Best Road Trips in the World: Our 15 Favourite Routes

Q: How long do you need for a big road trip?

For the big routes like Route 66, the Wild Atlantic Way, the Deep South and the Red Centre, we'd plan on two to three weeks as a working minimum, then add a few days for detours, because the detours usually end up being the best bit. Shorter routes like the Great Ocean Road, the Amalfi Coast or the Causeway Coastal Route fit comfortably into two or three days.

We’ve been writing about and photographing our travels since 2010, and in that time we’ve been lucky enough to drive some of the world’s best road trips, from Route 66 across the USA through to Scotland’s North Coast 500, with year-long trips around Australia and three weeks circling Iceland in between. And we freely admit – we love a good road trip! The thrill of the open road, setting your own schedule, stopping and starting as you want – there are so many great reasons to take a road trip.

If you just want the short answer: Route 66 is often regarded as the best road trip in the world, and having driven it end to end, we agree. If you only have a few days, the Great Ocean Road or the Causeway Coastal Route will give you a lot of scenery for very little driving. And if you want a proper expedition, look at the Wild Atlantic Way, Iceland’s Ring Road, or the drive through Australia’s Red Centre.

Most of the routes in this list are ones we’ve driven ourselves, some more than once, and the photos are all ours. We’ve also included a few we haven’t driven yet – the drives at the top of our own wishlist, several of which you keep recommending to us in the comments. We’ve marked clearly which is which, so you know when you’re getting first-hand experience and when you’re getting well-researched wanderlust.

Table of Contents:

The World’s Best Road Trips

Here’s the whole list at a glance. Every route name links down to its section, where you’ll find more detail plus links to our in-depth guides.

Route	Where	Distance	Time needed	Best time to go	Driving	Driven it?
Route 66	USA	2,448 miles, 8 states	2 to 3 weeks	April to June, September to October	Easy, drive on the right	Yes, LA to Chicago
Great Ocean Road	Australia	~150 miles (243 km)	2 to 3 days	Year round, quieter outside school holidays	Easy, drive on the left	Yes, three times
Amalfi Coast	Italy	~50 km (SS163)	1 to 2 days	May, September to October	Demanding: narrow with constant hairpins, drive on the right	Yes
Pacific Coast Highway	USA	~500 miles, San Francisco to LA	5 to 7 days	April to October	Easy, drive on the right	Yes
Icefields Parkway	Canada	232 km (144 miles)	1 to 2 days	June to September	Easy, drive on the right; winter tyres mandatory November to April	On our list
North Coast 500	Scotland	Just over 500 miles	5 to 7 days	May, June, September	Single track sections, drive on the left	Yes, we live here
West Coast & Milford Sound	New Zealand	75 miles, Te Anau to Milford Sound	1 to 2 weeks for the west coast	December to February	Winding, drive on the left	Yes
The Red Centre	Australia	~1,900 miles, Adelaide to Darwin	2 to 3 weeks	April to September	Easy but remote, drive on the left	Yes
Garden Route	South Africa	~300 km on the N2	3 to 7 days	September to April	Easy, drive on the left	On our list
Wild Atlantic Way	Ireland	~1,600 miles (2,600 km)	2 to 4 weeks	May to September	Narrow rural roads, drive on the left	Yes
The Ring Road	Iceland	828 miles (1,332 km)	8 days minimum	June to September	Easy in summer, challenging in winter, drive on the right	Yes
Atlantic Ocean Road	Norway	8.3 km bridge section, ~36 km scenic route	Half a day	Summer for calm, autumn for storms	Easy, drive on the right	On our list
The Deep South	USA	Charleston to New Orleans, 4 states	2 to 3 weeks	March to May, October to November	Easy, drive on the right	Yes, 5 weeks of it
Causeway Coastal Route	Northern Ireland	~120 miles, Belfast to Derry/Londonderry	2 to 3 days	May to September	Easy, drive on the left	Yes
Ruta 40	Argentina	~5,000 km	3 to 6 weeks	November to March for Patagonia	Long gravel stretches, drive on the right	On our list

1. Route 66, USA

At a glance: 2,448 miles across 8 states · 2 to 3 weeks · best April to June or September to October · easy driving on the right · driven it? Yes, the whole thing.

Route 66 is pretty much the definitive road trip. Spanning two thousand plus miles across eight states, this was the original road trip to take across the US, and it still holds that status today in the minds of many.

It’s no surprise therefore that when we had the chance to drive the entirety of Route 66, Jess and I leapt at the opportunity. We tackled the entire route, sticking to it as closely as we could, from LA to Chicago.

Driving Route 66 today is a blend of big desert landscapes, small town America, quirky roadside attractions, a window into the past, and a lesson in how changing transport routes can make or break the towns along them.

Along the way there’s everything from derelict windswept towns to interesting museums to diners that still look like they would have in their hey day. There’s a reason this is often regarded as the best road trip in the world, and I urge anyone with the chance to drive it to do so.

If you’re thinking of driving the route, check out Jess’s post on planning the perfect Route 66 trip to get you started, as well as our detailed 1 week and 2 week Route 66 road trip itineraries. You can also see photo highlights from all eight states in this photos series of Route 66 states.

2. Great Ocean Road, Australia

At a glance: ~150 miles (243 km), Torquay to Allansford · 2 to 3 days · year round, quieter outside Australian school holidays · easy driving on the left · driven it? Yes, three times.

I enjoyed the Great Ocean Road so much the first time I drove it that I went back and did it twice more. That’s the whole review, really.

For those of you not familiar with this road trip, it’s a stretch of road in the state of Victoria that runs for around 150 miles (243 km) along the south coast, from Torquay to Allansford. Melbourne is the obvious gateway city, about an hour and a half’s drive from the start of the route.

There’s a lot to see along the way, from beaches, to rainforest, to the rock formations of the Twelve Apostles rising out of the Southern Ocean. It’s not a particularly long trip, and can be done in a few days easily, but is definitely worth adding to your list if you’re in this part of the world.

3. Amalfi Coast, Italy

At a glance: ~50 km on the SS163, Meta di Sorrento to Vietri sul Mare · 1 to 2 days · best in May or September to October · demanding driving on the right · driven it? Yes.

The shortest drive in this list, and the one with the most scenery packed into each mile. The SS163 winds for around 50 km along the cliffs between Meta di Sorrento and Vietri sul Mare, passing through Positano and Amalfi on a road that was cut into the rock face in the 1800s and doesn’t seem to have widened since.

We’ve driven it, and the trade-off is that this is the only route on our list where the driver doesn’t really get to look at the view. The road is narrow, the hairpins are constant, and the local buses expect you to make room you don’t have. It’s also glorious, and arriving into Positano by car, with the town stacked up the cliff above you, is worth the white knuckles.

Go in May or in the autumn shoulder season if you can. In August the road turns into a very scenic car park, and you’re better off using the ferries. We’ve put everything we learned into our detailed Amalfi Coast itinerary, including where to stop and where to park, which on this coastline is most of the battle.

4. Pacific Coast Highway, USA

At a glance: ~500 miles, San Francisco to Los Angeles · 5 to 7 days · best April to October · easy driving on the right · driven it? Yes.

If you don’t have time to tackle a huge road trip like Route 66, but still want a coastal drive with gorgeous scenery as well as lots of little towns to explore along the way, then the stretch of coastal highway running from San Francisco through to Los Angeles has you covered.

This is the starting point of our suggested two week California itinerary because it’s the perfect way to get introduced to some of the wonder that this state has on offer, from giant redwoods, to waterfalls that crash on the beach, to little towns filled with boutique shops and sea food restaurants.

Worth knowing if it’s been a while since you looked at this drive: after years of landslide closures, Highway 1 through Big Sur fully reopened in January 2026, so the whole Carmel to Cambria stretch is drivable again. There are still one-way traffic controls at a couple of roadwork sites through summer 2026, so check the Caltrans QuickMap before you set off.

If you’re planning a trip on this road, check out Jess’s detailed guide to driving the Pacific Coast Highway, which covers everything you need to know.

5. Icefields Parkway, Canada

At a glance: 232 km (144 miles), Lake Louise to Jasper · 1 to 2 days · best June to September · easy driving on the right, winter tyres mandatory November to April · driven it? Not yet – top of our wishlist.

We haven’t driven this one yet, and readers have been telling us off about it for years. Every time we publish anything about road trips, someone asks why Canada isn’t on the list. So here it is, at the top of our own wishlist.

The Icefields Parkway runs 232 km (144 miles) between Lake Louise and Jasper, through the heart of the Canadian Rockies, passing glaciers, turquoise lakes and mountain walls pretty much the entire way. You can technically drive it in about three hours. Everyone we know who has done it says to give it a full day at minimum, ideally two with a night in Jasper, because you’ll be stopping constantly.

Summer is the season, June through September, with late September adding golden larch trees to the mix. Outside those months this is a serious mountain road, and winter tyres are mandatory from November through to April.

6. North Coast 500, Scotland

At a glance: just over 500 miles, looping from Inverness · 5 to 7 days · best May, June or September · single track sections, drive on the left · driven it? Yes, and we live here.

We’ve been loving exploring Scotland since we moved here in 2016, and hopping into a car and heading up into the highlands is definitely one of our favourite ways to explore this country.

From the magnificent drive through Glencoe, through to the unbelievable landscapes that are the Isle of Skye – there’s definitely no shortage of scenic places to enjoy a road trip.

Perhaps the best way to enjoy Scotland is on the North Coast 500 – a 500 mile long road trip that takes in some of the best coastal scenery that Scotland has to offer.

This driving route starts in Inverness and loops around the north coast. Along the way you’ll discover everything from Iron Age buildings through to white sandy beaches, perfect lochs and winding mountain roads.

A couple of things we’ve learned from driving it: much of the route is single track road with passing places, so it’s worth reading our guide to driving on single track roads before you go. And if you’re travelling in summer, book your accommodation around three months ahead – the route is popular, and beds along the north coast are limited.

If this route interests you, check out our guide to planning a North Coast 500 trip to get you started. We also have a 7 day North Coast 500 camping itinerary, a guide to the best hotels along the North Coast 500, and some reasons to drive the North Coast 500 for inspiration!

7. West Coast and Milford Sound, New Zealand

At a glance: 75 miles from Te Anau to Milford Sound on the signature stretch · 1 to 2 weeks for the wider west coast · best December to February · winding driving on the left · driven it? Yes.

Whilst pretty much all of New Zealand is a road trippers dream come true, I’d argue that the west coast of the south island, and in particular, the drive to Milford Sound, features some of the best scenery in the country.

On the west coast you’ll encounter glaciers, beaches and rain forests, in a country that is so scenic that it managed to stand in for Middle Earth. And the 75 mile drive from Te Anau into Milford Sound along Milford Road (State Highway 94) is without doubt the highlight.

This winding road takes you into Fiordland National Park, part of the Te Wāhipounamu UNESCO world heritage area and also the largest national park in New Zealand. It passes highlights including the Mirror Lakes and The Chasm, but really, it’s the epic mountainous scenery here that makes the drive so special.

The final destination of the Milford Road is Milford Sound itself, a beautiful fjord that is home to Mitre Peak, a mountain that rises a straight mile straight up out of the water. The best way to appreciate it is from the water on a boat trip, and you can read all about our experience of visiting Milford Sound, including how we picked a cruise.

8. Through the Red Centre, Australia

At a glance: ~1,900 miles, Adelaide to Darwin on the Stuart Highway · 2 to 3 weeks · best April to September · easy but remote driving on the left · driven it? Yes.

The majority of Australia is taken up with vast expanses of wilderness, making it ideal for a road trip that really does take you away from it all. I’d suggest that one of the best road trips in Australia is the drive up through the “Red Centre”, from Adelaide in the south up to Darwin in the north.

This drive, which is almost 2,000 miles in length, is the best way we know to appreciate just how vast this country is. There are multiple highlights along the way. These include Coober Pedy, an opal mining town where many of the inhabitants live underground, and the Devils Marbles, a series of boulders that are so-called because they look like a giant game of marbles.

Of course, one of the big attractions of this road trip is Uluru, the gigantic rock in the centre of Australia which makes for a spectacular location to watch the sunset. Nearby Kings Canyon is also definitely worth the visit. If this road trip sounds like fun to you, check out our guide to driving through the Red Centre, as part of our series of articles on Australia.

One practical note: go between April and September. We did our Australian road tripping across the cooler months for a reason – the centre of Australia in high summer is not a place you want a breakdown.

9. Garden Route, South Africa

At a glance: ~300 km on the N2, Mossel Bay to Storms River at its core · 3 to 7 days · best September to April · easy driving on the left · driven it? Not yet – on our wishlist.

Another one we haven’t driven yet, and another one that readers keep recommending. South Africa’s Garden Route follows the N2 along the country’s southern coast, with the classic stretch running about 300 km between Mossel Bay and Storms River.

What puts it on our wishlist is the variety in such a short distance: beaches, forests, lagoons, and mountain passes, with the option of whale watching from the shore in the earlier part of the season. It also looks like an easy introduction to road tripping in Africa – good roads, short driving days, and plenty of places to stay along the way.

Most people seem to take somewhere between three days and a week over it, often as part of a longer South Africa trip starting in Cape Town. September to April is the window we keep being told to aim for. When we finally get there, you’ll read about it here first.

10. The Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland

At a glance: ~1,600 miles (2,600 km), Malin Head to Kinsale · 2 to 4 weeks · best May to September · narrow rural roads, drive on the left · driven it? Yes.

Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way is one of the longest defined coastal routes in the world, stretching for around 1,600 miles (2,600 km) along Ireland’s west coast, from Malin Head in the north, to Kinsale in the south.

This is an epic driving route that you could take weeks to fully complete. It’s home to over 1,000 attractions, ranging from castles, to sea cliffs, to old churches, towns, villages and more.

If you don’t have weeks though, don’t worry, you can always tackle shorter sections of the route – each region packs in at least a week’s worth of things to see. If you have plenty of time, taking on the whole adventure will be a trip you remember for the rest of your life. We suggest a minimum of two weeks for the whole route, but you’ll need to spend 3 to 4 weeks if you want to take your time to take it all in.

11. The Ring Road, Iceland

At a glance: 828 miles (1,332 km) circling the country · 8 days minimum · best June to September · easy driving on the right in summer, challenging in winter · driven it? Yes, it took us three weeks.

Iceland has become hugely popular as a travellers destination, and one of the more popular activities in Iceland is to take a road trip around the ring road.

This is an 800+ mile route that circles the entire country, and is home to some of Iceland’s biggest natural attractions, from massive waterfalls to volcanic landscapes to black sand beaches. There’s also the opportunity to spot wildlife, including whales and puffins, try the local food, learn about Icelandic culture and of course, go swimming in the country’s famous geothermal pools.

We’d suggest a minimum of 8 days to drive Iceland’s ring road, although it took us closer to three weeks on a recent trip to the country, as we added in a great many detours. Whilst many of the attractions are on the route, there are lots of notable places to visit in Iceland that are a little way off the main ring road, so taking a little bit longer is definitely going to be rewarding.

One thing to note – driving the ring road in winter can be quite challenging, as winter conditions can result in closures and a generally difficult driving experience. Instead, you might want to check out our 5 day Iceland itinerary and our 7 day Iceland itinerary for alternative options which are perfect year round.

For more on travelling in Iceland, check out our guide to planning a trip to Iceland, as well as our tips for driving in Iceland.

12. Atlantic Ocean Road, Norway

At a glance: 8.3 km bridge section, ~36 km designated scenic route · half a day · summer for calm seas, autumn for storm watching · easy driving on the right · driven it? Not yet – on our wishlist.

The shortest entry on this list by some distance. The famous stretch of Norway’s Rv64 is just 8.3 km long, and even the full designated scenic route only runs about 36 km, so you’d build this into a longer Norway fjords trip rather than fly out for the road alone – which is exactly what we plan to do.

You’ve probably already seen the Storseisundet Bridge without knowing its name – it’s the one from all the car adverts that appears to launch you off the end into the sea. The road hops between small islands on a series of causeways and bridges, with the ocean close enough on either side that autumn storms send waves breaking right over the tarmac.

That’s part of the appeal, by the way. Summer gives you calm seas and the best light, but plenty of people go in autumn specifically for the drama of watching the weather hit the road. We’d probably do both, given the chance.

13. The Deep South of the USA

At a glance: Charleston to New Orleans through 4 states · 2 to 3 weeks · best March to May or October to November · easy driving on the right · driven it? Yes, over five weeks.

This road trip was another of our favourite road trips in the USA. Whilst this doesn’t follow a definite route like Route 66, this road trip takes you through some of the southern states of the USA.

Here you’ll tour antebellum plantation homes and learn the history of the enslaved people whose labour built them, trace the American Civil Rights movement through cities like Montgomery and Birmingham, and eat better than you will almost anywhere else in the USA. Another highlight of this region is the warmth of the people – southern hospitality is famous throughout the USA, and on our five week road trip through this area (finishing with Mardi Gras in New Orleans), we found no shortage of friendly folk.

Whilst the route is up to you, our suggestion would be to allow 2 to 3 weeks, with a starting point in Charleston, South Carolina, and finishing in New Orleans, Louisiana. On the way you’ll pass through four states, and cities including Savannah, Atlanta, Birmingham, Montgomery, Mobile, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. For the last stretch of the trip, we recommend following the River Road, and you can see our comprehensive guide to Louisiana plantations along the River Road on the stretch between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

For more details and ideas, check out our detailed Deep South Road Trip itinerary, which has all the information you need to plan your own trip.

14. Causeway Coastal Route, Northern Ireland, UK

At a glance: ~120 miles, Belfast to Derry/Londonderry · 2 to 3 days · best May to September · easy driving on the left · driven it? Yes.

Last, but by no means the least on our list of some of the world’s best road trips is the beautiful Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland. Well, nearly last – one big wishlist entry still follows.

This is a driving route which follows the coastline from Belfast to Derry/Londonderry, taking in incredible sights along the way, including the Giant’s Causeway itself – a UNESCO world heritage listed location, and Northern Ireland’s first world heritage site.

Along the way you’ll pass castles, the Glens of Antrim, and a string of harbour villages, with plenty of stops for walkers, golfers and wildlife watchers too. Game of Thrones fans in particular will love this route, as many of the filming locations for the show were in Northern Ireland. Check out our guide to visiting the Dark Hedges as a starting point.

15. Ruta 40, Argentina

At a glance: ~5,000 km, Cabo Vírgenes to La Quiaca · 3 to 6 weeks · best November to March for the Patagonian stretches · long gravel sections, drive on the right · driven it? Not yet – the big one on our wishlist.

We’re finishing with the big one. Argentina’s Ruta 40 runs around 5,000 km from Cabo Vírgenes, near the southern tip of Patagonia, to La Quiaca on the Bolivian border, shadowing the Andes for its entire length. It’s South America’s longest highway, and several of you have written in over the years to tell us exactly what we’re missing by not having driven it.

From what those readers describe, the answer is: glaciers, flamingo-filled lakes, empty steppe, high desert, and more or less every landscape South America has to offer, joined together by long stretches of gravel and very long gaps between fuel stops. This is an expedition rather than a holiday drive, and that’s exactly why it’s on the list.

The Patagonian sections are best tackled in the southern summer, November to March. If you’ve driven it, we’d love to hear how you found it in the comments – this is the one we get the most second-hand enthusiasm about, and the itch is getting worse.

How We Plan a Road Trip

We’ve taken a lot of road trips, from year long trips around Australia through to weekend loops from home in Scotland. Rather than a long list of generic advice, here are the things we actually do every time, and the mistakes we’ve learned to avoid.

Book the popular routes well ahead

On well-known routes, accommodation is the constraint, not the driving. For the North Coast 500 in summer, we recommend booking at least three months out. And check the events calendar along your route before you commit to dates – when we drove Route 66, we learned that the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico makes lodging both very expensive and booked out for a week in October.

We have a few favourite websites we use for booking accommodation, including Booking.com, Plum Guide and Vrbo. Check out our Travel Resources page for lots more ideas.

Sort the car, the rules and the maps before you go

If you’re renting, compare providers rather than going straight to a name you know – we recommend searching for your car rental on Discover Cars here, which compares a range of providers so you can find the best deal for your trip. For RV and campervan rental, we suggest taking a look at Motorhome Republic, which does the same job across all the major campervan providers worldwide.

If you’re driving in a foreign country, read up on the local driving laws before you arrive, and check whether you need an International Driving Permit – several countries on this list require one for visiting drivers. A hefty driving fine can really put a dampener on a road trip!

Finally, don’t rely on having phone signal for navigation. Download an offline map of your whole route before you leave – large parts of the Red Centre, the NC500 and the Ring Road have no data coverage at all, and a paper map as backup has saved us more than once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the questions we get asked most often about the world’s best road trips, answered from our own experience.

What is the best road trip in the world?

For us, it’s Route 66. It’s often regarded as the best road trip in the world, and having driven it end to end from LA to Chicago, we think it earns the title – no other route combines landscapes, history and pure driving culture in the same way.

If your priority is scenery rather than history, we’d point you at the drive to Milford Sound in New Zealand or Scotland’s North Coast 500 instead.

What’s the best road trip for a first-timer?

The Great Ocean Road in Australia. It’s around 150 miles, the driving is easy, it’s hard to get lost, and the scenery delivers from the first day. I’ve driven it three times, which tells you something.

The Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland is a similar deal for anyone based in the UK or Ireland – two to three days, easy roads, and the Giant’s Causeway at the heart of it.

How long do you need for a big road trip?

For the big routes – Route 66, the Wild Atlantic Way, the Deep South, the Red Centre – we’d plan on two to three weeks as a working minimum. Our general rule is to take whatever time the route notionally needs, then add a few days for detours, because the detours usually end up being the best bit.

Shorter routes like the Great Ocean Road, the Amalfi Coast or the Causeway Coastal Route fit comfortably into two or three days.

When is the best time of year for a road trip?

Shoulder season, in most cases. May, June and September are our picks for the European routes – you get long days without peak-season traffic and accommodation prices. For the US routes, spring and autumn avoid the desert heat on Route 66 and the summer crowds on the Pacific Coast Highway.

The exceptions are the southern hemisphere routes, where the seasons flip: November to March is the window for Patagonia’s Ruta 40, and December to February for New Zealand.

Is it cheaper to rent a car or a campervan?

A car plus pre-booked accommodation usually works out cheaper, and it’s what we do on most trips. Campervan hire, campsite fees and higher fuel consumption add up faster than people expect.

The campervan wins in places where accommodation is scarce or expensive along the route – Iceland, New Zealand and the North Coast 500 are the classic cases, and we loved doing the NC500 as a camping trip. Compare campervan prices on Motorhome Republic before deciding – the gap varies a lot by country.

The World’s Best Road Trips: 15 Routes We’ve Driven or Dream About