Road trips are a great way to get to know beauty spots and popular regions of Europe while having the freedom to set your own pace. And there are plenty of potential routes to check out. Here are five of our favourites, which are well worth slotting into your travel schedule.
Situated just south of Naples, the Amalfi Coast features a series of breathtakingly beautiful fishing villages, hidden coves, and the lively city of Sorrento at its southern tip. If you follow the road from Naples, you can check out Pompeii, spend some beach time at Positano, and head to Bomerano to walk the "Path of the Gods" - one of Europe's most dramatic hilltop paths.
The Rhine runs from Switzerland to the North Sea, but the "Middle Rhine" offers the finest riverside road trips. A route from Bacharach to Bingen allows you to savour local vintages at atmospheric bars, see historic Koblenz, take some snaps at Lorelei Rock on a bend in the Rhine, and roll into UNESCO protected Bingen. There's no better option for wine fans with a taste for history and jaw-dropping scenery.
Southern France never disappoints, especially when you have your own set of wheels. Starting at Nice, with its international airport, makes sense. After that, you can stop off at Cannes to sample the movie star lifestyle, work on your tan among the beautiful people at Antibes, hike the Three Capes to find a secluded picnic spot, swoop up to Aix for a glass of wine and some Provencal cuisine, before heading into Marseille - a vibrant city of modern architecture, great museums, and buzzing nightlife.
Heading from Zagreb to Dubrovnik lets you absorb most of Croatia's most popular sights, from the capital's cultural appeal to the medieval southern port, which seems like a hangover from the 12th century. But along the way, there's a lot to see. From the gorgeous Plitvice Lakes to the waterfalls of Krka, and the endless beaches of the Adriatic, this is a trip that has everything.
If you want beaches, sangria, delicious tapas, and the exotic collision of Christian and Moorish history, southern Spain is the ideal destination. A popular driving route is to start in Barcelona, heading south via Alicante, Valencia, Cordoba, and Malaga, before ending in Seville. You can break this down into shorter chunks, but it's possible to cover the whole route in 10 days or less.
Vacation homes cost £29 per night in Europe.
When planning a group trip it's useful to know that average Apartment rental in Europe can fit in 4 people and costs around £144 per night.
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