Looking for a place to put rubber to road and really let your hair down? Check out these seven tourist spots where it makes sense to get behind the wheel and just drive.
1. Loire Valley – taking in Calais, Orleans, Blois, Tours, Saumur and Rouen, this is the perfect region to take your car. Hopping off the ferry at Calais you’ll be able to start your journey straight away and look forward to taking in such sights as the Chartres cathedral, the Chateau at Chambord, the Pagode de Chantelop near Amboise and the home of Leonardo da Vinci.
Check out the AA Cars website for the perfect motor to drive in.
2. Italian lakes and mountains – a 10-day tour starting in Calais and leading you through Solden in Austria, the Riva del Garda, Desenzano, Lago di Como, Lago Maggiore, Mulhouse and Pont a Mousson. You’ll be able to take in such sights as the Schlumpf museum which boasts the largest collection of Bugattis in the world, the San Gotthard pass, the Sustenpass and Lake Lugano.
3. Cornwall – the Cornish peninsula offers beauty and a rich heritage. It often feels like its own island when driving through its subtropical gardens and past its steep, Atlantic-bordering cliffs. Most of Cornwall’s highways are just one-laned which can cause some issues when two wide vehicles meet but this extra hassle is compensated for by the excellent scenery.
Starting in Penzance and making your way through St. Michael’s Mount, Helston, Cadgwith, Bodmin, Chysauster, St. Ives before ending in Land’s End, this road trip will leave you wanting to repeat the adventure again and again.
4. Overseas Highway into Florida Keys – a 113-mile series of roads and bridges from the Florida mainland all the way down to Key West; the southernmost point in the United States. The bridges are survivors of the Florida East Coast Railway which was originally intended to connect the Keys to the mainland. A 1935 hurricane destroyed over 30 miles of track and during the process of restoration workers converted the rails to highways.
5. San Juan Skyway, Colorado – a 233-mile drive through the San Juan National Forest, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, there are views of Native American pueblo ruins and alpine forests along the way.
6. Patchwork Parkway, Utah – also known as route 143, it is 51 miles long, the road was named after the pioneers who placed quilts on top of the snow to protect their feet from the freezing cold as they traversed the area.
7. Pacific Coast Highway, California – also known as Highway 1, in the winter season beware of mudslides! You’ll pass through Big Sur which boasts magnificent redwoods and in Monterey Bay you’ll get the chance to view sea otters playing in the water.
