When you think of Europe, what do you picture in your head? The Eiffel Tower, the Alps, the Italian Lakes or Scandinavia’s Northern Lights? Maybe England’s rolling fields or Scotland’s Highlands? There’s so much to see in Europe it’s difficult to know where to start.
Most people agree that the best way to see Europe is by car. Whilst many people advocate a train, it limits what you see and where you go. A car is only limited by your imagination and spirit of adventure. However, even getting to the starting point of a road trip can add hundreds of miles to your pride and joy, so why not fly out and book a hire car instead?
Other benefits of hiring a car include; your car’s value stays the same, your next service won’t be brought forward by the extra miles, and your tyres won’t get worn out on those mountain roads.
(Not) Going Round in Circles
We know you don’t want to be retracing your steps when on a road trip which is why we’ve made our routes ideal for a one-way rental where possible. Picking a hire car up at one location and dropping it off at another gives you the freedom to finish wherever you want. Make sure to check if a one-way rental fee applies before booking though. On our website for example, we make it clear before you book whether there’s a one-way rental fee.
So with this in mind, here’s our list of the 5 Best Driving Roads in Europe.
A82, Scotland
Fly to: Glasgow Airport
Return From: Inverness Airport
Route Type: One Way
Fly to Glasgow to pick up your hire car before embarking on arguably the most stunning road on this list. Named Britain’s best road in 2010, this 140 mile long road from Loch Lomond to Loch Ness really is stunning. It takes in some of Scotland’s most attractive landscapes including Ben Nevis and Glencoe as it heads up through the Highlands. If you can, be sure to divert through Glen Etvie for a quieter drive through some gorgeous scenery. This is where Daniel Craig stops in the 2012 Bond film, Skyfall and is a great location for photos or a picnic.
Be careful on the stretch between Tarbet and Tyndrum. It’s considered one of the most dangerous roads in Scotland, but that’s mainly due to tourists who are unfamiliar with its narrow bends so keep an eye on your wing mirrors! Once through safely, you’ll start to climb into the mountains, corners become more frequent and the road starts to liven up into something incredible.
Once you reach Loch Ness, the road runs alongside the water’s edge towards Urquhart Castle where you can stop for a great view of the loch. When you’re ready, continue on to Inverness to drop off your car and head home.
Furka Pass, Switzerland
Map by: www.andermatt-swissalps.ch
Fly to: Geneva Airport
Return From: Zurich Airport
Route Type: One Way
You may recognise this little beauty from the James Bond film ‘Goldfinger’ in the scenes where Tilly Masterson attempts to assassinate Auric Goldfinger and later chases Bond’s DB5.
A high mountain pass, the Furka reaches a high point of 2,436m (7,992ft) above sea level and links the Ursern Valley with the municipality of Goms. Begin at Oberwald and head towards Andermatt for the best experience.
Located beside the famous Rhone glacier, the Furka Pass starts to climb immediately as you leave Gletsch with some hard slopes, and a number of hairpin turns that give an indication of the difficulty ahead. Whilst you get great visibility, this isn’t a road for the faint hearted. Closed during the winter, the Pass features multiple switchbacks and is narrow and windy with numerous drop offs.
Once you’ve reached the top and begun the drive down into Andermatt, it’s not quite as exciting. The road narrows and is pretty steep in places but again, the views make up for the negative. Once you reach Andermatt head on up the Oberalp Pass for more fantastic views as you start to head towards Zurich.
Schwarzwaldhochstraße, Germany
Fly to: Stuttgart Airport
Return From: Stuttgart Airport
Route Type: Circular
The Schwarzwaldhochstraße (or B 500) is the oldest panoramic road in Germany, beginning in Baden-Baden it heads for 60km down to Freudenstadt. Once you leave the famous spa city of Baden-Baden, you begin to climb almost immediately as the road winds up to Bühlerhöhe. The road cuts through the forest with numerous switchback turns and race track style barriers. From Bühlerhöhe take in the wonderful views across the Rhine plain to the Vosges Mountains.
Continue onwards and upwards and you’ll shortly find yourself at 1,000m. Here, just below the Hornisgrinde, you’ll find the glacial lake of Mummelsee. Left over from the last Ice Age, the mythological creatures known as Mümmlein can be seen emerging from the circular lake on moonlit nights.
From here, follow the Schliffkopf crest as the Schwarzwaldhochstraße carries on down towards Kniebis-Alexanderschanze. This stretch is fast, smooth and sweeping and will definitely put a smile on your face. It may be worth stopping at some point as the views are fabulous and we don’t want any accidents!
For the final stretch, continue on towards Freudenstadt and explore all this charming Black Forest town has to offer. Perhaps the biggest attraction is the marketplace, the largest in Germany and surrounded by beautiful old buildings. When you’ve had your fill, either take the long way back to Stuttgart by retracing your steps up the B 500 or cut across direct via Herrenberg.
A93 (Old Military Road), Scotland
Fly to: Dundee Airport
Return From: Aberdeen Airport
Route Type: One Way
Returning to Scotland we head out on to the A93 which takes you from Perth to Aberdeen. Pick up a one way rental at Dundee and head towards Perth. The stretch we’re particularly interested in though is in the Cairngorms National Park. Essentially in the middle of nowhere, this section of the A93 offers the sort of views you’d expect when driving through Scotland. Wild landscapes stretching into the distance with endless views over the Cairngorm Mountains help make this one of the most scenic roads in the UK.
Heading up to Braemar, the road starts to climb through a steep sided valley up Glen Clunie. Further up the road lies the Queen’s summer residence, Balmoral Castle which is usually open from April to August.
Whilst the A93 isn’t the fastest route from Aberdeen to Perth, the views and road layout combine to make for a fantastic drive that should be on every petrol head’s bucket list.
Route Napoléon, France
Fly to: Grenoble Airport
Return From: Grenoble Airport/Monte Carlo Train Station
Route Type: Circular or One Way
Beginning around Grasse, the Route Napoléon continues to Grenoble 325km away. It winds through both the Alps-Maritimes and the Alps as it follows Napoléon’s route on his way to overthrow Louis XVIII. However, much of the road can be ignored here as the best section lies between Digne-les-Bains and Grasse.
The road itself is almost perfect, cambered corners and fantastic scenery just about make up for the huge number of tourists you will almost certainly find between Grenoble and La Saulce (you can skip this part by using the A51 briefly).
If you’re coming all the way from Grenoble, it’s when you head south out of Digne-les-Bains that things really start to get interesting. The road begins to climb and you come across more corners and the scenery gradually changes with impressive vistas becoming the norm.
Once you reach Grasse, you’ll be met with stunning views down to the coast. Here you face a tricky decision. Do you head to Monaco, Cannes, or retrace your steps and have another blast up the Route Napoléon?
Feeling Inspired?
So there you have it, the best driving roads in Europe. If you’ve driven any of these routes or have a road trip lined up, get in touch below. Alternatively, check out our road trip blogs. Also, make sure you follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with all the latest news and stories.
