Best Europe Road Trips: Travelling by Car in Europe

Despite being nicknamed ‘the old continent’, Europe just never ceases to amaze. 

Never-ending verdant hills with snowy mountains peaking in between. Glacier lakes and fairy-tale castles atop rugged cliffs. Rose-coloured villages perched on hills along an emerald coast and vineyards as far as your eyes can see. As “old” as Europe is deemed to be, there remains so many places, and ways, to explore.

Traditional tourism just doesn't cut it anymore, as oftentimes the itinerary is oddly restrictive and strict. Nowadays people prefer to travel and enjoy the trip of their own accord. They like to go, to stop, to gape, to stare as they please. Hence, many come on European road trips. Perfect for casual travellers, full control over schedule, and uncanny experience, etc are some of the reasons that once tried people just can't seem to go any other way.

Travel in Europe by Car: 11 Best Europe Road Trips

Pack some wanderlust, start that engine, and get ready for the best ride of your life. Here are some of the best and most breath-taking best road trips in Europe.

TROLLSTIGEN NATIONAL TOURIST ROUTE, NORWAY

 Any best European road trip lists will have to include the sight of the famous fjords in Norway. And the best way to see and get up close to these elongated seas with majestic steep cliffs is to do a road trip along the scenic Trollstigen National Tourist Route.

Trollstigen is almost hanging above the deepest fjords that defies the landscape of the region. Due to its gnarly location, visitors can only access it during the summer when the route isn’t bombarded in heavy snow and suffocating mist. For better or for worse, this inaccessibility brings about an enigmatic shroud to the route, mesmerizing those that managed to experience it themselves, while simultaneously enchanting those who haven’t.

The experience is more than mere sightseeing, however. The place encompasses restaurants, galleries to flood barriers, water cascades, etc. Everything was designed with respect to nature to ensure the most authentic nature experience for the visitors.

Between Valldalen and Andalsnes in Norway, a drive along this road also known as the Troll Route will spoil you with lush valleys, snow-covered mountains, waterfalls such as the Seven Sisters, and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Geirangerfjord, which is the world’s most renowned fjord.

Consider a quick visit and hike to Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park, an alpine area where you can see wild animals such as reindeers, golden eagle, and mountain fox and a diverse species of mountain flora.

TRANSFAGARASAN HIGHWAY, ROMANIA

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Also known as Romania’s National Road 7C, Transfagarasan Highway has been named the world’s best road trip by Top Gear. Running about 90 kms, this drive will take you through the Fagaras mountains, the Carpathian range, and the Transylvanian Alps. Twisty curves and sharp hairpin turns afford you to only run at 25 miles per hour. But that also means you can fully bask in the glorious views of glacier lakes, dense pine forests, and majestic mountain ranges.

The best time in the year to visit Transfagarasan is during daytime in the summer, when the whole valley is bathed in balmy sunlight. Do avoid the hectic crowd on weekends, as expected from literally one of the best European road trips. The road is closed in the winter, unfortunately.

Your Romanian holiday will also take you across viaducts, through tunnels, and along the Arges River gorge. Towards the end of your epic road trip is the village of Capataneni where a sign leads you to Poenari Castle, property of Vlad the Impaler who is known to inspire the character of Dracula. His fortress is 1480 steps up but the view at the top is beyond spectacular.

ALPINE ROAD, GERMANY

280 miles of breathtaking curves, twisting roads, and hairpins with views of snow-covered peaks, mountain lakes, romantic valleys, and Alpine meadows from left to right. Add in some majestic palaces and fairy-tale castles. If this doesn’t make you jump in a car and take this journey down the Alpine Road in Germany, then we don’t know what will. Also known as Alpenstrasse, this road at the edge of the Bavarian Alps extending between Lindau and Berchtesgaden is characterized by extensive roads and generous speed limits.

As if the views Alpine Road affords you are not comforting and breathtaking enough, make a relaxing stop at Oberstaufen, a town full of almost a hundred spas and home to Germany’s only Schroth spa. Just eastward, you will find the Breitachklamm gorge, where colossal mountains are split in half by the Breitach river. Proceed to the town of Fussen, where the artisans make some of the finest violins. Then, stop over at Neuschwanstein, a castle atop a rugged hill built by King Ludwig, dubbed as the “Fairytale King.” This is the same castle from which Walt Disney drew inspiration to design Cinderella's castle.

The journey doesn’t end there. If you follow through, you’ll eventually end up in the capital of Munich. However, don’t speed as you’d miss spectacular scenery along the way. The Garmisch-Partenkirchen’s slope, the medieval town of Bad Tölz, the Chiemgau Alps are all worth an entire trip on their own.

BASQUE, SPAIN

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A road trip that will take you around scenic Spanish towns and to neighbouring France, Basque simply cannot be missed when in Europe. From rocky coastlines to gorgeous mountains, vineyards to fishing villages, and museums and Michelin-star restaurants in between, this road trip is a feast to the eyes and to the mouth.

It’s the famed gastronomy of the country that attracts countless tourists from all walks of life. On average, Basque has the second highest Michelin star-restaurants per capita. Considering how small the place is, there's practically a Michelin at every corner. So that’s there for the jet-set. The average Joe would be treated just as nicely with numerous food stalls and cosy family-run street bars. From a human rights festival each April to the famous film festival in September that attracts Hollywood stars to a Jazz festival in the warm summer month of July.

Drive from Madrid or Barcelona and head down south to Bilbao where you can see the Guggenheim Museum and the majestic Basilica of Begoña. Turn east for a pass at Pamplona, a dreamy town which is also the capital of the Kingdom of Navarre. Pass through the Pyrenees Mountains into France and be ready for those jaw-dropping sceneries leading you to Biarritz, a French surf town dotted with elegant promenades and luxurious hotels. 

AMALFI COAST, ITALY

No “best road trips in Europe'' will ever be complete without this Italian dream gracing the list. Winding through a coastline stretch blessed with gorgeous pastel-coloured villages perfectly terraced into hills, exuberant gardens, and scenic panoramas overlooking cerulean seas, one can only gasp in amazement with the beauty of Italy’s Amalfi Coast. No wonder this Mediterranean jewel made it to the UNESCO World Heritage site. Here, steep mountains dig deeper into the seas, with towns of colourful Mediterranean abodes clinging on to the cliffs, with vibrant lush forest in sight.

Its natural features are perfectly complemented by man-made structures providing unparalleled beauty and charm. If turquoise water and fabled piazzas just bores you, Italy has some of the fanciest restaurants and hotels in Europe, where you can sit back and enjoy a romantic yet bustling city life.