Probably the most romantic way to see a country is on a road trip. Put on the music, get in the car, and go. Take your time exploring a nation’s various cities, mountains, coasts, and landscapes. If you happen to stumble onto a particularly lovely spot on the spur of the moment, pause. Europe is probably the best continent for a pleasant road vacation. Because of the city’s long history, there is decent road infrastructure almost everywhere, and there aren’t as many sights as there formerly were historical past! For this reason, we’ve compiled a list of the greatest and most breathtaking road journeys in Europe for you in this post, complete with itineraries, highlights, essential information, and planning advice. For those who have a special interest in taking a road trip across Europe, there are in-depth blog posts available for nearly every location. It contains more advice on how to properly plan your European road trip in addition to a comprehensive itinerary and cost breakdown.
Map with the most beautiful road trips:
For a quick overview, we have saved the most beautiful road trips for you here in an interactive map. Full details can be found below.
Important: We have categorized the top road trips in Europe into Southern, Western, Northern, and Central regions for a more straightforward perspective. You may quickly determine whether the length, kilometers, expenses, and travel time of the European road trip, as well as the top attractions that await you along the way, roughly fit into your planned with the aid of the information at the beginning.
Southern Europe’s Ezoic:
Travelers opting for package holidays are especially drawn to the southern regions of Europe, since the countries offer ample opportunities for truly distinctive road journeys. Road trips aren’t long enough to see everything, since surreal scenery and breathtaking sites abound, especially in Italy and Spain. Discover the top road trips in southern Europe, complete with itineraries, advice, prices, and highlights, right now.
Tuscany
ROAD TRIP FACTS:
Length: 10-14 days
Mileage: approx. 900km
Best time to visit: Spring & Autumn
Cost: similar to DE
Tuscany is an incredible European road trip destination. Not only will you see globally recognized cities like Florence or Pisa, but you will also be able to enjoy breathtaking natural scenery in Chianti and the Val d’Orcia. Think of Tuscany as an avenue lined with cypress trees, dotted with olive trees, and adorned with charming old towns that perfectly capture the essence of Italian culture.
Even though Tuscany is a highly sought-after travel destination, there are still some insider suggestions. As an illustration, consider the northern Garfagnana highlands, the coastal Etruscan Riviera, and the southern rock settlements of Pitigliano and Sorano. Tuscany has earned a spot on the list of the most picturesque road journeys in Europe because it provides the ideal combination of stunning cities and varied landscapes for travelers.
Route:
Bologna (A) – Florence (B) – San Gimignano (C) – Siena (D) – Val d’Orcia (E) – Pitigliano & Saturnia (F) – Etruscan Riviera (G) – Pisa (H) – Lucca (I) – Garfagnana (J) – Bologna (A)
Amalfi Coast & Naples
ROAD TRIP FACTS:
Length: 7-10 days
Mileage: approx. 300km
Best time to visit: Spring & Autumn
Cost: similar to DE
Another stunning road trip in Italy is the Amalfi Coast combined with Naples. Everyone is captivated by the stunning seaside towns of Positano, Atrani, and Amalfi, which are ideally nestled into the cliffs. It is highly recommended that you trek the “Path of the Gods” while you are there. It has amazing views, which is why it’s called that.
The ancient city of Pompeii and the busy city of Naples make a superb combination with the Amalfi Coast. This European road trip has the benefit of having a relatively short route, which gives you more time to visit the towns, beaches, and other attractions.
Route:
Naples (A) – Pompeii (B) – Amalfi & Atrani (C) – Vietri (D) – Positano (E) – Praiano (F) – Naples (A)
Sicily
ROAD TRIP FACTS:
Length: 10-12 days
Mileage: approx. 700km
Best time to visit: Spring & Autumn
Cost: slightly cheaper than DE
Sicily, an Italian island, is a fantastic destination for road trips and offers a wonderful blend of city, sea, beach, and wildlife. The island’s environment is primarily defined by the massive, still-eruptive volcano Etna, which is visible from most places on the island and is even open for tourism. Cities like Palermo, Ragusa, Cefula, and Catania are especially fascinating and lovely. Additionally, the island has airports in the west near Palermo and the east near Catania such that an open-jaw flight can save you a significant amount of miles.
Naturally, spending time at the beach is a must for any vacation in Italy, and in Sicily, there are gorgeous beaches in every town. This European road trip is also quite cool because of Sicily’s southern location, bathing weather is still available very early in the year and until late October.
Route:
Catania (A) – Taormina (B) – Catania – (C) – Syracuse (D) – Ragusa (E) – Palermo (F)
Sardinia
ROAD TRIP FACTS:
Length: 7-14 days
Mileage: approx. 700km
Best time to visit: Spring & Autumn
Cost: similar to DE
There are no more gorgeous beaches in all of Europe than Sardinia, which makes a road trip across the Italian island ideal—especially for sun worshippers. A touch of the Caribbean or Seychelles is created by the rounded rocks on the white sand beach and the turquoise blue water. The wonderful thing is that the 2,000 kilometers of shoreline that round the island are lined with gorgeous beaches.
Unfortunately, because to the island’s inconsequential strategic position, not much of it has been visited by tourists over the years, making it an unappealing destination for lovers of history and culture. Therefore, the primary activity of this road vacation in Europe will be beach hopping; but we have planned a number of routes that offer plenty of diversity, including short walks and boat cruises.
Route
Olbia (A) – La Maddalena (B) – Alghero (C) – Oristano (D) – Carbonia (E) – Cagliari (F) – Baunei (G) – Dorgali (H)
Croatia
ROAD TRIP FACTS:
Length: 7-21 days
Mileage: approx. 1000km
Best time to visit: Spring & Autumn
Costs: approx. 10-20% cheaper than DE
Croatia is a popular beach or family vacation destination for the majority of Germans. However, we think Croatia is among the most stunning places in Europe for road trips. Start with a quick one-week trip of Istria if you have more than two weeks to spare. Discover charming historical towns like Rovinj or Pula’s famous amphitheater.
But Dalmatia has the most stunning coastline waiting for you. The beaches and offshore islands get more stunning the farther you travel from Zadar to Dubrovnik. This road journey should take at least two weeks. Alternating between strolling around the historic cities and tanning on the stunning pebble beaches. On your road trip, you should definitely stop at scenic gems like the craggy Kornati islands off the coast of Zadar or the picture-perfect waterfalls in the Krka National Park.
Dubrovnik is a really remarkable feature that awaiting you at the very end. You’ll see why Dubrovnik served as an inspiration to the directors of Game of Thrones as you go around the two kilometers of the Old Town wall.
Route:
Zadar (A) – Krka National Park (B) – Split (C) – Hvar (D) – Makarska Riviera (E) – Dubrovnik (W) – Plitvice Lakes (G)
Provence in the South of France
ROAD TRIP FACTS:
Length: 14-21 days
Mileage: approx. 800 km
Best time to visit: Spring – Autumn
Costs: approx. 10-20% more expensive than DE
If you are driving your own vehicle from the Provence region all the way to the south of France, your first stop should be Lac de Serre-Ponçon. The turquoise blue reservoir in the French Alps is ideal for hiking, swimming, paragliding, and kiteboarding. This reservoir is very unknown as compared to the Verdon Gorge—a fantastic insider tip! You will pass the route to the Verdon Gorges.
We proceed to the turquoise gorge, which beckons hiking and pedal boating, from the purple sea of flowers. Proceed to Avignon, the capital of the Popes, and then on to the Côte d’Azur. A few stunning cities, such as Monaco, Cannes, Nice, and Marseille, are now waiting for you. There are untamed coastlines and picturesque bays in between. You can also occasionally lace on your hiking boots here, if you’d want (for instance, at the Calanques Nationalpa
On this beautiful road trip in Europe, you will immerse yourself in a world full of lavender fields, wild coasts, party miles, narrow old town streets and marinas.
Route:
Lac de Serre-Ponçon (A) – Verdon Gorges (B) – Avignon (C) – Marseille (D) – Saint-Tropez (E) – Cannes (F) – Nice (G) – Monaco (H)
Andalusia
ROAD TRIP FACTS:
Length: 1-2 weeks
Mileage: 500-1000km
Best time to visit: Spring & Autumn
Cost: 10-30% cheaper than DE
The southern part of Spain entices visitors with its white villages, gorgeous sandy beaches, and several exquisite medieval towns. This is practically screaming for one of Europe’s most breathtaking road journeys. The cathedral in Seville, the Alhambra in Granada, or the Mezquita in Cordoba are unquestionably the highlights, but Malaga, Ronda, or the white villages (Pueblos Blancos) are also worth visiting.
After spending so much time sightseeing, you should unwind and cool off. They are found on the many stunning beaches of the Costa del Sol and Costa de la Luz. We would also suggest visiting British Gibraltar, which is located on the strait separating Europe and Africa, if you are organizing a road trip through Andalusia. You can even see Africa from this location.
Route:
Málaga (A) – Olvera (B) – Ronda (C) – Gibraltar (D) – Cádiz (E) – Seville (F) – Cordoba (G) – Granada (H) – Málaga (A)
Insider tip: Northern Spain
ROAD TRIP FACTS:
Length: 2 weeks
Mileage: approx. 1200km
Best time to visit: June-September
Cost: 10-30% cheaper than DE
Many travelers are already familiar with the south coast of Spain, which includes Barcelona, the Costa Brava, and Andalusia. It’s also a well-liked location for European road trips. If you’re organizing a road trip in Spain, you don’t always need to travel south to encounter stunning cities, stunning coastlines, and breathtaking scenery. All of this is also available in the north of Spain; the only difference is that there aren’t many other tourists visiting this area, so you’ll just have to share the breathtaking scenery with a small group of people.
The north of Spain is divided into seven regions, each has attractions both inland and along the shore. Ideal for anyone arranging a road trip around Europe, including Spain. The semi-desert Bardenas Reales with its strange shapes, the Costa Vasca in the Basque Country with several Game of Thrones filming locations, or the region of Asturias, which is dubbed the “green lung of northern Spain” and has more than 200 beaches, are a few of the must-see spots.
Route:
Bilbao (A) – Bardenas Reales (B) – Cudillero/Costa Verde (C) – Ribadesella/Picos de Europa (D) – Santillana/Dunas de Liencres (E) – Morga/Costa Vasca (F) – San Sebastian (G) – Bilbao (A)
Portugal
ROAD TRIP FACTS:
Length: 1-2 weeks
Mileage: approx. 800 km
Best time to visit: Spring & Autumn
Cost: 30% cheaper than DE
In our opinion, a road trip is at its most picturesque and ideal when it passes through a variety of landscapes and, ideally, alternates between the natural world and urban areas. That is precisely what a road trip across Portugal delivers, and for that reason, it is unquestionably one of the best road trips in Europe to organize and take. The stunning towns of Porto, Aveiro, and Lisbon beckon in the north and center of the nation, while the untamed stone coasts and beautiful beaches of the Algarve.
While wild camping is officially prohibited, it is often tolerated, so a camper in Portugal is a good choice if you want to sleep right on the coast. If you prefer to drive by car, you can of course do this just as well. No matter what you choose, you will experience one of the most beautiful road trips in Europe.
Route:
Porto (A) – Aveiro (B) – Lisbon (C) – Sintra & Cascais (D&E) – Portimão (F) – Lago (G) – Faro (H)
Insider Tip: Montenegro
ROAD TRIP FACTS:
Length: 10 days
Mileage: approx. 700 km
Best time to visit: Spring & September
Cost: 30-40% cheaper than DE
Little Montenegro is regarded as the Balkans’ undiscovered gem. The stunning coastline and its locations are no longer nearly as secret, but the hilly hinterland in particular is still a true European insider tip. Taken together, these make for an amazing road trip that is full of leisure and variety.
Wonderful locations like Kotor, Perovac, or Budva await you along the coast, along with stunning beaches. All of these locations still have their medieval old towns remarkably intact. Above all, Kotor resembles a picture book town with its entirely intact old town, replete with city walls, narrow lanes, and a fortress atop a mountain.
The coast offers not only beautiful places, but also fantastic landscapes and views due to the mountainous landscape. But it is also really beautiful in the mountainous hinterland, which is still a real insider tip, although there is one of the deepest canyons in the world with the Tara Gorge.
Otherwise, the Durmitor National Park invites you to go hiking with very beautiful views. All in all, a top road trip destination in Europe, which is still little known.
Route:
Kotor (A) – Lovcen (B) – Zabljak/Durmitor (C) – Tara Gorge (D) – Budva (E) – Skadar Lake (F) – Ulcinj (G)