If you are on a romantic holiday, celebrating an anniversary or perhaps your honeymoon, or if you just love beauty, put a few of these drives on your bucket list. They just get more and more magnificent.
Estoril Coast Drive, Portugal
Portugal is fantastic for a holiday and it is one of the countries that is pretty easy to drive around on your own. Take the Estoril Coast Drive, stopping at small Portuguese villages along the way, enjoying the food, the views, and the stunning beaches. Start in Lisbon, heading inland to Sintra. Keep going…
Klausen Pass, Switzerland
When you think of Switzerland you think of mountain peaks, snow, snowcapped houses, green forests, great chocolate, precision and cuckoo clocks. Well, you will see all this if you drive the Klausen Pass in Switzerland. It goes through some of the best Swiss scenery. Every 4 to 5 years at the Klausenrunnen takes place, a car race that is not for the faint hearted.
The Amalfi Coast
Driving through Italy can be a challenge, with narrow roads and maniac drivers, but actually, it’s easy to drive along the Amalfi Coast, beautiful and romantic. Take a few days to drive along the coast, or do short day drives; whatever your choice they will be magnificent. The Amalfi Drive is about 80 kms long, including the ocean and cliffs of the Sorrento Peninsula. Pack your bathing suits for impromptu swims!
Transfagarasan Highway, Romania
If you struggle with motion sickness, this may not be the best drive to do. It is however totally spectacular and has been called one of the best drives in the world. The Transfagarasan Highway twists and turns, goes up and down, high and low, through extraordinary tunnels and over extraordinary mountain peaks. Most exciting, it goes through real Dracula territory.
La Route de Grand Alps, France
This is an incredible route that takes you from the French Riviera and through the mountains of France and over 16 mountain passes, including some of the most spectacular in Europe. It is remote, magnificent, high and exquisite. Keep your eye on the weather, most of the passes close when the first snows arrive.
Les Corniches, France
These are three roads of the French Riviera and are totally glamorous and romantic. It’s a beautiful drive with stunning views and a great way to take in the French Riveira towns of Nice, Cannes and Monte Carolo. Corniche by the way, means cliff. These are cliff roads, with incredible ocean views.
Lysebotn Road, Norway
This road will literally take your breath away. The beginning of the road is pretty spectacular - it goes higher and higher and higher, with 27 very scary but magnificent hairpin bends. The views are extraordinary, white, clean, never ending. The road is only open for five months of the year, depending on the weather. The ride down is astonishing too - with a 3600 foot long tunnel.
There are many more drives that are extraordinary. Chapman’s Peak in Cape Town, South Africa, will leave you breathless. The Silverado Trail in the USA is mind blowing. And the Pacific Rim Highway in British Colombia is astonishing. Choose your country of travel, book your accommodation, look at the self drive routes, hire a car, or hire a driver. It’s time to explore. And get adventurous