The World's Best Driving Roads — 19 Curated Road Trips
Driving is the only way to read a country at the pace its landscape was actually built for — slow enough to pull over for a roadside espresso, fast enough to feel the curves of the mountain. Bus tours don't cut it. Trains miss the back roads. Renting a car is the rule.
These 19 itineraries are the road trips worth the flight — Top Gear's favourite (Stelvio Pass's 48 hairpins), Norway's Atlantic Road over the open ocean, California's Big Sur, Australia's Great Ocean Road, Scotland's NC500 loop, Iceland's Ring Road, Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way, Nova Scotia's Cabot Trail in autumn, the Mille Miglia route in vintage cars, South Africa's Garden Route — plus four Türkiye routes that don't get the foreign coverage they deserve (D915 Trabzon's 29 Derebaşı switchbacks, the D400 Lycian Mediterranean coast, the Ayder + Hemşin Black Sea highlands, and the Cappadocia valley loop).
Each itinerary names the rental-car class to book (4WD for D915 + Cabot Trail; a convertible for Big Sur; a vintage Alfa for Mille Miglia if you can stomach the insurance), the road's seasonal closure window, the canonical pull-off views, and the hotel at the right midpoint to break the drive.
Romania Roadtrip — Transfagarasan & Salina Turda
5 Days German Romantic Road trip
Scotland's North Coast 500 Road Trip
Iceland Golden Circle Roadtrip
Turkey Black Sea Coast — Trabzon to Artvin
Denmark Coast to Coast Road Trip
Portugal N2 — Chaves to Faro Roadtrip
Atlantic Road — Driving Norway's Wildest Coastline
Stelvio Pass — Italy's 48-Hairpin Alpine Climb
Pacific Coast Highway — Big Sur, Bixby Bridge, Carmel
Great Ocean Road — Twelve Apostles, Otway Forests
Garden Route — Cape Town to Plettenberg Bay
Wild Atlantic Way — Galway to Dingle
Cabot Trail — Cape Breton Highlands in Autumn
Mille Miglia — Vintage Rally Brescia to Rome to Brescia
D915 — Türkiye's Most Dangerous Road, Trabzon
Antalya D400 — Lycian Coast Mediterranean Drive
Ayder + Hemşin — Eastern Black Sea Highland Road
Cappadocia Valley Drive — Pasabag, Devrent, Ihlara
Driving Roads — FAQ
What is the world's greatest driving road?
No single answer, but the three most-named in every "best of" list are: Stelvio Pass (Italy) for the 48 hairpins, Atlantic Road (Norway) for the eight bridges over open sea, and Pacific Coast Highway (Big Sur) for the cliff drama. NC500 (Scotland), Great Ocean Road (Australia), and Trollstigen (Norway) round out most top 10s.
Which is the most dangerous road on this list?
D915 in Trabzon, Türkiye — officially recorded by Guinness as the world's most dangerous road. 29 switchbacks in 5 km climbing 1,650 m, with no guardrails for the worst kilometre. Drive in lowest gear, never in fog, and arrive early morning when the road is empty.
What time of year is best for driving trips in Europe?
Late May to early June + early September are the sweet spot for most: passes open, weather mild, no peak-season traffic. The exception is Iceland Ring Road (June–August only for the highlands), Trollstigen + Stelvio (June–October), Cabot Trail (mid-September peak fall foliage).
Do I need a 4WD?
For most: no. A standard rental sedan handles Stelvio, Big Sur, Atlantic Road, NC500, Wild Atlantic Way. 4WD genuinely needed for: D915 Trabzon Derebaşı Turns (gravel + no guardrails), Iceland's F-roads (legally required), Cabot Trail in winter, Ayder + Pokut highlands road. Convertibles ideal for Big Sur + Great Ocean Road + Mille Miglia.
How long should I plan?
The plans here are mostly 3-day formats. Atlantic Road + Stelvio + Cabot Trail need 3 days minimum (1 to fly + arrive, 1 for the drive, 1 to return). Big Sur could be 5 days with side trips (Hearst Castle, Carmel, Yosemite). Mille Miglia full route is 4 days. Iceland Ring Road realistically needs 7–10 days for the full loop.
How does Türkiye compare?
Türkiye has four extraordinary driving roads that get a fraction of the international coverage they deserve. D915 (Trabzon Derebaşı Turns) is the world's most dangerous road. D400 along the Mediterranean Lycian coast rivals the Amalfi Coast Drive. The Ayder + Hemşin Eastern Black Sea highlands have no Western equivalent — wooden villages above the cloud line. Cappadocia's valley driving loop is the most photographable hour of road in the country.