The Best Road Trips In Europe

Now the misguided electorate has decided that the UK should no longer enjoy being part of the EU it's time to think about future travel.

Taking a road trip in Europe gives you the opportunity to see the sights under your own steam, to immerse yourself in a culture like never before (nothing teaches you more about a national character than behavior on a motorway!), and to travel with all mod cons over some of the oldest human routes in the world. The enticing idea of a European road trip is surpassed only by the reality of it - but you have to choose the right road. Nobody, for example, would want to take a British road trip around the M25. Here, therefore, are a few suggestions for a spectacular road trip through Europe.

Before You Start…

Before you head off, make sure you know what you’re doing and where you’re going. This is particularly relevant when it comes to driving laws. It may seem simpler to drive yourself through Europe rather than to take public transport - and in many ways it is. But it does demand that you take a certain amount of responsibility for your own passage. That includes familiarizing yourself with the driving laws and customs in the nations through which you will be heading. It also means making sure that your car is adequately prepared and meets all of the regulations and stipulations you may encounter along the way. Map out your route thoroughly, get to know the road signs you’ll encounter, and perhaps acquire a smattering of basic language skills if you’re heading somewhere where English is not widely spoken. Make sure you’ve got everything you need, and (most importantly of all) make sure that you’re psyched but sensible about what’s ahead! Now you’re ready to take on one of these great trips…

Paris To Berlin

The drive from Paris to Berlin will take you through some of Europe’s most historical, culturally significant, and beautiful areas. After taking in the unsurpassable delights of Paris, you’ll soar through the beautiful regions of Champagne and Reims before hitting oft-overlooked but nonetheless rather wonderful Luxembourg. Heading into Germany you’ll meander through the Riesling wine region and through the medieval city of Heidelberg. Nuremberg is the next significant stop - a historic city with plenty to see and think about - followed by Leipzig (famed for its classical music and cakes). Then Dresden looms large, a stark reminder of our recent history. Finally, Berlin - a city with more atmosphere and history than anyone could wish for! They say that the journey is more important than the destination, but this destination may put the lie to that saying (depending on the traffic you encountered along the way, of course…).

Bergen To Trondheim

If you’re less of a wine, art, and music person and more of a wilderness, solitude, and fjords type then try the drive from Bergen to Trondheim. Beginning from Bergen, on the southern coast of Norway, drive through a heavy fjord region towards Voss (where you’ll find an incredible waterfall). Those who like tunnels will be thrilled to learn that Europe’s longest road tunnel then takes you under the mountains (for those who are less keen on such things, hold on, there are better things coming up!). Emerging from the tunnel, you can get a ferry across the lovely Sognefjord and head for the glaciers and valleys of Fjaland. Little waterside and mountainside towns and villages abound, all of which have much to offer the eager sightseer. Heading north, you’ll take the exhilarating mountain turns of the ‘Troll Pass’ (Trollstigen) down to the Eresfjord ferry. After crossing, it’s a quick drive along Norway’s stunning Atlantic Road to the beautiful city of Trondheim.

Athens Loop

For the sun, sea, and ancient culture, you can’t do better than a road trip around Greece. Looping from Athens back to Athens gives you the opportunity to take in the best that Greece has to offer from the comfort of your own car. Leaving Athens, try taking the coastal roads south through the Athenian Riviera. Heading down towards the end of the Attic Peninsula, you will encounter the Temple of Poseidon near Souinon. Turning back towards the north, you will pass through the myth-drenched settlements of Korinthos and Mycenae. For a little sun-splashed luxury after all of that exhausting culture, take yourself off to the resort of Nafpolio. Alternatively, carry on towards Mystra - another historically significant city. Continuing, you can take yourself to Delphi - once considered the ‘navel of the world’, a site of ancient worship and prophecy that still holds considerable power and atmosphere today. Or visit Olympia, where the first Olympics were held. Turning south, you can then head back to Athens and look at the ancient (and modern) capital of Greece with new eyes after all that you have experienced!