Good company, beautiful sites and total freedom to go where you want… nothing beats the thrill of a road trip.
With beautiful coasts, colourful green countryside and some of the friendliest local people you’ll meet, Ireland is an excellent choice for a scenic road trip.
A drive through the Ring of Kerry in the sunny southwest will see you venture through the 179km-long Iveragh Peninsula, dotted with splendid lakes, idyllic beaches and cosy pubs serving up Guinness and hot whiskey.
The stunning Macgillicuddy Reeks (made of sandstone and siltstone) that tower over the county of Kerry are Ireland’s highest mountain range.
Featuring 60 hairpin bends across 15 miles, this is one of the most demanding road trips in Europe — but also one of the most rewarding.
Stretching throughout the Eastern Alps in northern Italy and bordering Switzerland, Stelvio Pass offers captivating views 2,700m above sea level.
It’s a feast for photographers too. Cameras at the ready for the crystal-clear blue lakes and dramatic mountain peaks covered in snow.
If you want to experience the very best of Scandinavia’s captivating outdoor scenery, consider hitching a trip from Copenhagen to Oslo.
This seven-hour journey into Norway will see you travel about 600km, veering through beautiful Swedish coasts via cities like Malmö and Gothenburg.
We recommend taking time to stop and enjoy the sights, especially when you cross the captivating Øresund bridge that takes you from Copenhagen into Sweden.
Described as one of the world’s most iconic coastal tours, this 516-mile road trip brings you along the picturesque north coast of Scotland.
The North Coast 500 route was launched back in 2015 and links a number of key features from the Highlands together into one scenic touring route.
Passing through the regions of Wester Ross, Sutherland, Caithness, Easter Ross, the Black Isle and Inverness, you’ll see fairytale castles, ancient ruins, rugged mountains and sandy beaches.
Route Nationale 7 is a road symbolic of liberty and freedom in France, taking you on a 670-mile journey from busy city life in Paris, all the way to the golden splendour of the Riviera.
A European equivalent to Route 66 (the USA’s iconic highway linking Chicago to Los Angeles) Route Nationale will give you a perfect front-seat view of beautiful French landscapes.
You’ll pass through the villages of Burgundy, Rhône valley and Provence, enjoying the natural rural countryside of Lapalisse, summer circus shows late at night in Piolenc and the wine estates of Château-Ste-Roseline.
If you have a crazy, adventurous streak in you, then this is the road trip of your dreams. The Mongol Rally is an annual 10,000-mile race to Siberia.
The catch? Participants are only allowed to use vehicles that use an engine size of up to 1.2 litres — small cars like a Nissan Note or Volkswagen Polo. It’s fun, highly competitive and if you happen to break down… well, you’re on your own.
On this epic adventure you’ll see incredible scenery in Romania, Turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Mongolia before arriving at the finish line in Siberia. The trip of a lifetime.
The west coast of Ireland is an ideal location for a road trip if you want to see stunning coasts, chalk-white beaches and gloriously green mountains.
The 2,500km Wild Atlantic Way runs from Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal, down to Kinsale in Cork — perfect if you want to experience a longer, more in-depth adventure across the Emerald Isle.
There are countless stops along the way where you can try local Irish cuisine and chat with locals. Must-see sites include Malin Head, Dunmore Head, Fanad Head Lighthouse, Inish Meáin, and — of course — the Cliffs of Moher.
One of the most popular holiday routes in southern Germany, the Romantische Straße (Romantic Road) will take you on an unforgettable journey through Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
You’ll stumble across nature, history and hospitality on your road trip, seeing elegant palaces, wine villages and fine art and culture in stops like Würzburg, Tauberbischofsheim and Dinkelsbühl.
The 350km Romantische Strasse has been a popular excursion for families and solo travellers wanting to experience a real slice of German culture and scenery for generations. The famous route celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2020.
You can complete a gloriously sunny road trip from Athens to Delphi over a long weekend. Dotted with beautiful islands, delicious food and iconic sites, Greece is simply a tourist’s paradise.
Because of its warm weather, excellent green scenery and attractive whitewashed buildings, the country is perfect for a spontaneous car journey. The best part of a road trip is the freedom of choosing where you want to go and travelling out from Athens, you’ll quickly realise there are must-see sites aplenty.
Stop at Arachova to see beautiful stone houses in the Parnassos mountains, view the Temple of Apollo, have a stopover in the pretty town of Desfina, chill out at the beaches of Itea. If you’re a history buff, definitely make time for Delphi Archaeological Museum once you arrive in the city.
A friendly Arabian gem brimming with history and character, Morocco has become a hotspot for European travellers in recent years.
A 600km road trip from Marrakesh to Tangier will definitely give you an insight into the nation’s personality and traditions. Must-see sites along the way include Ben Youssef Mosque, Jardin Majorelle, Bahia Palace and Jemaa El Fna Square.
You’ll see colourful markets, religious mosques and trendy eateries aplenty in places like Imlil, Taroudant and El Jadida. Morocco is easily accessible from mainland Europe, with airports in both Marrakech and Tangier.
If you’re looking for a compact road trip on a visit to the Caucuses, then consider taking an epic ride from Armenia’s capital Yerevan into Tbilisi, located in neighbouring Georgia.
Both of these nations lie on the border of Eastern Europe and Asia and each boasts their own unique culture and traditions. What they share however, is delicious food and captivating scenery.
From ancient monasteries and the snow-covered Caucasus mountains, to glass-like lakes, there’s so much to see even though these two capitals are just six hours apart by car.
We recommend stopping at Garni Geghard, Lake Sevan and the Haghartsin Monasteries in Armenia. Annanuri castle complex and Narikala Fortress have also got to be on your list once you arrive in Georgia.
The Nordics is a wonderland of luscious green forests, crystal-clear blue lakes and heavenly mountains... so be sure and bring your camera for this road trip.
The Trollstigen route in the northern region of Rauma will let you see the very best of Norway’s alluring waterfalls, fjords and sprawling valleys.
Featuring a series of dramatic twists and turns along the way (each bend has its own unique name after the person who constructed it), doing the “Troll’s Path” feels like a weirdly exciting, beautiful rollercoaster.
Norway’s most popular tourist route bends and weaves through the county of Møre og Romsdal, taking you on a picturesque journey through mountains that reach an altitude of 1,600m above sea level.
Great food, charming landscapes and beautiful sunny weather. Spain ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to road trips in Europe.
The A15 highway links San Sebastian to Pamplona. It’s a seductive drive under the Mediterranean sun that lets you enjoy the best of northern Spain’s culinary delights and pretty cities along the way.
Depart from the Basque country (San Sebastian is one of the most beautiful coastal locations on the Iberian Peninsula) and stop at landmarks like the Bay of Biscay and Cathedral of Santa Maria La Real, before arriving at Spain’s paella capital in time for supper.
The 800km Silver Route is one of the most famous and important tourist road trips in Spain, connecting the cities of Seville and Gijón in the west of the country.
It travels through four regions and eight provinces (you can enjoy Asturian seafood and Castile’s roast meats on the way) and follows an ancient Roman road that dates back to the Bronze Age.
On your journey you’ll venture through alluring National Parks like Doñana and Monfragüe and also pass by World Heritage cities such as Mérida, Cáceres and Salamanca.
The Atlantic Highway is a peaceful, scenic route that features roving countryside scenes, pretty little English villages and rugged coastlines.
When the weather is nice and dry in southwest England, there are few places in Europe that are more scenic.
Enjoy the gorgeous natural beauty of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall where you’ll see red deer in Exmoor National Park, surf beaches in Newquay and scale the stunning rugged cliffs and rock islands of Land’s End.
Heading on a European road trip soon? Make sure to tag us in your photos using the hashtag #ryanairstories – you might be featured on Ryanair’s Instagram feed!
2017 © Ryanair DAC. All rights reserved.
.jpg.transform/te-image-placeholder/image.cd9149524700d37e002e7e46d7286466.jpg)