Europe’s easiest countries to drive in

Spain landed in first place, with a total number of 95 points out of a possible 130. This country was deemed the easiest drive in, thanks to factors like an investment of €230 in the roads per capita and 16,431 service stations for drivers to stop at.

Despite having one of the larger amounts of cars on the road at 34 million, Spain still ranked top of our chart. The country ranked fourth in our survey of the easiest countries to navigate according to our own customer data, so we’re not surprised to see it rank here too. Additionally, it also ranks as the top country in our guide to the most affordable travel routes. While some parts of Spain are very densely populated, like the capital Madrid, rural areas like the los Montes Universales mountain range have a much lower population. So your experience of driving in Spain may depend heavily on where you are. Some Spanish destinations are also affected by overtourism, which you can read more about here.

If you’re looking for a great driving experience in Spain, the Grand Tour of Catalonia would be a great pick. This circular route covers more than 2000 km, and can be driven all the way in 13 days, or broken up into sections, allowing tourists to spend a little longer exploring all the beautiful places along the way, including the cities of Lleida and historic Tarragona.

In second place, we have France, with 86 points. In France, €345 per capita is spent on road improvements and maintenance, and there are 8,233 public car parks. There are also 10,806 service stations, giving plenty of opportunities for drivers to stop for fuel or a snack. All this adds up to give drivers a pleasant driving experience on roads that have had quite a lot of investment put into them to keep them in good condition!

France has even more drivers on the roads than Spain, at 39 million, but that doesn’t stop this country from ranking second in our chart of the easiest places to drive. France also ranked sixth on our survey in which we asked drivers which countries had the highest quality roads, with drivers giving French roads 8.4/10 overall. Similarly to Spain, France combines very population-dense cities with places where far fewer people live, such as the ‘diagonale du vide’ or empty diagonal which stretches from Landes to Meuse.

For a beautiful road trip around France, why not explore the Loire Valley? The area between Sully-sur-Loire and Chalonnes-sur-Loire has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its Renaissance castles and historic towns. France also ranks as one of the countries with the politest drivers, which will make your road trip even better.

In third place, Norway achieved 82 points, just behind France. Norway has the highest investment in roads per capita in our entire ranking, at €928! This country also has a lower number of cars on the road than many of the other places in our study, with 2.8 million registered cars. Far less densely populated than the other countries in the top five, that probably makes driving here a little easier, too.

One beautiful road trip that visitors to Norway might like to try is the Norwegian Scenic Route Rondane, between Oslo and Trondheim. It travels into the Rondane National Park, offering stunning mountain scenery. Despite Norway’s mountainous terrain, it has still ranked very close to the top of our list of places where it’s easy to drive – it could be in part because these mountain roads, while sometimes narrow, are well-maintained and rarely busy. However, Norway is also one of the countries with the highest speeding fines in Europe, which you might want to keep in mind.

Next up, the United Kingdom is the first of three countries that all ranked in fourth place with 79 points. In the UK, like Spain, there are 34 million cars on the road, but it has even more public car parks, with as many as 36,950 places for drivers to park up. There are also 8,353 service stations to stop for a break. The United Kingdom has some major cities that have a very high population density, but drivers may find it quieter in areas like Devon or the Scottish or Welsh countryside.

The UK also ranked in joint third place in our survey of which countries have the most beautiful views. Drivers exploring the UK might like to try the famous North Coast 500, a circular route that winds through the Scottish Highlands, showing off cliffs, castles and caves.

Also in fourth place, we have the Netherlands with 79 points. In the Netherlands, there are fewer cars on the road than in other countries that placed high up in our ranking, with 9.4 million cars registered. (However, as the Netherlands is one of the countries with the world’s highest population density, that’s not to say that it will necessarily feel quiet driving here!) There’s also lots of investment into the country’s roads, at €405 per capita, and 6,045 service stations across the country.

For an unforgettable driving experience in the Netherlands, why not try the Mergelland route? This 110-kilometer route takes you through Zuid-Limburg, the southernmost region of the Netherlands, which, unlike many other regions of the country, is characterised by rolling hills. (Overall, the famously flat country may also be a little easier to drive in because of its unique landscape!) On this road trip, you’ll pass through ​​Valkenburg, a town where many historic buildings are made of marlstone, a pale limestone that’s found in the area.

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, ranks as one of the top cities with scenic dinner locations.

And in joint fourth place with the Netherlands and the UK, with 79 points, is Finland. Like its Nordic neighbor Norway, there are a lower number of cars on the roads here than in some of the other countries in our top ten – 3.2 million, almost a tenth of how many registered cars there are in the UK or Spain. It’s quite a sparsely populated country, meaning you might not see many other drivers on the roads if you’re in a rural area. But there is still a higher investment per capita into the road infrastructure, at €376.

Visit Finland recommends a number of driving routes and road trips, including one route along the West Coast from Pori to Oulu. It takes four days to drive, with plenty of stops along the way to enjoy the beaches and see historic Finnish towns with wooden houses, like Neristan in Kokkola, and Kristinestad.

In fifth place, we have Austria, with 78 points, only just behind our three fourth-place countries. Austria is second only to Norway in terms of investment into the roads per capita, with €761 spent for every person in the country on this infrastructure. There are also 2,763 service stations where you can break up a long drive. 5.2 million cars are registered here, making this another country where the roads may be a little less busy.

Austria is not very densely populated, in part because of how mountainous many parts of the country are. Although Austrian mountain roads can be twisty and narrow, there are some very popular driving routes that offer amazing views – and as our research suggests, the high investment into road infrastructure is likely to have enhanced the driving experience across the country.

A route that people planning a driving trip through Austria might love is the 380km Austrian Romantic Road. This route between Vienna and Salzburg follows the Danube River, with mountain, lake and sea views, and lots of pretty towns along the way.

In sixth place, Serbia achieved 76 points.

Portugal and Poland landed in joint seventh place with 74 points.

Only just behind with 73 points, we have Sweden in eighth place.

In ninth place, we have Croatia and Germany with 72 points each.

Finally, rounding off the top ten, Italy and Switzerland both achieved 71 points.