When it comes to planning your vacations, you can't miss the idea of a road trip, one of the major tourist trends of recent times. Whether by bike, motorcycle, car, van or camper van, staying in a hotel or in your own vehicle, in the next region or at the end of the world, you'll enjoy a unique sense of freedom. So, before you get ready for the big departure, here's an overview of our favorite destinations around the world.
Where to go on a road trip in France?
Corsica is a jewel of nature, and touring the island by bike is a privilege if you want to make the most of its landscapes and natural habitats. The GT20 - for grande traversée de la Corse or "Traversata Maiò" in Corsican - is a 12-stage cyclo-tourism itinerary from the north to the south of the island. It passes along the magnificent coasts of Cap Corse, the west and Balagne, then inland, through mountain passes and villages, allowing you to discover all the diversity and beauty of the island. From Bastia to Bonifacio, it's a selection of charming little roads and an exceptional carpet rolled out for your two wheels! As you pedal along this itinerary, you'll link up a number of major points of interest. Each stage offers its share of discoveries, each bend reveals a new enchanting landscape. A unique adventure! A road trip that can also be enjoyed by car.
Towns and countryside, fishing ports and picturesque villages, tourist sites and mysterious places, hedged farmland and forests, stories and legends, museums and leisure parks- Brittany is a land of contrasts, offering a veritable patchwork of places to explore. It's an ideal destination for a road trip and one of the best places in France for a motorcycle adventure. You can start in Saint-Malo, then head for the Côte de Granit Rose, from Finistère to the Pointe du Raz, before returning from this little corner of the world to discover Morbihan and the beauty of its Gulf islands. If all means of locomotion are possible, here are our tips for a motorcycle road trip.
After discovering Marseille, one of our top weekend destinations in France, you can hop in your car, motorcycle or bike for a road trip through the South of France and the Provencal hinterland. The Bouches-du-Rhône is the perfect setting for a successful road trip, with the mountainous areas of the Alpilles, the heavenly beaches and the wild territories of the Camargue, hard not to find what you're looking for. But the superb panoramas between Marseille and Arles aren't the only arguments in favor of this department, which boasts some superb villages where you'll be delighted to stop at every stage of your road trip.
Where to go on a road trip in Europe?
Flying toIceland, a country that's definitely enchanting, guarantees a permanent change of scenery. Here, all the elements combine or clash to create incredible tableaux, unique, varied and unexpected landscapes that feel almost alien. On an Icelandic road trip, a surprise awaits you at every turn. And even if you're going in circles, you'll never feel like you're retracing your steps. Here, the weather changes every five minutes - the skies are full of special effects: incredible clouds, unexpected lights, rainbows that cross or overlap, the northern lights. In any case, in Iceland you have to be prepared to change your program from one day to the next, especially during a winter road trip. It can snow on July 25 as well as December 25. Above all, don't take the road when the locals advise against it. They know their country and its limits! Don't underestimate storms in Iceland! As well as putting you in danger, storms can also severely damage your rental car.
To explore Ireland, many lucky people opt for a road trip around the Emerald Isle or along part of it. The island is home to the Wild Atlantic Way, a legendary 2,500 km route along the west coast and its spectacular sites. A sensational route combining breathtaking cliffs, bustling towns, fishing villages, secret beaches and spectacular bays. History and culture also play their part, with ancient sites, coastal forts, castles and menhirs... From the wind-whipped headland of Malin Head to the peaceful port of Kinsale, you'll be delighted to set off on an expedition along the world's longest signposted coastal road! It's THE perfect route for a road trip in Ireland.
In the Algarve, in southern Portugal, if you get in your car and get off the beaten track, you can still discover charming little villages, fabulous rock-lined beaches and unspoilt coves. And so begins a real journey: a journey for the senses, starting with a generous table where the ocean offers the best in shellfish and fresh fish; the Algarve is also a green and fertile land, beautifully colored by semi-tropical vegetation, orchards, orange groves, fields of fig and almond trees.. From the wild Costa Vicentina coastline to the Serra de Monchique, from the Ria Formosa nature reserve to the steep hills of the Serra do Caldeirão, there's something for everyone at every turn.
Where to go for a cheap road trip?
In Romania, a road trip to Dracula's homeland in Transylvania in the Carpathian mountains is a must, and one of our destinations for cheap vacations. It's hard to sum up the richness of Transylvania in just a few words. This enchanting region can be discovered through its unspoilt and colorful medieval towns such as Sighișoara, Sibiu, and Brașov, as well as the young and dynamic Cluj. Transylvania also offers sublime landscapes and unspoilt nature, ideal for hiking. The countryside is vibrant and deeply rooted in tradition. This is the cradle of the intriguing Saxon minority, settled here since the 12th century, who have left behind hundreds of fortified churches in the heart of magnificent villages. The region is also home to a large Magyar minority, particularly present in picturesque Sicilian country. Finally, this diversity of influences, combined with artisanal production methods, makes Transylvania a gastronomic Mecca.
In north-eastern Spain, the Catalan Pyrenees await nature and mountain enthusiasts. With their high peaks, verdant valleys and rivers, these exceptional landscapes offer the ideal playground for a multitude of outdoor activities. In the midst of these idyllic settings, mankind has also, over the centuries, built architectural treasures not to be missed. The Pyrenees are therefore an ideal spot for a road trip, especially by van. With very reasonable distances to French cities and affordable prices for a French wallet, this is an option to consider for a road trip with a change of scenery at a lower price.
Where to go on a family road trip?
America's national parks? There's surely no better place on the planet for a family road trip, whether by car or motorhome. To explore the country through its protected natural sites, after having done so on its most beautiful roads, is to discover the incredible diversity of an entire continent. From the mangroves of Florida to the ice floes of Alaska, the majestic Rocky Mountains, the vast plains of the Midwest, the temperate forests of the Northeast and the arid deserts of Arizona, one thing remains constant: grandeur! In the United States, everything is oversized, because nature itself is. The Grand Canyon, the geysers of Yellowstone, the caves of Kentucky and New Mexico, the high plateaus of Colorado: landscapes of unparalleled grandeur... With their well-developed infrastructure, spectacular natural beauty and unparalleled diversity, the national parks of the United States embody many of the myths that America has spread throughout the world. The myth of the conquest of the West, of canyons, ranches, cacti, tropics and mountains, and above all, the myth of freedom. These parks allow you to discover a sovereign nature, in complete freedom and safety, particularly in California and the American West, a must for any road trip.
With 6% of the planet's biodiversity, nature here is protected and varied -Nature here is protected and respected by all. This is one of the main aims of a trip to Costa Rica. If you're not very receptive to the wonders of plants and animals, you risk getting a little bored. Fortunately, there's always the sea and the beaches, with sport fishing and surfing just as widespread, as well as the rivers for adventure sports. A third of the territory is protected as a nature reserve, to the great benefit of the local flora and fauna. A forerunner in sustainable development, Costa Rica is developing a reasoned, environmentally-friendly approach to tourism: hotel establishments are even rated on these criteria. Active and dormant volcanoes, lush jungles, clear waters and rich seabeds, pure mountain-top air... The picture is simply sublime, and the roads lend themselves perfectly to a road trip close to nature!
Where to take a road trip around the world?
A road trip to the ends of the earth? Head for Patagonia! An impression of finis terrae, on the edge of the opal abysses of Antarctica. A chimerical, imaginary land shared by Chile and Argentina. On one side of the Andes, the lush, exuberant and rainy lands of the Pacific; on the other, the infinite steppe stretching to the Atlantic Ocean. From the peaceful lakes of Chile and Argentina to the fierce Andean massifs of Fitz Roy and Torres del Paine, and the frightening mass of the Hielo Patagónico Sur (one of the world's largest icefields after Antarctica), everywhere nature reveals and rebels, capricious and primitive. And there's no doubt that a road trip to Patagonia, whatever your means of locomotion, will leave you with memories to last a lifetime. A must-see!
What better place to take a road trip around the world than Mongolia? On the mythical Silk Road, which will take you all the way to China, the land of Genghis Khan also offers a unique opportunity to discover the way of life of its nomadic populations. To appreciate its riches, you need to have slept in the cosy cocoon of a ger, tasted the barely fermented airag at the beginning of summer, savoured the buuz with your family, gathered the herds perched on a horse and listened to the diphonic chants at sunset... And finally, you need to have taken part in the local festivals, sharing in the joie de vivre and generosity of populations deeply attached to the traditions of welcome and hospitality. But the first image evoked by this country is that of an almost untouched wilderness, whose immensity seems to deprive us of landmarks. From the vast steppes of eastern Mongolia to the infinite flatness of the Gobi desert, from the snow-capped peaks of the Altai to the lake depression in the north of the country, Mongolia offers an incomparable wealth of landscapes. This largely untamed wilderness is a veritable paradise for wildlife observers and an incredible playground for an unforgettable road trip around the world.
