10 Of The Countries With The Best Road Trips In The World

Summary

• Costa Rica: Lush greenery and picturesque coastlines make road trips here super fun. Best road trips: San Jose to La Fortuna, La Fortuna to Monteverde.
• South Africa: From seas to mountains, South Africa offers diverse natural features on road trips. Best road trips: The Garden Route, Panorama Route, The Wild Coast.
• Namibia: With a great road system and unusual natural scenery, Namibia is perfect for road trip enthusiasts. Best road trips: Windhoek to Sossusvlei, Rundu to Mulilo, Windhoek to Noordoewer.

Road trips are exciting and one of the best ways to explore a country. Nothing beats the feeling of driving past amazing scenery and getting to see so many attractions in little time. Plus, the freedom to stop and stretch the legs at will and also get to explore a place or attractions better. The feeling is just incredible.

While every country in the world has some kind of road that offers opportunities for road trips, these countries stand out for many reasons. Besides their diverse landscapes which offer great natural scenery, most of them also have so many attractions lined up on the way to make the trip even more exciting. Whatever one’s idea of a satisfying road trip is, these are the countries with the best road trips in the world.

10 Costa Rica

Costa Rica is one of the most sought-after destinations in Central America and an amazing place for road trips. Here, adventurers will be met with glaring lush greenery and picturesque coastlines which makes driving super fun.

There are several amazing options available for the pleasure of road trip lovers enthusiasts and each promises to be memorable.

• Best road trips in Costa Rica:
  San Jose to La Fortuna (84 miles), La Fortuna to Monteverde (92 miles), San Jose to La Fortuna (84 miles)

Related: Overlanding Costa Rica: 10 Things To Do On Your Road Trip

9 South Africa

A road trip in South Africa can be one of the best things to happen to a road trip enthusiast. The country is endowed with amazing natural features from seas to rivers, mountains, deserts, and diverse wildlife.

The majority of these amazing natural features can be seen on a road trip and there are lots of options to choose from here. On some road trips in South Africa, visitors will get to see gorgeous towns, as well as a beautiful beach filled with penguins, which is kind of a rare sight in Africa and even the world.

• Best road trips in South Africa:
  The Garden Route (124 miles), Panorama Route (120 miles), The Wild Coast (217 miles)

Related: South Africa’s Most Scenic Road Trip: Chapman’s Peak Drive, Gateway To The Best Coastal Views

8 Namibia

Namibia is a country with one of Africa’s best road systems, making road trips a pleasurable experience here. The country is also blessed with unusual natural scenery and so many interesting attractions, making Namibia one of the countries with the best road trips around.

Whether one seeks a scenic drive in the desert to capture unusual scenery or drive through a wilderness area to see wildlife, Namibia has something for all road trip enthusiasts.

• Best road trips in Namibia:
  Windhoek to Sossusvlei (245 miles), Rundu to Mulilo (323 miles), Windhoek to Noordoewer (783 miles)

7 Italy

Italy is one of the most awe-inspiring beautiful countries in the world and taking a ride on its roads is an amazing way to capture all that beauty. In Italy, visitors will not only get to witness natural scenery but also get the opportunity to explore lots of historic sites and charming small towns.

There is even an overwhelming number of things to see and do in Italy, so a road trip is the best way to see so much in little time.

• Best road trips in Italy:
  Amalfi Coast road trip (46 miles), the Great Dolomites Road (78 miles), Catania to Ragusa (103 miles)

6 Canada

Canada is the world’s second-largest country, and that gives it a fair advantage when it comes to road trips. There are so many road trips awaiting adventurers in this country from scenic drives that take a few hours to complete to those that take days and even weeks to complete.

What makes road trips in Canada even more impressive is that they take people through all the amazing natural endowments the country has to offer from mountains to lakes, forests, and more. Canada is one of the best countries for road trips thanks to its scenery.

• Best road trips in Canada:
  Cowboy Trail (362 miles), Icefields Parkway (146 miles), Cabot Trail (185 miles)

5 Iceland

Iceland is endowed with amazing natural scenery at every turn and one of the quickest and most effective ways to savor all that is by taking road trips. Road trips in Iceland will have adventurers speeding past picturesque natural features like fjords, glaciers, mountains, beaches, and so much more.

And those who have a lot of time can stop and explore further as much as they like. Most of Iceland’s top attractions are even on road trips, so a trip to the country is incomplete without engaging in this adventure.

• Best road trips in Iceland:
  Golden Circle (140 miles), Diamond Circle (155 miles), Iceland Arctic Coast Way (560 miles)

4 Ireland

Ireland is home to an abundance of road trips most of which present amazing coastal scenery. The Wild Atlantic Way which is the best road trip in the country, for instance, offers views of dramatic cliffs, empty beaches, charming small towns, and interesting ancient ruins.

So many road trips in the country are like the Wild Atlantic Way and riding them gives one that feeling of freedom and overwhelming joy.

• Best road trips in Ireland:
  The Copper Coast (25 miles), the Wild Atlantic Way (1600 miles), the Ring of Kerry (111 miles)

3 New Zealand

New Zealand is blessed with so much beauty and adventures and road trips are some of the best ways to enjoy these endowments. Road trips in New Zealand are magical as the scenery is always changing.

Within just a few miles of driving, the views can change from those of beautiful lakes to towering snow-capped mountains, and shorelines. Besides the scenery, there is so much more to see and do while on many road trips in New Zealand like hiking, swimming, and fishing.

• Best road trips in New Zealand:
  Milford Road (157 miles), Auckland Loop (650 miles), Inland Scenic Route (294 miles)

2 Australia

Australia is so massive and it only makes sense that it is going to have a lot of extremely long roads. Most of these roads run beside coastlines, through small towns, and several attractions, making them perfect for road trips. There’s already so much to do in Australia and road trips offer a way to do so many things at once.

On a Great Ocean Road trip, for instance, one can see the Twelve Apostles, surf at Bells Beach, see wildlife, and do other exciting things all in one big adventure. Indeed, road trips are great ways to save time and Australia has a lot of them to offer.

• Best road trips in Australia:
  Great Ocean Road (150 miles), the Grand Pacific Drive (87 miles), Gibb River Road (410 miles)

1 United States

If one only has one country to visit for road trips then it should be the United States. The country has something for everybody. Whatever type of road trip adventure one desires, one will find it in this country. Whether it’s a desert, coastal, city, or forest road trip, this country has them all.

In addition to the diverse landscape in the US, most road trips in this country are also lined up with attractions that will make people spend more time on their feet than in the vehicle. The amazing road across the country even makes the whole experience even more enjoyable.

• Best road trips in the US:
  Hana Highway (52 miles), Blue Ridge Parkway road trip (469 miles), Route 12 Utah (124 miles)

Add these countries to the bucket list to experience some of the best road trips in the world, and remember to buckle up!