The French Riviera, France

Probably Europe’s most iconic route, the Cote D’Azur is littered with glamorous holiday towns connected by a series of twisting mountain highways. Fly into Nice, collect your car and take your time on the 120km route between Monte Carlo and St Tropez admiring the super yachts and luxury villas along the way. If you feel like fitting in a spot of sunbathing, stop off at La Garoupe beach and catch some rays.

Andalucía, Spain

Fly into Malaga, collect your car and head East to check out the beaches of Nerja and La Herradura. From here you can head inland towards the Sierra Nevada National Park and spend some time hiking through hilly pine forests, keeping an eye out for the mountain goats that populate the park’s steep mountainsides. The historic Spanish cities of Seville and Murcia can be reached from here in a matter of hours and offer the perfect opportunity to combine your road trip with a city visit.

 

Amalfi Coast, Italy

Steep cliff faces and dramatic undulating terrain make this drive perfect for the more adventurous motorist. Fly into Naples, collect your car then enjoy the stretch of coast line between Sorrento and Salerno. With breathtaking Mediterranean views and an abundance of quaint mountain top towns on hand when you feel like sampling some authentic Italian cuisine. Stop in the town of Ravello and take a stroll through the floral gardens that sit on clifftops high above the sea.

 

The Netherlands

Although The Netherlands is a relatively small country that can be crossed East to West in a couple of hours, there are plenty of scenic turn offs and detours for you to explore. Fly into Schiphol, collect your car and within an hour or so you can check out the picturesque tree-lined trails of Hoge Veluwe National Park. The seven medieval towns found on the banks of the Ijssel river are a good alternative to the larger cities and the Tulip filled fields of Flevoland provide plenty of vibrant road trip scenery.

 

Douro Valley, Portugal

Just a few hours drive from Porto Airport, the roads that climb the sides of the Douro Valley in the north of Portugal are surrounded by vineyards. Famed across the globe for its output of fortified wine, the Douro Valley is also known for its wine known locally as Vinho Verde. Stop of at the small independent wineries and restaurants that overlook the river before heading back to the city of Porto to wander through the narrow streets that lead down to the Atlantic.

 

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