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The 10 most beautiful road trips in Europe by car

A good road trip has a reason to stop every hour and a bed at the end of each day. These ten deliver both, with the days each one usually takes.

Published 6 October 2026 · facts fetched from Wikipedia on 6 October 2026

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  1. 1 Romantic Road

    Romantic Road
    Photo by Phronimoi, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

    The Romantic Road is a "theme route" devised by promotion-minded travel agents in the 1950s. Wikipedia

    Würzburg to Füssen through Rothenburg and Dinkelsbühl to Neuschwanstein. 460 km, three or four days, and good with children.

    Written about in 25 languagesStart a trip here

  2. 2 Ring of Kerry

    Ring of Kerry
    Photo by Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    The Ring of Kerry is a 179-kilometre-long (111-mile) circular tourist route in County Kerry, south-western Ireland. Wikipedia

    A 179 km loop of the Iveragh peninsula. Drive it anticlockwise like the coaches, so you are never stuck behind one on the narrow bits.

    Written about in 16 languagesStart a trip here

  3. 3 Amalfi Coast

    Amalfi Coast
    Photo by Bruno Rijsman, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    The Amalfi Coast is a stretch of coastline overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Gulf of Salerno. It is located in the Province of Salerno, in the Campania region of southern Italy, south of the Sorrentine Peninsula and north of the Cilentan Coast. Wikipedia

    Better in a small car, and better still from Sorrento with the car left at the hotel and a bus for the day. In spring or October, drive it.

    Written about in 50 languagesStart a trip here

  4. 4 The Norwegian fjords: Geiranger to Ålesund

    The Norwegian fjords: Geiranger to Ålesund
    Photo by Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Geirangerfjorden (Norwegian) or Geiranger Fjord (English) is a fjord in the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located entirely in Stranda Municipality. Wikipedia

    Fjords, ferries and the Trollstigen. Four days from Bergen to Ålesund is the classic.

    Written about in 54 languagesStart a trip here

  5. 5 The Great Dolomites Road

    The Great Dolomites Road
    Photo by kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    The Dolomites or Pale Mountains are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the river Adige in the west to the Piave Valley (Pieve di Cadore) in the east. Wikipedia

    Bolzano to Cortina over the Pordoi and Falzarego passes. One long day or two short ones, with Lake Carezza on the way.

    Written about in 73 languagesStart a trip here

  6. 6 Route des Grandes Alpes

    Route des Grandes Alpes
    Photo by Rémih, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    The Route des Grandes Alpes (RdGA) is a tourist itinerary through the French Alps between Lake Geneva and the French Riviera climbing all the high Alpine passes within France. This true classic trip is 720 km (447 mi) long. Wikipedia

    Thonon on Lake Geneva to Menton on the Riviera over 16 passes, 700 km. A week, open from late June.

    Written about in 7 languagesStart a trip here

  7. 7 Croatia: Plitvice to Dubrovnik

    Croatia: Plitvice to Dubrovnik
    Photo by Zysko serhii, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Plitvice Lakes National Park is one of the oldest and largest national parks in Croatia. Wikipedia

    Zagreb, the Plitvice lakes, then the coast road south through Split. A week with the islands by ferry.

    Written about in 59 languagesStart a trip here

  8. 8 The Loire châteaux

    The Loire châteaux
    Photo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    The Loire Valley, spanning 280 kilometres (170 mi), is a valley located in the middle stretch of the Loire river in central France, in both the administrative regions Pays de la Loire and Centre-Val de Loire. Wikipedia

    Orléans to Angers along the river, one château a day: Chambord, Chenonceau, Azay-le-Rideau. Flat, slow and lovely.

    Written about in 38 languagesStart a trip here

  9. 9 Andalusia: Seville, Ronda, Granada

    Andalusia: Seville, Ronda, Granada
    Photo by kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    Andalusia is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. Wikipedia

    The white villages, the Alhambra and the Sierra Nevada in a week, with the coast at Nerja if you want a beach day.

    Written about in 150 languagesStart a trip here

  10. 10 The English Lake District

    The English Lake District
    Photo by User:Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

    The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region and national park in Cumbria, North West England. Wikipedia

    Small, steep passes (Hardknott, Wrynose, Honister) and lakes round every corner. Three days, out of school holidays.

    Written about in 54 languagesStart a trip here

Riding or driving it

Roadlegs starts a car at 300 km or 5.5 hours a day. For any of these, set it lower: the point is the stops. Add a start date and each day shows the weather and the sunset.

Open the plan in Roadlegs How the planner handles this vehicle.

About the facts and photos

The descriptions in italics are the opening sentences of the Wikipedia article for each place, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, fetched on 6 October 2026. Photos are from Wikimedia Commons under the licence named beside each one. "Written about in N languages" counts the Wikipedia editions that have an article, from Wikidata; it is a measure of how well known a place is, not a rating. Everything else is the author's own opinion. Roads close with the seasons: check before you go.

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