Traveling is generally great, no matter where you go or what you do, but an epic road trip lingers in the memory. I go on a long drive every few months, and few haven't been amazing.
A few ingredients are needed for the perfect road trip: bring snacks, have some good music, and make sure you're traveling with people you don't mind being stuck in a car with for hours. Here's a mixture of trips I have been on and two I desperately want to try for myself someday. I hope they inspire you!
Table of Contents
Road Trips
1. Route 66, USA
The United States is made for road-tripping, with its diverse landscapes and long, endless stretches of road. I've merely road-tripped around a few Southern states and would love to return for a coast-to-coast trip one day, taking in as much of the famous Route 66 as possible.
2. The Great Ocean Road, Australia
Australia is another country renowned for its road trips, and picking a favorite is a tough call. I've made some trips more than once, and others I've yet to do (I want to one day drive down the Eyre Highway across the Nullarbor Plain, which doesn't deviate from a straight road for some 90 miles).
The Great Ocean Road, above all, deserves a special mention. This 150-mile road stretches across the length of the southern east coast and is jaw-droppingly beautiful. The road is filled with attractions: beaches, national parks, and the 12 Apostles—limestone stacks about three and a half hours west of Melbourne. As I'm currently spending the year living in Australia, I expect many more epic road trips.
3. The Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland
Having driven around Ireland twice now (addicted, much?) I can assure you that the country is lovely, no matter where you go. For a proper, rugged coastline, head to the west coast and drive down the Wild Atlantic Way.
The route takes you through five different counties (the very underrated County Donegal, County Mayo, County Clare, County Kerry, and County Cork). Over 1,000 attractions, such as the Slieve League Cliffs, Mizen Head, and the Cliffs of Moher, are along the way.
4. Reykjavík to the Westfjords, Iceland
It's challenging to travel to Iceland without including a road trip. As many of the country's best sights are natural, hopping in the car and seeing where the road takes you can be fun. I decided to do that the first time I traveled there in 2014. So, I grabbed a car, rounded up a couple of Canadians (Reykjavík was full of them then), and headed north to the remote Westfjords.
For a country whose tourism industry is booming, the Westfjords were almost entirely devoid of people at that time. We'd drive for hours without seeing a single soul. We had no clear, defined idea of what we wanted to do and see—merely a map and a few bookings in some faraway hostels. We drove for three days, covering a lot of ground and loving every second. It remains my favorite road trip to date.
5. Land's End to John o'Groats, UK
Here's another hypothetical epic road trip. Living in London for two years, I did make a couple of trips by car to places that were harder to reach by public transport.
Yet, the one I dearly wanted to do but couldn't squeeze in was similar to my aforementioned trips around Ireland. I wanted to take a substantial chunk of time to drive from one end of the UK to the other, stopping at any town or sights I fancied.
If you're going to do it properly, why not go from tip to tip? Land's End in Cornwall and John o'Groats in northern Scotland are the two landmarks from which you can traverse the island, from top to bottom.
Technically, the most southern point of England is Lizard Head, and the furthest north you can get in mainland Scotland is Dunnet Head (we're excluding all islands here). Yet, Land's End and John o'Groats have the novelty factor to them, so that's that. Alternatively, I'll happily drive around North Wales for a few days. I'm not picky.
Before embarking on your international road trip, get an IDP online for Brazil or anywhere else you're thinking of driving. It's often required in countries like South America, the Middle East, Japan, Italy, and many others across Europe, helping you avoid potential legal hassles on your journey.
LC is an ex-expat who is currently re-exploring her home country of Australia. Follow her adventures at home and abroad via her blog Birdgehls, where she writes about travel, expat life, gushes on about various animals and bemoans her often futile attempts to go completely green. Or, you can look her up on Facebook.
Planning a trip? Go Backpacking recommends:
- G Adventures for small group tours.
- Hostelworld for booking hostels.
