Going on a road trip is a dream for driving enthusiasts – here are five road trip ideas for inspiration!

Road trips are taken for many reasons. Some view them as a journey to self-discovery, and others find joy in discovering obscure places otherwise unreachable on foot or public transportation. Of course, there’s also the driving enthusiast, for whom every road trip is an opportunity to explore exotic driving experiences. Whatever your reason, there’s no better time than now to start planning an amazing holiday on wheels!

Route 66, USA

Songs have been sung about it, and books written about it – we’re talking about Route 66, the 3,940km-long highway that runs from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica in California and crosses eight states. Its nickname, the “Mother Road,” coined by John Steinbeck’s seminal novel Grapes of Wrath, gives a sense of its importance in American history. Route 66’s roles in history include being an important migratory route during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s  , when people fled the drought-stricken areas of the Great Plains to California in search of a better life.

While Route 66 was decommissioned from the United States Highway System in 1985, it is still popular as a road trip, thanks to its diverse landscapes, from Oklahoma’s rolling prairies to Albuquerque’s mountainous deserts, and popular sights such as the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Car lovers will appreciate the automobile history associated with Route 66 – do make a beeline for the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, which has generous displays of vintage cars.

Stelvio Pass, Italy

Stelvio Pass was already popular for its scenic sights, but its fame exploded in 2008 when the popular driving show Top Gear described it as “the best driving road in the world”. Located in Italy’s Ortler Alps, it spans just 46.8km, so it is more a part of a longer road trip, but one that still should be experienced. It sits 2,757m above sea level, which promises dramatic alpine scenery as you whizz past a whopping 60 hairpins – an exciting and technical drive for the car enthusiast, no doubt! Do note that the Stelvio Pass is usually closed in winter due to snow, so this trip isn’t recommended during the colder months. In addition, vehicles accessing the Bormio side of the pass must not exceed 3.30m in width, while vehicles travelling on the Trafoi side must not exceed 10.5m in length.

Hakone, Japan

Hakone, as a tourist destination, is popular due to its accessibility from Tokyo. City slickers relish the chance to escape from Tokyo’s urban sprawl and into Hakone’s rustic and natural surroundings. Known as the gateway to Mount Fuji, it is also possible to drive to the hot spring destination from the Japanese capital, which takes about two hours. While it is easy to get around Hakone by public transportation, a car lets you easily explore what the mountainous town offers, from forest bathing to onsen (hot spring) dips.

If you’re a fan of Initial D, a Japanese manga about street racing, then you’d recognise Hakone’s importance in it. Get to experience iconic places featured in Initial D, such as the Hakone Turnpike, a challenging stretch that will delight even non-Initial D fans.

Lastly, driving also means you can take a leisurely cruise around the majestic Hakone Skyline Road, said to have the best views of Mount Fuji.

French Riviera, France

No true driving enthusiast should miss out on a road trip to the French Riviera, where the Monaco Grand Prix is held. The drive between Monte Carlo and St.Tropez is a short 122km, but because it has so much to offer, it is best to break it into segments over a few days to get the most out of the trip. One of the highlights of this journey is the Col de Turini, a mountain pass famed for its hairpin turns featured in races like the Monte Carlo Rally. It’s not only an exciting place to drive, but incredibly scenic too.

Nullarbor Plain, Australia

Sure, Australia’s Great Ocean Road is breathtaking, but the island country’s Nullarbor Plain is worth exploring on four wheels too. The journey covers more than 1,250 km between Norseman and Ceduna, and oh, the sights you’ll see! Driving enthusiasts will salivate at the opportunity to drive on Australia’s longest straight road – 146.6 km in total – that is part of the Nullarbor Plain. Other notable experiences on this road trip include the world’s longest unbroken cliffs in the Nuytsland Nature Reserve, as well as Eucla’s sand dunes. Along the way, you might also spot native wildlife such as kangaroos and wallabies, and even remnants of NASA’s Skylab, a space station which disintegrated over the Indian Ocean and Western Australia in 1979, so keep your eyes peeled!