 km.
NotableThe CévennesIn 1879, Robert Louis Stevenson documented an epic, hilarious, and occasionally arduous hike through the Cévennes with a recalcitrant donkey named Modestine. These days you can trace part of his route by car, from the forested hills of St-Jean-du-Gard through the wild causses plateaus, gorges of the Tarn and Jonte, and ending on the world's highest road bridge, the Viaduc du Millau.
NotableThe Golden RingThe ancient principalities and monastery towns northeast of Moscow that formed the cradle of Russian Orthodox civilisation, a circuit of white-stone churches, onion-domed kremlins, and trading towns that predate Moscow itself, each a chapter of Russia's founding story.
IconicThe Graceful Italian LakesFormed at the end of the ice age and a holiday destination since Roman times. Lake Maggiore's Borromean Island palaces, the cross-lake ferry to Laveno, then Lake Como, the siren call of Hollywood stars, traced from the silk capital of Como to Bellagio's perfect promontory and beyond to Bergamo.
NotableThe Great Outdoors, SpainStarting high in the Sierra Nevada, this Andalucian itinerary swings west and south through Las Alpujarras' whitewashed villages, the bizarre El Torcal rock formations, the wildlife wilderness of Doñana, Costa de la Luz beaches, and finally Tarifa, southernmost Europe, Moroccan coast in view.
NotableThe Hidden HighwayThe borderland between England and Wales, the B4368 and B4391 through the Marches from the food capital of Ludlow across the Long Mynd plateau and the Shropshire Hills (the best walking country in the English Midlands), past Powis Castle's Baroque terraced gardens, to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (Telford's iron masterpiece carrying a canal 38m above the Dee Valley) at Llangollen. The quietest and most rewarding drive in the Welsh Marches.
IconicThe Long Way Round, IrelandIreland's jagged, spectacular edges, this two-week circuit explores the island's coastline from Dublin through Belfast and the Causeway Coast, west to the dramatic cliffs and mountains of Connacht, south through the Aran Islands and Connemara, the Cliffs of Moher, Kerry's Ring, and Cork to the final destination of Ardmore, one of the southeast coast's loveliest seaside villages.
IconicTroodos Mountains and Akamas PeninsulaThis Cyprus road trip links the pine-clad ridges of the Troodos Mountains with the wild limestone coast of the Akamas Peninsula. Start in Limassol, climb through wine villages and Byzantine monasteries to Omodos and Troodos, then descend west to Paphos and finish with sunset cliffs, bays, and hiking stops near Latchi and Cape Arnaoutis.
IconicTunnel du Mont-BlancFrance with extras, hop two borders and drive through a mountain on this riveting route between Switzerland and Italy. From Geneva across the French border to Chamonix (with a cable car ride to the Aiguille du Midi at 3,842 m), then through the 11.6 km Tunnel du Mont-Blanc directly beneath Europe's highest peak to Courmayeur and the Roman aqueduct town of Aosta.
IconicTurkish Black Sea HighlandsA lush northern Turkey route from Samsun to the tea slopes of Rize and the valleys beyond Trabzon. It trades the familiar Mediterranean coast for misty mountains, wooden highland villages, monasteries on cliffs, and winding roads above the Black Sea.
IconicTyrol & VorarlbergFrom opera-festival Bregenz on Lake Constance east through the Alpine valleys of Vorarlberg and Tyrol to Salzburg, past 50 schnapps distilleries in Stanz, the cheese-making secrets of the Bergkäserei Schoppernau, the monumental abbey at Stift Stams, and the treasures of Innsbruck. Austria's great mountain transect.
IconicUltimate Turkish DelightThe great Anatolian loop from Istanbul, Cappadocia's fairy chimneys and hot air balloons at dawn, Ephesus's Roman ruins (the best-preserved in the world outside of Rome), the Aegean coast's gulet harbours, Pamukkale's calcium-white terraces above ancient Hierapolis, and the return via Ankara's Atatürk mausoleum. A drive through five millennia of history.
IconicVal d'OrciaThe World Heritage-listed landscapes of Val d'Orcia have featured in Gladiator, The English Patient, and countless Renaissance paintings. Patchwork hills of cypress and wheat, walled medieval cities, Brunello di Montalcino paired with chestnuts and truffles, and the fortress of Radicofani at the end.
IconicVildmarksvägen Wilderness RoadSweden’s Vildmarksvägen is a classic northern loop through Lapland, linking forests, lakes, and high-country fells between Strömsund, Gäddede, and Vilhelmina. The drive mixes salmon rivers, Sami landscapes, and wide-open mountain views, with easy access to hikes, waterfalls, and summer wildlife.
NotableVolga Heritage RouteAlong Russia's national river, from the golden domes and kremlin heights of Nizhny Novgorod through the Tatar capital of Kazan, past the city that turned the tide of WWII, to the flamingo-fringed delta at Astrakhan where the Volga fans into the Caspian through 500 channels.
IconicWestfjords Ring RoadThis loop through Iceland’s remote Westfjords follows cliff-hugging roads past deep fjords, fishing villages, bird cliffs, and hot springs, with constant sea views and minimal traffic. Highlights include Ísafjörður, Dynjandi waterfall, Látrabjarg puffin cliffs, and the golden sand at Rauðisandur.
IconicWonders of Ancient SicilyThe most complete collection of Greek temples outside Greece, a UNESCO Roman villa of unrivalled mosaic floors, Baroque cities rebuilt after a 1693 earthquake, a Greek theatre overlooking an active volcano, and Mount Etna, all on the island that was the most fought-over piece of land in the ancient Mediterranean.
Hidden GemWooden Churches Route, PolandThrough southern Małopolska's UNESCO-listed wooden churches, shaped like dainty wizard's hats, these all-wooden medieval churches survived centuries of wars, Tatar raids, and two world wars. The route east of Kraków visits Lipnica Murowana, Binarowa, Sekowa, and the largest Gothic-style wooden church in Europe at Haczów.
IconicYorkshire Moors and DalesEngland's great northern landscape circuit, the North York Moors' purple heather, the Gothic ruins of Whitby Abbey where Bram Stoker set Dracula, the Dales' dry-stone-walled valleys, the market town of Hawes (Wensleydale cheese capital), and Swaledale's remote fell farms. The setting of James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small.
IconicZagorohoria, GreeceInto the slate-and-stone villages of the Zagori in the Pindos Mountains of Epirus, one of Greece's most untouched regions where roads are steep and narrow, stone bridges arch over rushing rivers, and village squares are shaded by centuries-old plane trees. The antidote to the Greek islands.
NotableBieszczady Mountains Polish WildernessA winding loop through Poland’s wild southeastern corner, this drive links mountain villages, forested passes, and lookout points in the Bieszczady range. Expect quiet roads, grazing meadows, and access to short hikes around Solina, Wetlina, Ustrzyki Górne, and the high-country edges of Bieszczadzki National Park.
Hidden GemBulgarian Black Sea Coast Burgas to SinemoretsThis relaxed coastal drive follows Bulgaria’s southern Black Sea shore from Burgas to the quieter edge of Strandzha near Sinemorets. Expect salt lagoons, long sandy beaches, seaside resorts, fishing villages, and a final stretch of wild coastline around Veleka River and Silistar.
NotableDebed Canyon and Northern MonasteriesThis northern Armenia road trip follows the scenic Debed Canyon from Vanadzor to Alaverdi and onward to the Georgian border zone, linking hillside villages with some of the country’s finest monasteries. Expect winding but paved roads, river views, and memorable stops at Haghpat, Sanahin, and Odzun.
NotableGobustan and Absheron PeninsulaA compact road trip from Baku into Azerbaijan’s surreal semi-desert landscapes, this loop links prehistoric petroglyphs, mud volcano fields, and the fire-worship heritage of the Absheron Peninsula. Expect paved roads, short museum stops, windswept coast, and dramatic sunset views over the Caspian.
IconicIstria and Plitvice LakesThis Croatia road trip links Istria’s hill towns and Adriatic coastline with the turquoise pools and waterfalls of Plitvice Lakes. Start in Pula, loop through Rovinj, Motovun, and Poreč, then head inland via Opatija and Karlovac to Plitvice for a classic mix of sea views, stone villages, and forested canyon scenery.
NotableKakheti Wine CountryA relaxed loop through eastern Georgia’s winemaking heart, this drive follows vineyard lanes and small market towns from Tbilisi into Kakheti. Taste qvevri wines in Sighnaghi and Telavi, pause at hilltop monasteries, and finish with wide Alazani Valley views under the Caucasus.
NotableMullerthal Little SwitzerlandA gentle loop through Luxembourg’s Mullerthal region, this drive links forested lanes, sandstone cliffs, and storybook villages around the Sauer and Ernz valleys. Expect short stops for the famous rock formations, small waterfalls, and castle views, with smooth roads and easy access throughout.
IconicPeloponnese Coastal LoopThis loop traces the Peloponnese’s best coastal roads, from the Corinth Canal and Nafplio down through the Mani and around Cape Maleas before returning via Monemvasia and the Argolic Gulf. Expect cliffside views, fishing harbors, beaches, and easy access to classic Greek ruins and seaside towns.
NotableRiga to Cape Kolka Coastal RouteThis Baltic shoreline drive leaves Riga for the wide beaches, pine forests, and quiet fishing towns of Latvia’s west coast before reaching remote Cape Kolka, where the Gulf of Riga meets the open Baltic Sea. It’s an easy, atmospheric route with frequent stops for dunes, birdlife, and sea views.
IconicAbergwesyn Mountain PassWales's finest mountain road, the Abergwesyn Pass climbs from Tregaron through hairpin bends known as the Devil's Staircase to staggering views over the Cambrian Mountains. Short but intense: forest, valley, lake, and moorland in a route that rewards anyone willing to leave the A-roads behind.
NotableAlnwick to LindisfarneNorthumberland's panoramic coast road from Alnwick north along the A1 to the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, through one of Britain's finest stretches of undeveloped shoreline past Bamburgh Castle, Seahouses harbour, and the causeway that connects Holy Island only at low tide. Lindisfarne Priory closes November through January.
IconicAthens to AntiquityThrough the heart of ancient Greece from Athens to Thessaloniki, the Acropolis, the oracle sanctuary of Delphi above the Gulf of Corinth, Meteora's Byzantine monasteries on vertical rock pillars, the ancient sanctuary of Olympia, and the Mycenaean ruins of the Peloponnese. The most historically dense road trip in Europe.
IconicBaltic Road TripThe three Baltic capitals and everything between, Tallinn's perfectly preserved Hanseatic old town (a UNESCO World Heritage site), the Art Nouveau boulevards of Riga (more Art Nouveau than any other city on earth), the Hill of Crosses in Lithuania, and Vilnius's extraordinary Baroque old town. A drive from the medieval to the Baroque through three of Europe's most underrated capitals.
NotableBran Pass, RomaniaThrough Romania's medieval Transylvania from Brasov to Rucar, past Râșnov's maze-like citadel on a high hill, Bran Castle's Gothic towers (forever linked with Dracula), and along hairpin bends above forlorn country villages to the Bucegi Mountains. Best driven between May and October; the Bran–Rucar stretch can be perilous in winter.
IconicCuronian SpitFrom the Hill of Crosses through the Baltic coast to the Curonian Spit, a 98 km slip of dunes and pine forest shared between Lithuania and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The route ends in Nida, a village of painted fishing cottages and Thomas Mann's summer house above the world's tallest moving sand dunes.
IconicDublin to the Wicklow MountainsFrom Dublin's Georgian streets into the granite mountains of the Wicklow interior, through Sally Gap's bare moorland, the oak forest of Glenealo Valley, mirror lakes, and stone ruins. The Emerald Isle's most accessible wilderness drive, returning via the coast at Bray.
NotableFlamenco TrailFlamenco was born in Andalucía centuries ago, sung, played, and danced in its raw brilliance throughout the region. This drive from Seville through Córdoba to Granada connects three cities where flamenco is not a tourist performance but a living tradition, from the Triana neighbourhood gitano community to the cave-dwelling families of the Sacromonte.
IconicFurka PassSomething of a rite of passage for hardcore Alpine cyclists, Switzerland's Furka Pass is enshrined in motoring legend through its starring role in the Aston Martin/Ford Mustang car chase in James Bond's Goldfinger (1964). An Alpine pass and a half, with hairy switchbacks to an otherworldly 2,431 m plateau, the Rhône Glacier visible from the Hotel Belvédère, and deeply fissured blue ice grotto.
NotableGlasgow to Fort WilliamThe perfect introduction to the Scottish Highlands, from Glasgow's urban grit north through Loch Lomond's pastoral shoreline, the Trossachs National Park villages of Tarbet and Crianlarich, and along the great loch itself before the landscape shifts into the imposing drama of Glen Coe and Ben Nevis.
IconicGreat Glen WayThe A82 follows the Great Glen fault line from Fort William to Inverness, a geological crack splitting Scotland in two, now filled by Loch Lochy, Loch Oich, and the most famous stretch of water in the world: Loch Ness.
Hidden GemGuča Festival DriveSerbia is one of the most exciting places to hear live music in the world, the drive from Belgrade to Guča for the Dragačevo Trumpet Assembly is a pilgrimage to the planet's greatest brass band festival: several days of free music, folk dancing, and a final battle-of-the-bands jury that chooses the finest blowers from across the Balkans.
LegendaryJourney to the CaucasusGeorgia's compact masterpiece, from the ancient capital Tbilisi through Mtskheta's living-museum monasteries, north on the Georgian Military Highway through the Dariali Gorge to the Kazbegi plateau (Gergeti Trinity Church floating above the clouds on a 2,170m promontory, with Mount Kazbek's 5,047m cone behind), and east through the Alazani Valley's vineyards to Sighnaghi's medieval wine town. The birthplace of wine, Christianity, and Georgian polyphony.
NotableLivradois-Forez, FranceThrough the Livradois-Forez Regional Park from Vichy's thermal waters south to the volcanic towers of Le Puy-en-Velay, via time-trapped Thiers (knife-making capital of France), creamy Ambert (birthplace of Fourme d'Ambert cheese), and the enigmatic abbey church of La Chaise-Dieu. Deeply provincial, deeply French.
IconicMálaga to SevilleThrough the history of Andalucia, from Málaga's airport hub west through the pueblos blancos (white villages), Arcos de la Frontera's clifftop drama, the mountaintop city of Ronda, and the Moorish legacy of Córdoba's mosques and Granada's palaces to the Alcázar of Seville. Spain's most culturally dense short drive.
NotableMoldova's Monastery RouteThrough Moldova's untouristed pastoral interior, hay bales, limestone ridges, horse carts on the M2, and cave monasteries carved from cliffs above the Răut River. A largely forgotten corner of Europe with some of the most extraordinary Orthodox religious architecture on the continent.
NotableRoman ProvenceProvence preserves the densest concentration of Roman monuments outside Italy, in 205 km from Nîmes to Vaison-la-Romaine, this drive passes a complete Roman amphitheatre, a three-storey aqueduct bridge older than the Colosseum, a perfectly preserved triumphal arch, and an entire excavated Roman town still visible under a medieval village.
NotableRoute 59 Košice–Banská BystricaSlovakia's most scenic mountain route connects two great historical cities through the volcanic Slovak Ore Mountains, medieval mining towns, thermal lakes, cave systems, and an absence of tourists that feels like discovering Europe in 1985.
NotableRoute de TuriniThe most celebrated stage of the Monte Carlo Rally, a sinuous mountain road climbing from the Ligurian coast through chestnut forest to the Col de Turini at 1607m. Every hairpin is banked, every view cinematic.
NotableSalento Coast, PugliaAlong the wild coastline of the Salento, the tip of Italy's heel in Puglia, from Otranto to Gallipoli along a jagged shore of sea stacks, hidden coves, and shimmering water in a hundred shades of blue. Prickly pears line the road; the finibus terrae (end of the world) is at Santa Maria di Leuca.
IconicShadow of VesuviusIn the shadow of the volcano that buried two cities in 79 CE, 90 km through Herculaneum's intact Roman houses, Pompeii's extraordinary preserved streets, the crater rim of Vesuvius itself, and Sorrento's clifftop lemon groves with the Amalfi Coast visible across the bay.
NotableSicily's SoutheastThrough Sicily's baroque southeast, Noto, Ispica, Modica, Ragusa, and Chiaramonte Gulfi rebuilt in Baroque splendour after the 1693 earthquake that levelled the region. The Cava d'Ispica gorge, grey drystone walls, citrus groves, and vivid Mediterranean colours in the sharpest light in Europe.
NotableSnaefell Mountain CourseThe world's oldest motorcycle race circuit, since 1911 the TT course has looped from Douglas up through mountain villages to the 422-metre Snaefell summit road and back. Outside TT week you can drive the full circuit at your own pace through stone walls, coastal hedgerows, and moorland; during TT the roads close and 250 riders race at an average of 216 km/h.
LegendaryThe Faroe IslandsEighteen volcanic islands in the North Atlantic where sheep outnumber people 2-to-1, connected by sub-sea tunnels and mountain roads above sheer Atlantic cliffs. The sea-stacks of Drangarnir, the turf-roofed villages of Gjógv and Saksun, Gásadalur's waterfall plunging into the ocean, and Tórshavn's coloured wooden capital. A drive that feels like the edge of the world.