1. Milford Road, New Zealand
It’s a beautiful drive through the mountains of New Zealand’s South Island, from Te Anau towards Milford Sound into Fiordland National Park, this is probably the most scenic route on the planet.
Just imagine mighty cliffs, snow-capped summits, waterfalls and fern trees that stick their middle fingers (or branches) up to gravity.
2. Amalfi Coast Road, Italy
This is one of the most beautiful routes you can ever encounter, and the coastal roads are crammed with a lot of hairpin bends to get your pacemaker screaming.
The stretch from Praiano to Positano for the corniche, and Grotta dello Smeraldo, a cave with jade waters that look like they glow, is something worth cherishing.
3. Great Ocean Road, Australia
This is a majestic place where mountains meet oceans, rainforests meet dramatic cliffs, and lighthouses meet national parks. At the end of the route you’ll just want to U-turn and ride it again!
- Advertisement -
At Great Otway National Park, detour to Otway Lighthouse for an incredible view of Australia’s Shipwreck Coast.
The climax of this journey is, obviously, the breathtaking Twelve Apostles, a collection of limestone stacks towering 65 meters above the water.
4. Transfagarasan Road, Romania
Scary dark tunnels (the longest is more than 800 meters and pitch black), and endless twists and turns make for a thrilling ride through Dracula territory.
The winding road from Cartisoara goes south to Curtea de Arges then zigzags from Transylvania into Muntenia, and later ascends to 2,034 meters, to the highest peak in Romania (Moldoveanu Peak).
5. The Alcan Highway, Canada to Alaska
Hiking detours are a must at this place. Finish up at Muncho Lake and Liard River and Liard River Hot Springs (the second-largest hot spring in Canada) and take a dip in piping hot waters.
The Watson Lake Sign Post Forest is worth a bash.
The owners, alternatively, at the family-run Burnt Paw and Cabins Outback motel in Tok are fanatical about dog mushing and provide free dog-sled demos daily.