Whether you’re celebrating 1 year together or 10 years married, taking a road trip together is the best way to celebrate. If you’re the romantic type looking for a cruise into the sunset or the adventurous type looking to explore new places together. We have no doubt there’s a road trip out there that you’ll both love. To help you decide where your next adventure will be, we’ve rounded up 5 of Europe’s best.
The romantic road in Germany
Distance: Over 200 miles
What you’ll see: Gorgeous Bavarian forest, mountains and quintessential German countryside.
This road towards the south of Germany stretches out ahead of you for over 200 miles. On it you’ll encounter stunning green Bavarian forest and mountains. You’ll start at the city of Wurzburg where you can explore the Wurzburg Residence or the Marienberg Fortress. Once on your way, the road snakes south-easterly for over 200 miles and ends at the foot of the Alps in the town of Fussen, near the iconic Neuschwanstein Castle. This iconic castle dates back to the 19th Century and sits atop a rugged hill giving it a fairytale-like appearance, perfect for your romantic getaway.
The road continues to weave its way through stunning Germany countryside. Through Wallerstein to Wildsteig the road twists and turns through gorgeous German forest and landmarks like Harburg castle. If you stop on the way at the German town of Wallerstein, make sure to visit Wallersteiner Felsen, ruins of a castle from the mid 17th century that provides a beautiful backdrop to any quiet day spent exploring.
Route Napoleon in France
Distance: 217 miles
What you’ll see: Dazzling French countryside, pine forests, seaside resorts, clear seas and gorgeous architecture.
This historic route opened in 1932 and takes you along the historic route that Napoleon took as he travelled from Elba to Grenoble in 1815. It passes some of the most gorgeous and picturesque scenes in France.
Starting at Antibes in the South, you’ll wind your way northwards through Castellane, Digne, La Mure and so many more stunning French villages. You’ll explore expansive pine forests, out of this world rock formations and the stunning Jasmin fields at Parc Natural Regional de Verdon. You’ll also pass several Napoleon monuments and plaques as well as the perfume capital of the world, Grasse.
Berlin to Paris, yes, all the way.
Distance: 620 miles
What you’ll see: Paris, roman cities, medieval timber houses and a lot of gorgeous European countryside.
This seriously long trip is not for the faint-hearted. This drive non-stop would take around 10 hours but with so much to see no the way, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to tear yourself away from exploring on foot.
Starting in the north from Berlin, you’ll head westwards towards Hannover through stunning German countryside. Past Hannover you’ll head south-west, through Dortmund and it’s rich industrial heritage, and down towards Liege. Once in France you’ll beeline straight south towards Paris, past Peronne, Montdidier and Compiegne. On the way we’d recommend exploring Nuremberg and it’s stunning medieval timber houses, as well as Dortmund with his thriving football culture and industrial heritage.
The Amalfi Coast in Italy
Distance: 450 miles in total in but can be shorter
What you’ll see: Gorgeous Italian seaside, miles and miles of stunning coastline, rolling hills and dramatic cliffs.
We’ve talked about this one before but we had to bring it up again because it’s a good one. Italy is a popular tourist destination and it’s regions like the Amalfi coast that are the reason. Panoramic sea views, rolling Italian hills and beautiful highways and sea roads. Starting from Rome where you can explore iconic tourist destinations like the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. You then head north-east towards the ancient city of Ostia Antica. This history drenched city at the mouth of the river Tiber was once Rome’s thriving seaport and offers so much for history buffs to explore.
From there, the trip down the coast begins. You’ll head south towards Naples. Passing stunning Italian countryside and sea views on the way. Once in Naples you can walk the ruins of Pompeii, tour the Palace of Caserta and so much more.
Depending on your taste the trip can end here but so many choose to make the return trip back to Rome. This really rounds things off but even if you don’t, the one way trip offers so much you’ll never be left disappointed.
The heart-shaped road in Slovenia
A fun one to finish off, while this isn’t really a road trip it’s something seriously romantic that would be the perfect way to round off any trip to Slovenia. In the region of Stajerska, a region famous for good vine, food and hospitality, there’s a lies a town called Maribor. Maribor is the second-largest city in Slovenia and features some incredibly rich history. A renaissance style town hall dates back to 1515 and Maribor castle and the Regional Museum houses some incredible bits of history.
North of Maribor, close to Austrian border, there lies a picturesque and quite stunning, heart-shaped road. This touch of beauty surrounded by Slovenian rolling hills, vineyards and farms is the perfect end to any romantic trip. Round off the trip with a quiet walk through the countryside or even a picnic, there’s no better setting for a romantic getaway.
