There are road trips and then there are scenic road trips. You know the ones: road trips where the landscape comes alive with the flaming reds and auburn crisp of autumn; journeys which make you feel as though you’re living in a Nora Ephron film; views you’ll want to drink in like a pumpkin-spiced latte.
But which are the best driving routes for autumn? Well, travel experts at StressFreeCarRental.com have done the research so you don’t have to. Taking into consideration everything a nature lover could wish for – winding mountain passes, isolated tree-lined drives – they’ve worked out which roads in all of Europe are truly the most beautiful in autumn.
And top spot went to somewhere that is really quite close to home: England’s own Snake Pass in Derbyshire. Winding between Manchester and Sheffield, this beautiful track carves through peaks, moorlands and forests. Think vast, desolate highlands with deep greens, oranges and golden yellows reflected in a frothing, wide river.
Somewhat surprisingly, many of the routes in StressFreeCarRental.com’s ranking were in the British Isles. Ireland, Scotland and Wales secured some of the top spots. This part of the world really does know how to bring on the beauty in autumn, from Galway’s bronze-hued mountains reflected in mirror-like lakes and Scotland’s picturesque lochs to Wales’ breath-taking Snowdonia.
Further afield, France’s Col de la Machine route is marked by woodland that transforms at this time of year. Germany’s Alpine Road is like driving through a fairy-tale, Romania’s mountains are framed by copper trees and Italy’s The Chiantigana offers whole vineyards metamorphosing for autumn.
Here are the most picturesque European roads in autumn, according to StressFreeCarRental.com.
- Snake Pass, Derbyshire, England
- Inagh Valley Road, Galway, Ireland
- Invermoriston to Dornie, Scotland
- Snowdonia, Wales
- Col de la Machine, France
- The Alpine Route, Germany
- Cheile Gradistei, Romania
- The Chiantigiana, Italy
Did you see that the UK is officially one of the freest places on Earth?
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