While a car’s primary function is to get us from A to B, sometimes, it’s not just the destination that matters; it’s the journey that gets us there.
Don’t get us wrong, we love an efficient journey. Whether that’s one that conserves as much fuel/electricity as possible, or one that cuts your travel time down. Sometimes, though, you might want to take in the sights and scenery or enjoy some particularly exhilarating driving experiences.
As you venture across Europe, there are many iconic roads to spend some time on. To ensure you get the most out of your next venture, we’ve compiled this list of the best European driving roads that everyone should experience.
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Best driving roads in Europe
Eifel, Germany
Although Eifel is a mountain range spanning multiple winding roads and routes, for car lovers, it couldn’t be more iconic. Eifel is the local area surrounding the historic Nürburgring race circuit, which is one of its main attractions. Granted, the ‘ring is probably far off your road trip checklist, but Eifel and its quaint towns and many castles can certainly feature on it.
Not only is Eifel noteworthy for the Nürburgring, the area is extremely picturesque, surrounded by German mountain ranges and local villages.
The Autobahn
Any list of iconic European driving roads wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the Autobahn.
The Autobahn directly connects Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich and Hamburg, allowing users to easily navigate the country at a speed that suits them.
Not only does the Autobahn give drivers the chance to put their car to the test (while being safe, of course), it is also a very practical mode of transport. Drivers are permitted to drive to any maximum speed that they wish, enabling extremely efficient travel throughout Germany, spanning over 8,000 miles in length.
Austrian Alps
Everyone loves a scenic route. There is perhaps no more scenic of a route than those found high up in the Austrian Alps.
Granted, the alps are vast and varied, which gives you a few options. In particular, we’re referring to both Nockalm Road and Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Nockalm Road is a 34 km stretch of road which takes you up and down the Alps amongst luscious greens and mountain ranges.
Approximately two and a half hours away from Nockalm Road is Grossglockner High Alpine Road. This 48 km long stretch of road is praised as one of the top three sights in Austria, sitting at an elevation of 2,500m and offering views of Austria’s highest mountain: Grossglockner. Although a little further away, you’ll also get a glimpse of Austria’s largest glacier, Pasterze Glacier.
Targa Florio
Targa Florio used to be a road race held in Sicily’s mountain ranges. It held its first race in 1906, before being discontinued in 1977. In later years, the same region was used as part of the Italian Rally Championships, with its last race taking place in 2019.
Not only is the race circuit still accessible to the public, it’s both visually impressive and exciting to drive, especially for motorsports/rally fans.
One thing to note is that the circuit is largely unchanged from its rally days. This means that some cars may struggle to navigate the terrain. Be sure to take your time while driving through!
A European road trip
If you’re feeling adventurous, we’ve planned a rough itinerary for a round-trip around Europe. This trip spans roughly 1,700 miles, offering 30 or so hours of European driving with beautiful sights in between.
Start: Dover
As with all great European adventures, your two week road trip will begin in Dover, at the Eurotunnel. This first leg is a relatively short one, taking approximately an hour and a half (or 51 miles) to get you to Calais, France.
Calais to Paris
As your first full day of adventure, you’ll set off to Paris, spanning over 170 miles across France.
This gives you two route options: you can either go via the A16, which offers sights of the French countryside, or a slightly more direct route via the A26 and A1.
The whole journey can be conquered in a day, so we suggest booking a hotel in Paris to spend your second day enjoying the sights, food, and atmosphere that the French capital brings.
Paris to Lyon
Making your way even further across France, the next leg of your journey will take you towards Italy via Lyon.
This is yet another long travel day, spanning as far as 300 miles or more, depending on the route you take.
Lyon to Milan
After spending a day in Lyon, you’ll cross over into Italy as you venture toward Milan.
This spans approximately 250 miles of road via either the A43 or A4, with toll roads in between.
It is a pleasant drive, though. You’ll pass varied sights like mountain ranges and valleys in the Piedmont region, all before you reach Italy’s fashion capital of Milan.
Milan to Munich
Once you’ve sufficiently explored everything Milan has to offer, you can then start your next phase of the journey heading North towards Munich, Germany.
For a scenic beginning, you could wrap around Lake Como in Italy, before tackling the remaining 270 or so miles ahead of you into Bavaria’s capital city.
Munich to Cologne
This next phase is a lengthy one, so we recommend setting aside a couple of days to get the journey done. This does, however, offer a trip through Germany’s Romantic Road (Romantische Straße) – a roughly 217-mile-long stretch of picturesque road that ends in Würzburg.
The journey from Munich will take you around 60-70 miles until you get to the Romantic Road, before you then tackle a further 170-190 or so miles until you reach Würzburg.
From Würzburg, a relatively simple journey spanning approximately 180 miles will take you to Cologne.
Cologne to Calais
After stopping in Germany’s fourth-largest city for a day or two, you begin the final stretch of your journey towards Calais, right where your European road trip began. Halfway through this leg, you’ll pass through Belgium at around 130 miles. At this stage, you can stop off for the day, or press on a further 130 or so miles until you reach Calais – bringing the trip to a close.
Note: This trip passes through multiple countries and may encompass toll bridges. Be sure to check each country’s travel requirements before setting off. Road usage may vary depending on your hotel stops.
Driving insights for motoring fans
For more detailed insights like this, stick to the MotoNovo blog. Here, we cover practical tips and guides around car maintenance, as well as eye-opening stories around the thrills of driving, just like this one.
