With spring at its peak, had this been any other year, we would all be planning for our summer breaks. Many amongst us put the June – July months to good use enjoying outdoor activities, the glorious sun and the promise of lazy days ahead. A road trip best captures the freedom of summer. The hypnotic charm of the open country road, leading into new sights at every turn accompanied by our favourite tunes – the road trip has its appeal amongst all age brackets.
This however is not like any other year. This is the year of ‘the pandemic’ that has trapped the whole world in its grip. During this pandemic as everyone avoids flights, domestic and international, road trips are looking like a much safer option than international travel and a much richer alternative to staycations. Let’s add another dimension to our summer plan conundrum – hotels, hospitality zones and restaurants across the globe are probably going to be closed this June. This sadly brings our glorious road trip to a grinding stop – even before we start planning. What now?
Let’s roll the dice and head to autumn and winter. The temperatures do dip an inch as compared to summer and most coastal areas still retain their warmth and accessibility as we head towards winding up this year. Our friends down under are doing spring and summer during Aug-Dec and their continent of a country is all abound road trips.
Here are six ideas for an exceptional road trip this year.
- An Icelandic Road Trip
The beauty of the glacier-swept region has topped bucket lists for decades, spurring a love for a winter-kissed Nordic escape blessed with icy volcanoes and boiling geysers. As the night sky parts with a curtain of lights, explore the dazzling city of Reykjavik and discover what more Iceland has to offer. www.wtravelmagazine.com/an-icelandic-road-trip/
Iceland is an ideal driving holiday
- An Andalucían road trip
With its quaint white-washed villages, traditional taverns, and a swish of flamenco – there’s something more in the air in Andalucía than the scent of citrus. Something we had to explore. Beginning our tour in Malaga, a municipality that has emerged as a must-see destination, we were greeted by a historical and culturally rich city long overshadowed by the more popular Costa del Sol hotspots. www.wtravelmagazine.com/an-andalucian-road-trip/
Playa del Cañuelo, Bolonia
- Road trip Brisbane to Byron Bay
Set off on a memorable ride down Australia’s east coast and experience the best of Brisbane, Gold Coast and Byron Bay. An enviable trip filled with French picnics, cooking classes, hatted restaurants, poolside cocktails and private beaches all teamed up with exclusive accommodation. www.wtravelmagazine.com/road-trip-brisbane-to-byron-bay/
Road trip Brisbane to Byron Bay
- Nine ways to see Switzerland
The Grand Tour of Switzerland; an astounding road trip through the Alps. Sky-bursting alpine peaks, memorable road trips, and sports to take you out of your comfort zone, plus fantastic food and drink: Switzerland is really bursting with life. www.wtravelmagazine.com/9-ways-to-see-switzerland/
The sphinx on the Jungfraujoch (3571m). Inside is the highest railway station in Europe, hence the nickname ‘Top of Europe’, Switzerland Tourism – Ivo Scholz
- Umbria, Italy’s gourmet treasure trove
Leave Rome its Colosseum and Paris its Eiffel Tower; let Tuscany have its Chianti wines and hordes of visitors. Where I’m going is Italy’s reclusive child, Umbria – Europe’s bona fide slow-food HQ. After collecting my Maserati from Modena, I take a leisurely road-trip through Umbria’s undulating landscape of quilted fields and steepled villages. Umbria is also one of Italy’s most fertile corners, a region of old-fashioned food traditions, where refined ingredients boom. www.wtravelmagazine.com/umbria-italys-gourmet-treasure-trove/
Breakfast view from the conservatory at Castello di Monticelli, near Perugia
Mt Carmel Highway Zion National Park
- On the road through the American Southwest
From the towering peaks of Zion National Park to the dusty caverns of Antelope Canyon, find out what makes the wild west truly untamed. Fiery red-stone cliffs, dramatic valleys, canyon lands that stretch as far as the eye can see: driving the American Southwest is an adventure straight off the Hollywood movie screen. The region’s distinct topography has long been the backdrop for famed movies like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Beyond the glitz and glam, wide open roads through southern Utah and northern Arizona lead to some of the country’s most iconic sites like Zion National Park, Horseshoe Bend, and Antelope Canyon. www.wtravelmagazine.com/on-the-road-through-the-american-southwest/◼
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© This article was first published online in Apr 2020 – World Travel Magazine.