April 27, 2021
Top 10 Road Trips According to British Travelers
Aleksandrs Buraks
Head of Growth at DiscoverCars.com
With international travel slowly coming back, the idea of visiting just one foreign destination can generate plenty of joy. But before the pandemic hit, an increasing number of British travellers chose to go on one-way trips with hire cars for their holidays. It makes sense, too, as picking up a ride in one city and dropping it off at another gives travellers more freedom and lets them pack in even more excitement on their holidays. With that in mind, we at DiscoverCars.com have done the maths for the last five years and come up with a list of the 10 most popular road trips for British travellers. With the chance of visiting some of these places now on the horizon, it might even give you plans for later this summer.
Top 10 Road Trips According to British Travelers
By Aleksandrs Buraks | April 27, 2021
With international travel slowly coming back, the idea of visiting just one foreign destination can generate plenty of joy. But before the pandemic hit, an increasing number of British travellers chose to go on one-way trips with hire cars for their holidays. It makes sense, too, as picking up a ride in one city and dropping it off at another gives travellers more freedom and lets them pack in even more excitement on their holidays. With that in mind, we at DiscoverCars.com have done the maths for the last five years and come up with a list of the 10 most popular road trips for British travellers. With the chance of visiting some of these places now on the horizon, it might even give you plans for later this summer.
1. Auckland to Christchurch (1,071 km or 665 miles)
The most popular one-way trip among British travellers connects the largest cities of New Zealand's North and South islands. Like many other routes on this list, both cities have well-connected international airports, so it's easy to start your trip at one and end it at the other. This is a long trip that includes a ferry ride, so most travellers choose to break it up into several days or even a whole week to properly experience all of the magnificent nature along the way.
Taking just over three hours with a car, this trip along Croatia's idyllic southern coast packs in a surprising number of attractions. Even if your destination is Dubrovnik, often mentioned among Europe's most beautiful coastal towns, you might not be in too great a hurry to get there as there'll be gems, like the medieval town of Trogir and some of Croatia's most famous islands, along the way.
3. Cape Town to Port Elizabeth (749 km or 465 miles)
Stretching alongside much of South Africa's southern coast, this trip encompasses all of the famous Garden Route. Known for some of the best surfing conditions on the planet, the area also boasts the Tsitsikamma National Park, great seafood, and endless spectacular beaches.
Taking just 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete, this route connects two of Portugal's most visited destinations — its splendid capital, Lisbon, and the southern coastal region of the Algarve. Much of what's in between the two is taken up by Alentejo, a region known for its bucolic countryside, prehistoric monuments, and delicious wines.
Hundreds of Brits who travel to Canada make this trip of epic proportions every year. What makes this route along the Trans-Canada Highway spectacular is not just its length (it takes about 12 hours to complete), but the natural beauty on the way, best exemplified by Banff National Park.
The most popular road trip in Italy is not the journey between Rome and Naples or a leisurely drive through the Tuscan countryside, but one that connects the two biggest cities on the island of Sicily. Both Catania and Palermo are popular holiday destinations, but different in character, with the former falling more to the beach holiday side (but also boasting Mount Etna) and the latter being notable for its architectural, cultural, and culinary heritage.
Another trip connecting the two main cities of an island, this one takes travellers along much of the northern coast of Crete. With attractions ranging from the remnants of some of the earliest civilizations of Europe to serene beaches, this trip includes the best that Greece has to offer. Although not strictly on the route, the impressive Samaria Gorge and National Park is just a short detour away.
The second entry for Portugal, this trip connects Lisbon to its great northern rival, Porto. With quite a different atmosphere, but equally historic and hospitable, Porto has quickly become one of the most popular city getaways in Europe. The three-hour trip between the two cities includes plenty of exciting stops including the beach town of Nazare which holds the world record for the largest wave ever surfed.
Taking just 1 hour and 20 minutes, this trip takes travellers along the coastal portion of the Italian province of Apulia. A hidden jewel for some and a favourite holiday destination for others, this region has popular Adriatic beach resorts, elegant coastal villas, and well-preserved historic towns in equal measure.
The virtues of Paris are no secret to anyone, but the large eastern city of Lyon can also be fun to explore. Some even go so far as to claim that its Roman heritage, beautiful architecture, and exquisite cuisine can match what the capital has to offer. Many Brits have travelled to both cities to make up their own mind. The five-hour trip between them is no slog either, with the countryside of Burgundy, the famous wineries of Chablis, and Morvan Natural Park providing plenty of reasons not to be in a rush.
Top Related Locations
Here are some other locations near those mentioned in this article that you could also visit. We've also included the closest airports.
- Sydney (Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport) – Melbourne (Melbourne Airport), Australia: Coastal cliffs or alpine routes, either way it's an iconic Aussie journey
- San Francisco (San Francisco International Airport) – Los Angeles (Los Angeles International Airport), California: Cruise the Pacific Coast Highway through Big Sur, Monterey, and endless ocean views
- New York City, New York (John F. Kennedy International Airport) – Boston (Logan International Airport): Hit the East Coast with coastal towns, colonial history, and seafood shacks
- Denver, Colorado (Denver International Airport) – Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake City International Airport): Mountains, desert, and high-altitude wonderland between two adventure hubs
- Chicago, Illinois (O’Hare International Airport) – Minneapolis, Minnesota (Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport), USA: Lakes, prairies, and Midwestern charm with plenty of small-town stops
- Austin, Texas (Austin-Bergstrom International Airport) – New Orleans, Louisiana (Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport): A soulful southern ride full of BBQ, blues, and bayou vibes
- Toronto (Toronto Pearson International Airport) – Ottawa (Ottawa International Airport), Canada: City-to-capital drive with river views, charming towns, and history
- Montreal (Montréal-Trudeau International Airport) – Quebec City (Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport), Canada: French vibes all the way with riverside drives and old-world charm
- Rome (Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport) – Florence (Florence Airport), Italy: Art, wine, and Tuscan countryside on one of Italy’s dreamiest drives
- Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi Airport) – Chiang Mai (Chiang Mai International Airport), Thailand: From urban buzz to mountain calm, temples and roadside eats all the way
- Istanbul (Istanbul Airport) – Ankara (Esenboğa Airport), Turkey: From chaotic energy to calm capital with historic ruins, lakes, and Anatolian landscapes in between
- Mexico City (Mexico City International Airport) – Puerto Vallarta (Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport), Mexico: Trade smog for sunsets as you cruise west to the Pacific coast—colonial mountain towns, jungle curves, and beach town energy all in one ride
- Madrid (Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport) – Valencia (Valencia Airport), Spain: From royal boulevards to beachy nights, with windmills, wine towns, and medieval Cuenca in between
- Athens (Athens International Airport) – Thessaloniki (Thessaloniki Airport), Greece: Ancient ruins to student-city buzz, with mountains, monasteries, and coastal chill
- Munich (Munich Airport) – Berlin (Berlin Brandenburg Airport), Germany: Bavarian beer halls to capital cool via medieval towns, forests, and castles
- Casablanca (Mohammed V Airport) – Marrakech (Marrakesh Menara Airport), Morocco: From urban sprawl to red city magic, with olive groves, mosques, and bustling souks along the way
- London (Heathrow or Gatwick Airport) – Manchester (Manchester Airport), UK: Capital bustle to northern pride, with stops in Oxford, the Peak District, and charming market towns
- Dublin (Dublin Airport) – Cork (Cork Airport), Ireland: Buzzing capital to cozy cultural hub, with castles, rolling green hills, and pub stops in every village—don’t skip Kilkenny, Rock of Cashel, or the back roads through Tipperary
- São Paulo (Guarulhos Airport) – Rio de Janeiro (Galeão Airport), Brazil: Mega-metropolis to beach legend, with Atlantic rainforest drives and colonial gems like Paraty along the way
- Marseille (Marseille Provence Airport) – Toulouse (Toulouse-Blagnac Airport): Sun-baked coast to pink-brick charm, through hill towns, Roman ruins, and lavender country
Aleksandrs Buraks
Head of Growth at DiscoverCars.com
Aleksandrs has over 10 years of experience in marketing with a focus on creating stellar content that provides topical insights using data. Having taken five road trips across Europe and one in the U.S., he is passionate about traveling by car. His favorite countries to visit are Denmark and Thailand. You can find him on Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter.
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