Top 5 interesting routes by car.
A trip by car gives not only the opportunity to travel on your own terms, but also complete freedom, stops in unexpected and remote places, and most importantly - the absence of tourist crowds that gather around the most interesting places. In a word, car trips are the choice for the perfect vacation. From the Silk Road through Central Asia to the ring road in Iceland, then along the Verdon Gorge route in France, the Zion corridor in Utah and the Norwegian Trollstigen... these are the five best car trips that will make your vacation unforgettable.
The Great Silk Road is not just a beautiful name for a tourist route, it was previously a famous trade route. A trip along it will open up a new side of places like Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand. By car, the adventure road passes through Central Asia, crossing Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. You can just visit the eastern cities of the thousand and one nights. This route has never been a single road, so you can go in any direction and start from any point.
Magnificent waterfalls, steep slopes, impressive cascades, deep fjords and fertile valleys... All this is the Norwegian Trollstigen or "Troll Road". The 106-kilometer route, located in the west of the country, consists of 9% slopes and 11% sharp turns. Everything around it demonstrates splendor and grandeur, starting with the names of the peaks surrounding the road: "Kongen" (king), "Dronningen" (Queen) and "Bispen" (bishop). The road, opened in 1936, connects Trollstigfoten and Stigerera and includes authentic natural sights along the road. And of course, the experience of engineers and builders is also a pleasant surprise, including Geiranger Fjord, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This trip will take 6 hours if you leave from Oslo. You will overcome a path of 500 kilometers, you need to drive along the Gudbransdalen valley along the E136 highway north, towards Dombos, then through Lesha and Rumsdal to Ondalsnes. The route will be shorter if you leave Trondheim. Only 4 hours drive through Dovrefjell to Dombos, then also through Rumsdal and Ondalsnes. And no less interesting trip will be from Bergen. On the E39 highway to the north in the direction of Vestnes, your journey will take 450 kilometers. Believe me, a trip through the fjords always leaves an unforgettable impression. Even if you do not cover the entire route, you will have a lot of stops.
The road through the Verdon Gorge, located halfway between Provence, the French Riviera and the southern French Alps, leads us to one of the most impressive canyons in the world, where steep, almost vertical walls contrast with breathtaking turquoise waters. This trip is a great way to see sharp bends, waterfalls up to 700 meters high and unique landscapes. It is also known as Corniche Sublime, has a length of 140 kilometers and starts in Castellane (French Riviera) if we travel from the east or in Moutier-Sainte-Marie (Luberon) from the west. In any case, the route is circular and also allows you to stop at Moustier, Castellane, Rougon and La Palue-sur-Verdon. It should be remembered that mountain roads are steep and winding, so be careful when driving. Among other things, some paths are blocked on holidays.
The next route is Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. From the west, you will enter the byway at the intersection of Highway 9 and Interstate 15, about 9 miles east of St. George. In the east, the bypass road ends at Highway 89, at the intersection with Mount Carmel.
Hwy 9 is the main road leading to Zion National Park. It passes by the visitors center of the park and the museum, as well as by many famous attractions of Zion. It provides access to the canyon (by bus only during the tourist season) and then passes through a mile-long tunnel of the park. The route passes through the Mesa checkerboard area of the park and then ends at Hwy 89 at Mount Carmel Junction. An additional fee is charged for driving through the park. The journey time will be 1.5 hours.
This lane runs parallel to the Virginia River in many places. Utah's Quail Creek and Sand Hollow State Parks are located next to I-15. It passes through the towns of Hurricane, Virgin, Rockville and Springdale before entering the park. To travel through the Zion Tunnel, large vehicles and SUVs must pay the cost of escorting.
You can follow this road as part of a loop, detouring north and returning via Hwy 14 through Cedar Mountain, or detouring south and returning via Hwy 89 through Kanab and Fredonia, and then Hwy 389 through Colorado City to Hurricane. Many people explore Zion Park and then drive along the road as they continue their journey, heading to the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon or other area attractions.
The already iconic Route 1, also known as the Ring Road, is a route that surrounds the whole of Iceland and allows you to look at most of its attractions. This 1,340-kilometer trip is a good chance to get to know the Icelandic nature better, it starts and ends in Reykjavik. For most routes, the speed limit is 90 km/h, so theoretically you can drive the entire ring road in 15-20 hours. But we do not recommend rushing, taking into account stops and walks, we recommend spending at least a week on the route. And some travelers stay here for almost a month. Glaciers, volcanoes, waterfalls, black sand beaches and otherworldly landscapes are among the most famous natural attractions. In addition to the main ring, the extension through the Snaifedlsnes peninsula allows you to add another 400 kilometers of natural wonders, in addition to the opportunity to watch whales, admire the colonies of puffins or visit the Snaifedlsjokull volcano.
Of course, these are not all interesting car routes. But some of the most interesting. Despite the fact that some can be driven in a few hours, take your time and take time to relax, enjoy nature and the beauty of the region that you prefer to travel. We recommend planning such trips in advance, as well as renting a car convenient for you in advance. You can compare prices and find a suitable one on our website. Choose the best travel routes and your every vacation will be special.