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The world’s most scenic drives for your next road trip
|Nothing spells adventure like the freedom of the open road. Picture yourself hitting shuffle on your favorite drivetime playlist and freewheeling along one of the world’s most beautiful highways. To help you get there, we’ve put together a list of some of the best drives in the world. From remote mountain routes across Asia to coastal jaunts in Scotland, Australia and the Côte d’Azur, these incredible scenic road trips are a must-drive!
The Japanese Alps
When we think of Japan, it’s often the cities that spring to mind. Ultra-modern Tokyo, traditional Kyoto, the bright lights of Osaka. But instead of zipping from city to city on the Shinkansen bullet train, consider exploring rural Japan by road. The Japanese Alps curve through the center of the main island of Honshu, so you can easily combine city slicking with a slow meander along beautiful mountain roads. Here, pine forest sweeps along the flanks of snow-tipped peaks and traditional thatched cottages hunker down in the valleys. Visit in winter for skiing and steamy onsen hot spring baths surrounded by snow. In summer there is sublime hiking, with many more roads and trails open. Spring sees cherry blossoms strung along verdant valleys, and in fall the dazzling colors of maple illuminate the landscape.
Milford Road, New Zealand
New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park sets the scene for one of the world’s greatest road trips. Carved by ancient glaciers and with some of New Zealand’s highest peaks, you’ll be driving through a landscape of truly epic proportions. The route takes you from the lakeside town of Te Anau to Milford and would take two hours each way without any stops. Factoring in a few small hikes and several impromptu photo stops, you’ll need a full day to do it justice. You’ll be traversing a true wilderness on this road trip, so there are no shops, gas stations or conveniences, just 100% pure New Zealand.
The Icefields Parkway, Canada
Cruising the Icefields Parkway route through the Canadian Rockies has to be one of the world’s most scenic road trips. Canada’s landscapes have been built on a grand scale, and this 145-mile stretch of highway shoots you right through the heart of it all. Jagged mountains, dazzling lakes, pine-clad slopes and rushing waterfalls await. Drive this route from Jasper to Lake Louise in the summer months and plan some short hikes along the way to stretch your legs and breathe pure mountain air. We particularly recommend hikes to the immense Athabasca and Sunwapta waterfalls. Stop for a picnic lunch at one of many incredible lookout points, and gaze out across deep river valleys with lakes and glaciers sparkling under blue skies.
The North Coast 500, Scotland
If you’re looking for the road less traveled, then the wilds of northern Scotland are one of the best places for a road trip in the British Isles. Way out on the edge of the world, Scotland’s North Coast 500 route takes you on a 516-mile journey through glorious coastal scenery and highland landscapes. There are powder-white beaches, wave-lashed sea stacks, crumbling castles and ancient stone monuments to discover. These are small, local roads, and you may be sharing the thoroughfare with the odd wandering highland cow. Along the way, you’ll stay in tiny villages and hamlets, sip on single malt whiskeys at local distilleries, and tuck into boat-fresh seafood. Take your dancing shoes and be sure to ask around for a ceilidh.
The Transfagarasan, Romania
Hitting Romania’s Transfagarasan Highway is one of the best road trip adventures if you enjoy a switchback (or 10). Loop-the-looping through Transylvania, this 93-mile route is open during the summer months only and skims 2,000m at its highest point. You’ll be traversing spectacular mountain scenery through the Fagaras range, passing glittering lakes and the ruins of Dracula’s castle. The serpentine stretch of road leading down to Cartisoara from Balea Lake has been robustly celebrated by Jeremy Clarkson’s Top Gear team. This will certainly be a drive to remember.
The Great Ocean Road, Australia
The vastness of Australia comes into focus on a road trip, and the Great Ocean Road is a classic Aussie route. Hugging the southern coast of Victoria for around 150 miles from surf town Torquay to Allansford, driving it will be an epic road trip. Raging waters have been roughing up the limestone cliffs here for millennia, and the coast is sculpted and beautiful, decorated with sea stacks and big skies. Deserted beaches stretch for miles and surf barrels in over salty sands. There are hiking trails to set off on through bushlands of eucalyptus and shady gullies rich with tree ferns. When it comes to wildlife, koalas peep through the branches, platypus paddle the rivers, and southern right whales make a splash out at sea.
The Riviera Route, France
France’s Riviera Route is one of the best car rides for foodies, so schedule plenty of time for long lunches and afternoon patisserie stops. The route starts around Nice, befitting one of the nicest roads in the world, and continues along the south coast to Marseille. There are several different routes and a relatively small area to cover, so inland forays are encouraged. The famous Grande Corniche road takes you along dramatic coastal cliffs with tantalizing views of sandy coves and turquoise ocean. Go for glamour in Monaco, call in at Cannes, and then soak up the art and culture of Antibes. When you do hit the road, the scenery is gorgeous, but scenic road trips are very much about taking things at a leisurely pace.
Karakoram Highway, Pakistan/China
Formerly the Friendship Highway, this excitingly remote destination for a road trip was renamed after some of the (many) mountains it traverses. Cutting through sheer rock on the mountainous border between Pakistan and China, the route follows the ancient paths of the Silk Road. The highway took around 20 years to build and was opened to the public in the 1980s. This slither of grey asphalt is dwarfed by the immensity of the peaks all around it, which number the Himalayas, the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush. Gaze out your window here, and you’ll see mountains rising up to 8,000m. It’s not much of a surprise, then, that the Karakoram Highway boasts one of the highest paved roads in the world at the 4,800m Khunjerab Pass. Yes, the views are incredible, but it is also one of the best traveling routes for local culture. As you drive, you’ll pass the home villages of many different ethnic groups, such as the Ismaili and Uyghur, all fascinating to visit.
The Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland
From Donegal to West Cork, Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way hugs the island’s western coast for some 1,600 miles. Skirting high sea cliffs, curving around sandy bays and pulling up in traditional towns and villages, this is one of the best car tours in Europe. Dazzling seascapes will be your constant companion, with windswept walks along dramatic cliffs and visits to lonely lighthouses and ancient monuments. Cruise into any one of the towns that dot the route and you’ll find a warm welcome in traditional pubs and guesthouses. Chat with the locals over a pint, tap along to the ever-present beat of folk music, and fuel up on freshly-caught seafood just off the boat.
Make it happen
Ready to buckle up and set the coordinates to one of scenic road trips? Chat with our local experts in any of these countries and start mapping out a great adventure.
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