Fifteen unforgettable road trips that will change your life

This article is part of Traveller’s Holiday Guide to the world’s greatest road trips.See all stories.

Road tripping is in danger of becoming a lost art, thanks to cheap airline tickets that can get us where we need to go in hours, rather than days.

But road trips – as opposed to mere commutes – are never just about getting from A to B. At least the best ones aren’t.

A real road trip, whether here or overseas, is all about adventure, changing your mind on a whim and the excitement of not knowing what’s ahead, beyond the next bend.

Having your own set of wheels, particularly on an international holiday, can be the ultimate ticket to freedom, the difference between following the crowd and travelling beyond the tourist traps and really getting to know a place and meeting the locals.

These days, with Google maps and translation apps, it’s far easier than it used to be, even if you don’t speak the language.

Search the internet and you’ll find lots of lists of “world’s best drives” – such as Italy’s Stelvio Pass and the Transfagarasan Highway in Romania, loved by driving enthusiasts for their challenging bends that require both skill and courage to tackle.

But my idea of the ultimate road trip is a drive that’s fun; a trip that’s easy to do on holiday in a rental car, where the driving is enjoyable because of the places the road takes you, rather than the thrill of having made it to the end in one piece.

My choices also tend to meander between villages and regional towns rather than linking capital cities, because as far as I’m concerned holidays are too short to waste looking for somewhere to park.

Even with a sat nav (or satellite navigation device for the uninitiated), the most memorable road trips invariably involve getting lost, discovering somewhere new and, sometimes, changing the way you think about things, or at least challenging your preconceptions.

A road tripper surveys the autumn colours in Canada’s Jasper National Park.Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

It could be finding America’s best hamburger in a bar full of cowboys in a town that looks like a film set, or Australia’s best vanilla slice in the middle of nowhere, stumbling across a picture-perfect medieval village in Spain or Italy that you can’t believe isn’t full of holiday hordes, or experiencing true wilderness in one of the world’s most crowded places.

But what I treasure most – beyond the I-can’t-believe-it’s-real landscapes and waistline-altering foodie finds – are the local people you meet on the road, and the connections you make when you least expect to.

Here, in an extract from my new book, Ultimate Road Trips, published by Hardie Grant Explore (see below), and in no particular order, are 10 unforgettable overseas road trips (and five more closer to home) that changed my life and could change yours too.

Iceland

Steamy stops... Sky Lagoon.

• The road trip Ring Road, 2800km loop from Reykjavik, via the remote Westfjords and northern peninsula.
• Drive side Right.
• Degree of difficulty Moderate: some narrow, steep gravel sections.

The lowdown A lap of Iceland on the Route 1 Ring Road (Hringvegur) is a trip into an almost mythical landscape of erupting volcanoes and dramatic lava fields, spouting geysers, glaciers, snow-capped peaks, awe-inspiring waterfalls, ice caves and steaming hot pools, with plenty of whales, seals, puffins and icebergs on the side. There’s also a rich seam of Viking history and, if you believe the Icelanders, a healthy population of elves and trolls. It’s Game of Thrones in real life, both wonderful and desolate on a monumentally grand scale. It’s home to fewer than 380,000 people – and about 300,000 of those live in the capital, Reykjavik – so there’s little traffic to battle. With just one main road to follow between stops, it’s thankfully much easier to navigate than to pronounce.

Make it happen You could drive the Ring Road in a week if you stick to the main route, but with scenery this good you really don’t want to rush it: we spent two weeks. Most people drive the Ring Road in summer, when days are long thanks to the midnight sun. See visiticeland.com

Japan

Stop off at World Heritage-listed shrines… Kumano Nachi Taisha.Credit: Lee Atkinson

• The road trip Kii Peninsula, Honshu, about 500km from Kumano to Nara via the coast.
• Drive side Left.
• Degree of difficulty Moderate: sealed roads with some narrow, winding sections.

The lowdown This peaceful, densely forested and mountainous peninsula south of Kyoto and Osaka is Japan’s spiritual heartland. The country’s largest peninsula, it’s a wild place that is still pretty much off the tourist trail, at least for foreigners.

The Japanese have been coming here for centuries to walk the network of ancient roads through the mountains known as the Kumano Kodo, a pilgrimage that’s Japan’s version of Spain’s Camino de Santiago but without the crowds.

Highlights include breakfasting on sashimi at the daily tuna auction in Katsuura, soaking in dozens of hot springs, being dazzled by the all-white Wakayama Castle, visiting World Heritage-listed shrines and temples, and feeding the deer in historic Nara, the birthplace of modern sake.

Make it happen Allow at least a week. The Kii Peninsula has a fairly mild climate and any time is a good time to visit, including winter. Autumn, about mid-November, is colourful. Spring (cherry blossom season) can be busy, so book ahead if travelling in March or April. See japan.travel

Canada

Lake and mountain scenery on an epic scale.Credit: Lee Atkinson

• The road trip Icefields Parkway, Alberta, 288km between Banff and Jasper, via Lake Louise.
• Drive side Right.
• Degree of difficulty Easy, with sealed roads.

The lowdown The route is named for the vast Columbia Icefield and many glaciers along the way. You’ll be treated to mountain scenery on an epic scale as you drive through the heart of the Canadian Rockies.

Winding its way through two World Heritage-listed national parks, this is a ravishingly photogenic stretch of road, with waterfalls, rivers, lakes and rocky peaks.

You’ve also got a good chance of seeing bears, moose, caribou, elk and bighorn sheep. The ultimate day trip, the Icefields Parkway packs in more “OMG” moments and scenic wonders per kilometre than any other road trip I’ve done.

Make it happen You’ll only need one full day to do this trip, unless you decide to do it again in the opposite direction, which many people do. If you’re keen on some of the short hikes along the way, consider adding a day or two in Lake Louise and Jasper. The Icefields Parkway is open year-round, with the route busy in July and August; at Lake Louise and lookouts, parking can be hard to come by. See icefieldsparkway.com

Thailand

Explore jungle, parks, caves and springs on the Mae Hong Son loop.Credit: Lee Atkinson

• The road trip Mae Hong Son Loop, 675km loop from Chiang Mai.
• Drive side Left.
• Degree of difficulty Not for the faint-hearted: a challenging drive with narrow sealed roads, steep and winding sections and many blind corners.

The lowdown Thailand may not be the first place to spring to mind for a driving holiday, but it should be. The route across the roof of Thailand is known as the road of 1864 curves – that’s only one half of the loop from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son, so it’s probably closer to 2500 if you do the whole thing.

It winds its way through beautiful teak forests and jungle, national parks with waterfalls, caves and hot springs, past glittering hilltop temples and over some of the country’s highest mountains.

Apart from the town of Pai, which is popular with backpackers, most of the time the only other tourists you’ll see are Thais who come up to the highlands to enjoy the cool, and a few intrepid motorcyclists who love the famously twisty route. It’s about as far from the beaches of Patong as you can get.

Make it happen Allow at least four days. You can do the loop in either direction, but doing it clockwise means the twistiest part is at the end of the loop rather than the beginning, when you’re more attuned to the local driving style. If you don’t fancy doing the driving, hiring a car and driver from Chiang Mai is affordable. Winter-mid-October to mid-April is the peak season for travel in northern Thailand. See tourismthailand.org

Scotland

Crossing a spectacular loch on the North Coast 500 loop.Credit: Getty Images

• The road trip North Coast 500, 830km loop from Inverness.
• Drive side Left.
• Degree of difficulty Moderate: narrow single lane roads with passing places, several steep and winding sections unsuitable for motorhomes.

The lowdown If ever there’s a road trip that deserves the “ultimate” tag, it’s the North Coast 500 (NC500) in the Highlands. Starting and finishing in Inverness, this well-signposted route follows the coastline of northern Scotland for more than 500 miles (hence the name), traversing some of the wildest and most remote landscapes in Britain. From photogenic fishing towns and windswept beaches to high mountain passes and insanely beautiful lochs and forests, this really is a special drive. In the spirit of keeping the best to last – in terms of dramatic scenery – we drove the loop anti-clockwise, east to west, and each day, just when we thought it couldn’t get any more spectacular, it invariably did.

Make it happen We spent nine days on the NC500, in winter when many of the attractions were closed, so there were plenty of things we didn’t see and lots of walks and hikes we didn’t do. Allow at least two weeks, if possible. Officially launched in only 2015, the route is already a bucket-list drive that has become extremely popular. To avoid the summer traffic tailbacks, go in spring or autumn. See northcoast500.com

Italy

Classic Tuscan landscape on SR222 or, more poetically, Chiantigiana Strada del Vino e dell’Olio. Credit: Getty Images

• The road trip Via Chiantigiana, Tuscany, just 75km between Siena and Florence.
• Drive side Right.
• Degree of difficulty Easy due to paved country roads. Finding a parking spot in Florence (Firenze) or Siena is not so easy, though, so park in one of the car parks outside the historic city centre and stroll in.

The lowdown Not all great drives have to be epic. The SR222 (aka the Via Chiantigiana) links the medieval city of Siena with Renaissance capital Florence and spears through the heart of the Chianti wine region, across the type of countryside for which Tuscany is famous – rolling hills covered in vineyards, olive groves and avenues of narrow cypress trees, leading to farmhouses and rustic restaurants (enoteche) built from golden stone. Along the way you’ll pass through half a dozen picture-perfect historic walled hilltop towns, including San Gimignano with its forest of 13th-century skyscrapers that shimmer on the horizon like a medieval Manhattan. And even though you can easily do this trip in a day, that would leave time for only three or four meals, so let your appetite be your guide. It will change forever the way you view those cheap bottles of red wine in baskets.

Make it happen Spend at least a day in Siena, and a couple in Florence. How long you take to get between the two depends on how much you want to eat. Summer – July and August – can be hot and crowded, so opt for winter and bag some great accommodation deals. Starting point Siena is 225km north of Rome; it takes about three hours to drive back to Rome from Florence if you take the A1 autostrada. See visittuscany.com

Spain

Roman theatre in Merida is among Spain’s UNESCO World Heritage cultural sites and is still in use.Credit: Getty Images

• The road trip Top to bottom, about 1480km from San Sebastian to Ronda via Seville.
• Drive side Right.
• Degree of difficulty Easy due to sealed roads.

The lowdown The ideal introduction to some of the best of Spain, this DIY road trip takes you from seaside San Sebastian in Basque Country in the north-east, across the top on the Costa Verde (Green Coast) and down along the Spanish side of the Portuguese border to Andalusia in the south. It’s not a signposted touring route, so you can be flexible about what you want to do and how long you want to do it. Combining San Sebastian, Bilbao and Seville with UNESCO World Heritage cultural sites such as the Roman ruins of Merida – with lesser-known towns and medieval villages that fly beneath the tourist radar – this trip packs in a wide variety of landscapes and quintessential Spanish experiences.

Make it happen We spent the best part of three weeks doing this road trip, often staying several days in the towns we liked along the way and exploring the area on day trips. It wasn’t rushed, but we could have easily spent much longer. Southern Spain gets hot in summer and crowded with holidaymakers from cooler climes seeking the dream of endless sunshine. We drove this route in mid-winter, and it was mild enough to eat in outdoor restaurants most evenings. See spain.info

United States

Wild west coast of the US, where the highway hugs the coast from Canada to Mexico.

• The road trip Pacific Coast, 2414km from Port Angeles, Washington State to Los Angeles, California.
• Drive side Right.
• Degree of difficulty Moderate with sealed roads, some winding sections.

The lowdown One of the world’s greatest coastal road trips is much wilder and less crowded than you might expect. Hwy 101/1 (depending on which state you are in) hugs the coast all the way from the Canadian border to Mexico, through Washington, Oregon and California.

Relatively traffic-free – the trucks and long-distance travellers in a hurry stick to the inland I-5 Interstate – it’s a superbly scenic journey that includes lush rainforest and forests of the largest trees on the planet, snow-capped mountains, wild windswept beaches studded with rocky sea stacks and lots of wildlife.

There are plenty of charming seaside towns along the way, and such standout cities as San Francisco and Santa Monica. If you have time, include a side trip to the famous wine producing regions of Napa Valley and Sonoma County – or Disneyland if you are road tripping with kids.

Make it happen Allow at least two weeks. For the best views, drive the route north to south – driving on the side of the road closer to the sea, you’ll be able to pull over into viewpoints easily and safely. Winters are relatively mild and summer can be foggy. See visittheusa.com.au

South Africa

Mountains under clouds on the Garden Route approaching Cape Town on the Route 62 loop.Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

• The road trip The Garden Route, 200km from Mossel Bay to Storms River. Most people start in Cape Town and continue to Gqeberha, roughly 850km. It’s about 1665km if you loop back to Cape Town via Route 62.
• Drive side Left.
• Degree of difficulty Easy with sealed roads.

The lowdown Hugging the coast around the southern tip of Africa, this celebrated touring route – named for the region’s bountiful wildflowers – passes white sandy beaches and takes in dramatic mountain passes. Attractions beyond the majestic scenery include great hiking in coastal national parks and plenty of wildlife, with whales, penguins, elephants and more baboons than you can possibly count. Looping back to Cape Town via the World’s Longest Wine Route (also known as Route 62) with a safari on the way at Addo Elephant Park makes it a road trip you’ll never forget.

Make it happen You could easily spend the best part of two weeks driving the Garden Route, particularly if you return via Route 62. You can do it one-way, in less than three days. September to November is peak wildflower time; September is whale-watching season. See southafrica.net

South-west US

Extra-terrestrial landscapes at the Grand Canyon.Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

• The road trip Million Dollar Highway and Four Corners, 2278km including detours, from Flagstaff, Arizona to Taos, New Mexico, via Bryce Canyon in Utah and Colorado’s San Juan Skyway.
• Drive side Right.
• Degree of difficulty Moderate, with mostly sealed roads, some narrow and with winding sections.

The lowdown Tick off some of America’s greatest natural wonders on this trip through Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, on some of the country’s most scenic roads. There is a new landscape daily – from the grandeur of the Grand Canyon to the snow-capped Rockies, from ancient adobe villages, hoodoo-filled ravines and remote river valleys to wild west towns and real-life landscapes instantly recognisable from countless movies.

Make it happen Allow about three weeks, if you can. This trip meanders through both the high desert and the mountains, so avoid mid-summer when temperatures soar and winter when some roads can be closed by snow. Late spring or autumn is ideal. See visittheusa.com.au

Five life-changing road trips close to home

The Nullarbor Plain takes in the Great Australian Bight.

Across the Nullarbor, SA-WA Driving across the country on one of the longest, straightest, flattest pieces of road in the world is a head trip everyone should experience at least once in their lives. See australia.com

The Silo Trail, Vic Australia’s Route 66, this road trip is resurrecting dying towns in western Victoria, thanks to a chain of giant artworks on disused silos, old sheds, shop walls and churches. See siloarttrail.com

Southern Scenic Route, NZ Living up to its name, this loop of the southern half of the South Island travels through some of the country’s most dramatic landscapes. See southernscenicroute.co.nz

Red Centre Way, NT Watching Uluru change colour in the setting sun is an experience you’ll never forget. So, too, is driving there via Watarrka/Kings Canyon, and easier than you think. See northernterritory.com

Gove Peninsula, Arnhem Land, NT There’s nowhere else in Australia where you can experience First Nations culture in such an authentic way. And driving there is an adventure like no other. See eastarnhemland.com.au

This is an edited extract from Lee Atkinson’s latest book, Ultimate Road Trips, published by Hardie Grant Explore.