Best destinations for Road Trips
Everyone agrees, the road-trips are fabulous. No matter which country you explore, “Thelma and Louise” or Jack Kerouac will keep coming back to you, even if you stop in 5 star hotels or drive a BMW. You will remember your road trip for the rest of your life. It’s a unique experience to wake up in the morning wondering where you’re going to go, what you’re going to visit, where you’re going to choose to stop for sleep and food, and so on.
From a morning’s jaunt to clear out the cylinders to epic road trips of sun, sea and sand, here’s a fast countdown of the best road tours worldwide. It’s up to you to choose where and when to go, according to your interests.
DISCOVER THE BEST ROAD TRIPS
Route 62, South Africa
Distance: 748 kilometers.Approximate route time: Nine-and-a-half hours (nonstop).Over 65 wineries along the way will have you wishing you were a passenger rather than the driver.Shift driving works best along this long tourist route stretching between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, with stops at dozens of non-boozy attractions splintering off the main path, such as cliffs, fauna, rivers, valleys and plains.Chapman’s Peak Drive is a recommended diversion at the start of your journey, a spectacular nine-kilometer marine drive winding its way around the mountainside between Hout Bay and Noordhoek.
Highlights: The hot mineral springs and private Roman baths at the Warmwaterberg Spa are a godsend for shoulder muscles after hours of driving.Alternatively a two-day hike on the famed Donkey Trail over the Swartberg Mountains will get the blood pumping again before the next stretch of road.The Klaasvoogds Game Reserve further along Route 62 is speckled with black wildebeest, leopard tortoise and Burchell’s zebra.Stop for a bite at: Ronnie’s Sex Shop. Initially the sign was “Ronnie’s Shop” but when “Sex” was graffitied as a prank Ronnie decided to leave it up and run with the theme. It’s now a bizarre sex-themed popular pub hangout for bikers, local farmers and regulars along the road.
NC500, Scotland
Distance: 132 kilometers.Approximate route time: Three hours (nonstop).One for the adrenaline junkies, this hairy drive along the highest paved road in South America (almost 4,877 meters above sea level) sweeps through the Andes and has prayer-inducing bends, suicidal wild llamas darting out of the scenery and mountains prone to landslides.Potentially you’ll be dodging giant boulders falling from above, but the view at the end of the paved road is worth nearly dying for.
Highlights: The Ticlio railroad is definitely worth a gawp. At 4,758 meters above sea level, this is one of the highest railway lines in the world and was built to service the local mining community as well as send rich minerals including zinc and lead down the mountain.Stop for a bite at: The roadside cafés. Choose wisely between a Russian roulette of ceviche and fried guinea pig.
Ticlio Pass, Peru
Distance: 132 kilometers.Approximate route time: Three hours (nonstop).One for the adrenaline junkies, this hairy drive along the highest paved road in South America (almost 4,877 meters above sea level) sweeps through the Andes and has prayer-inducing bends, suicidal wild llamas darting out of the scenery and mountains prone to landslides.Potentially you’ll be dodging giant boulders falling from above, but the view at the end of the paved road is worth nearly dying for.
Highlights: The Ticlio railroad is definitely worth a gawp. At 4,758 meters above sea level, this is one of the highest railway lines in the world and was built to service the local mining community as well as send rich minerals including zinc and lead down the mountain.Stop for a bite at: The roadside cafés. Choose wisely between a Russian roulette of ceviche and fried guinea pig.
The Atlantic Road, Norway
Distance: 8 kilometers.Approximate route time: Less than 30 minutes (nonstop).Belly-flips and bridges make up this high-octane drive along the Norwegian coastline.The overpass dips during this journey can be experienced between Kristiansund and Molde, and regular vicious storms in the area intensify the ride.If “technical” driving does nothing for you, get ready to see unusual birds flying overhead, while seals and whales swim off the coastline. Plus, at dusk there’s a wickedly orange sunset.
Highlights: The dark 80-meter long Bremsnes Cave, found at the Bremsneshatten Mountain, is well worth a visit.Scuba diving off the shore during the winter months is a must-do. Marine life in this area is abundant and visibility reaches up to 60 meters. Book a trip with Strømsholmen Sea Sports Center.Stop for a bite at: Derinngarden in Halåsen is a cute farm shop selling delicious syrups, jams, handmade cheese and yogurt. Alternatively the Bjartmars Favorittkro tavern serves decent local bacalao (dried cod).
Route 66 in United States
Speaking of Route 66, this road trip is very different from Scotland’s incredible coast. We have driven many different portions of Route 66, but you can drive this entire route from Chicago to California.
Much of the 3,940km route is abandoned and decrepit as it was forgotten when the highway system was put in place, but there are parts that have been turned into national scenic byways in Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico, and Arizona.
PREPARE YOUR ROAD TRIP
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