Europe’s most bucket list-worthy road trips – and how to plan the perfect route

Iceland makes an appearance on any self-respecting list of travel experiences. The Iceland Ring Road encircles the entire nation, covering 1,333 kilometres of road, a distance that can be traversed in 12 or 13 hours, depending on speed. Truth be told, you should take a week or so to do it properly, stopping to take in the majestic scenery that only Iceland can produce. Sigur Rós made a video of the whole thing backed by some typically gorgeous music, so head to a well-known internet video streaming site and start making plans.

Length of drive: 1,333 km

Start: Reykjavík 

Finish: Back at Reykjavík

Plan your trip for 2026: Book your trip to be in Iceland by 12 August for a once-in-a-lifetime experience to witness this year's solar eclipse.

Driving around the winding mountain roads of Zagori sounds like a dream, right? These serpentine roads aren’t the easiest, but they are well worth it; think lakes, monasteries, stunning mountain villages and animals that are very much in charge of the place. There are several possible routes, so you might as well just get that driving licence sorted and let your whims do the rest.

Plan your trip for 2026: Go in early February to sip some local goodness at The 8th 800 Wine Fair in Ioannina, which celebrates all-things Greek wine and culture. 

If anyone tells you that Croatia is still a hidden gem, you should stop listening to them. Hrvatska gets mega busy throughout the summer, but spring and autumn remain brilliant times to visit, and what better way to explore the coast than by driving all the way down it? Start at Pula and snake your way down the coast to Dubrovnik, breaking up the 709km with stops in Rijeka, Zadar, Split and wherever else. Heck, you could even nip inland to explore the magical Plitvice Lakes National Park, and extend the last leg by heading into Bosnia and Herzegovina to see Mostar, Kravice waterfall and Blagaj for yourself. 

Start: Pula

Finish: Dubrovnik

Length: Around 7 hours (714 km). 

Plan your trip for 2026: The tiny town of Tisno is right in the middle of the route and the perfect pitstop to party. The Love International music festival will be held here from July 8 to 14. 

Ireland is the emerald gem that keeps on giving, and its Causeway Coast is the one of the best gifts of all. Think lush greenery that leads castle ruins, rugged cliffs with dramatic drops, and ocean views that stretch as far as the eye can see. Hire a car in Belfast, then make your way west to Londonderry for a jetsetting trip to the hometown of the hit show, Derry Girls. Stay alter for some epic pit stops like Dunseverick Harbour and Castle, and Mussenden Temple along the way. Fun fact: Game of Thrones was filmed along this way, too. 

Start: Belfast

Finish: Londonderry 

Length: 4 hours (219 km)

Plan your trip for 2026: Make this an autumnal trip to celebrate Derry Halloween, Europe's largest Halloween festival. 

You can also call it the DN7C if you’d prefer. The Transfăgărășan is a stunning mountain road that traverses Romania’s Carpathian Mountains, the second-highest in the country but arguably the best known. Every spectacular second of the 150 kilometres offers up stunning views. The speed limit is 40km/h because of the relatively fragile ground, but going slow makes it easier to enjoy the surroundings. Bâlea Lake is pretty much at the top, and it doesn’t get much more beautiful than that. 

Start: Pitești

Finish: Bâlea Lake

Length: 2.5 hours (126 km)

Plan your trip for 2026: Car enthusiasts will drop their jaws from 13-17 September for the annual Corsa Transylvania, a speedy yet luxurious adventure across the DN7C featuring tonnes of high-end sports cars.  

Not all road trips need to be multi-day marathons. Sometimes, going out for a few hours of gorgeous driving interspersed with views (and a picnic, you gotta have a picnic) is all that is needed. Norway’s Atlantic Road snakes around the west coast of the country, covering just 8.3km but encapsulating the old ‘quality over quantity’ cliche perfectly. The road has been described as the world’s most beautiful car journey, and we aren’t about to disagree.

Start: Vevang 

End: Kårvåg

Length: Around 10 minutes (8.3 km)

Plan your trip for 2026: Book for July to visit the town of Molde for its annual Moldejazz festival, one of the oldest jazz festivals in the world.  

Somehow, someway, Eastern Europe remains criminally misunderstood. The vague geographic notion doesn’t tell half the story, so why not drive from the north of the east to the south and see for yourself? From Estonia on the Baltic to Albania on the Med lies a conveyor belt of fascinating nations with beauty around every corner. It would take around 32 hours to drive the 2,852km without stopping, but you’d also need to be a cyborg. Head through the Baltic states before heading central into Poland, Czechia and onwards. 

Start: Tallinn, Estonia

Finish: Tirana, Albania

Length: 32 hours (2,850 km)

Plan your trip for 2026: Plan your trip in July, and aim to be in Poland by the 14th for a Polish-Latino pit stop to Bad Bunny's concert in Warsaw. 

While you can easily drive around this little Baltic beauty in about week, it's worth taking an extra few day to fully immerse in the culture without the rush. Start at the Podgorica airport and spend the night at Oblun Eco Resort, just 20 minutes away, before darting up north to Kolasin to hike along some stunning mountain ranges. Then, shoot right back down south to Perast to see the Church of Our Lady of the Rocks, and end in the sun-soaked beach town of Budva. 

Start: Podgorica 

Finish: Budva

Length: Just under five hours (282 km)

Plan your trip for 2026: There are more and more tourists reaching Montenegro every day. Instead of visiting during summer, aim to go in early November for chilly, but comfortable weather and significantly less crowds.  

If you’re interested in an incredible European road trip, the chances are you’re already very aware of the Autobahn. Germany and all things automobiles go together like magnet and steel – hurtling down the Autobahn is one of Europe’s great behind-the-wheel experiences. You can’t actually go as fast as you like on this famous road, so pay attention to the various limits, lest you end up in serious bother. Start in Cologne and head north through Bremen and Hamburg before snaking back down to Berlin, covering more than 500km in the process.

Start: Cologne 

Finish: Berlin

Length: 8 hours (732 km)

Plan your 2026 trip: Park your car in Berlin by 28 May to indulge in the city's annual Design Week. 

Okay, now we’re really entering the world of dreams. The magnificent lakes in the north of Italy have been big business for a long old while, but how about an extravagant road trip taking in as many of them as possible? You can start this one pretty much from the moment you land in Milan, picking up a rental and heading to Lake Maggiore and setting up shop before heading east through Lake Como, Lake Garda and all the rest. Take as much time as is humanly possible, you’re going to want to savour these spots. 

Start: Milan

Finish: Bormio

Length: 3 hours (200 km)

Plan your visit for 2026: The Winter Olympics are around the corner in February, so book fast to enjoy all the international action!