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5 Greatest Driving Roads In The World For A Grand Tour Enthusiast

There are three things that are involved in a Grand Tour that make these travels some of the greatest moments of our lives. First, it’s the company – friends make or break a road trip. Second, it’s the cars. They’re very important, and we can help you there. Third is, of course, the places.

We’ve been writing about road trips for a long time, but we’ve never given you a definitive guide to the best places to drive. So, on this page, I wanted to talk you through the ten greatest roads the world has to offer with the objective of inspiring you to see and drive something amazing now the pandemic is slowly disappearing.

5. The North Coast 500 – Scotland

The North Coast 500

Scotland offers the world many things from smokey scotch whisky to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. But weaving through its incredible vistas is the North Coast 500.

Beginning in the Northern city of Inverness, this 500 mile route loops around the highlands of Scotland with the highlights being the incredible drive through Glencoe and the amazing views of the Isle of Skye.

There is no shortage of driving roads for a car enthusiast, and with white sandy beaches, iron age architecture, and mountains to explore, there’s something for everyone.

Camping usually takes around a week, but this purely depends on how much you travel off the beaten track.

4. Pacific Coast Highway, USA

Pacific Coast highway road trip

There are some amazing roads in America such as Route 66, but the Pacific Coast Highway is a bit shorter than this and so serves as a great introduction to the country.

It hugs the coastline of California and stretches over 600 miles reaching from San Francisco to San Diego.

Along the way you’ll drive through giant redwoods, past waterfalls that hit the beach, and incredible architecture, but don’t forget to stop at a few important places including Neptune’s Net – a famous sea food restaurant that has featured in films like Fast and Furious and Point Break, as well as Gossip Girl.

Expect this trip to take about two weeks as you explore everything it has to offer.

3. Route 66, USA

Route 66 road trip

Route 66 is the road trip of all road trips, measuring in at over 2,000 miles over 8 states from LA to Chicago.

It’s the original road trip of the country, showing off views of stunning vistas, weird but wonderful roadside attractions, and some of the best stretches of road in the world.

Explore derelict American towns, eat at traditional diners, and visit interesting museums to make the most of your tour. Even over a two week span, expect a lot of driving.

2. Great Ocean Road, Australia

Great Ocean Road road trip

This route runs parallel to the south coast from Melbourne to the West for around 150 miles. It’s a much shorter road trip than other on this list, but it doesn’t stop it from being one of the most beautiful.

Along the way you’ll see a diverse landscape from rainforest to sandy beaches and jagged rocky landscapes.

If you wanted to you could drive this in a day, but I suggest stopping to explore with several hiking and biking trails available, or even testing your surfing skills on some of the gorgeous beaches along the route.

It may be short, but don’t strike off this stunning route from your plans.

1. The Atlantic Road, Norway

This road is so breathtaking, international media couldn’t keep away from it with it being featured in a number of films such as James Bond: No Time To Die, and being called “the world’s best place to mend a broken heart”.

It stretches 22 miles from Kårvåg and Bud and will take you through the best nature Norway has to offer as well as its greatest architecture.

You’ll drive over 7 bridges, including the Storseisundet bridge, which is an epic piece of engineering and one that will stick in your memory for years after traversing it.

It’s a hotspot for interesting cars, amazing views, and of course, one hell of a road to drive.

> You can check out some more amazing road trips in Norway by clicking here. 

Have we missed a road trip that you believe should be in this list? Let me know in the comments below!

Alex Harrington

Alex started racing at a young age so certainly knows his way around a car and a track. He can just about put a sentence together too, which helps. He has a great interest in the latest models, but would throw all of his money at a rusty old French classic and a 300ZX. Contact: [email protected]
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