Embark on the Ultimate Road Trip Across England
Hiring a car and driving through gorgeous English landscapes, visiting quaint villages and epic castles is a highlight of a trip to England, no matter the season. Roads are well-maintained, although you may be caught out by the occasional pothole. Off the main roads, you can meander down narrow lanes of hedgerows and stop to watch the sunset or a bird of prey gliding in the sky above.
Here are nine of the best road-trip routes across the country, ranging from a loop around Cornwall in the southwest to a coastal jaunt right to the border with Scotland. The distances provided are not direct between the start and end points; instead, they assume plenty of diversions from the main route, allowing for exploration of each region.
1. Following Hadrian’s Wall
Best road trip for rugged landscapes and Roman history
Newcastle – Carlisle; 127km (79 miles), allow three to four days
Traversing the island’s narrow neck, you’ll encounter the extraordinary engineering feat of Hadrian’s Wall first-hand. Every Roman mile (0.95 miles) had a gateway guarded by a small fort (milecastle), with two observation turrets between them, and many of these remain. A series of southern forts, which may predate the wall, were developed as bases, and 16 lie astride it.
Preserved remains and intriguing museums punctuate the route, along with easily accessible remnants of the 1900-year-old wall. Start in the suburb of Wallsend at Segedunum, marking the last strong post of the wall. Follow the route west, stopping to explore along the way. Include the superbly preserved Roman cavalry fort at Chesters Roman Fort and Museum, and enjoy the views over the wall and the moors of Northumberland National Park at Housesteads Roman Fort and Museum.
Local tip: The interactive Housesteads Roman Fort & Museum showcases objects once belonging to Roman soldiers and includes a mini-cinema that takes visitors on a journey to the past.
2. The Historic South
Best road trip for English history and culture
London – Oxford; 720km (450 miles), allow seven to ten days
England’s rich heritage runs like a glittering seam through this remarkable multi-day road trip across the south. Romantic Leeds Castle alone is worthy of a full day, before stopping at the historic city of Canterbury with its World Heritage–listed Gothic cathedral. The quaint medieval settlement of Rye is a delight, with cobbled alleyways and stories of smugglers.
Brighton, a lively coastal city with superb nightlife, is next on the route, followed by Portsmouth, where you can learn all about the city’s nautical heritage at the historic docks. Cathedral lovers will enjoy stops in Winchester and Salisbury to marvel at their majestic medieval spires, before traveling onward to fascinating archaeological sites like Stonehenge and Avebury. Drive on to soak up the Georgian cityscape in Bath, Churchill’s palace, and Oxford’s spires.
3. Cornwall’s Coast
Best road trip for scenery
Bude – Fowey; 333km (207 miles), allow ten days
Buckle up, roll down the windows and have your camera ready – there can be few corners of Britain where scenery packs such an eyes-wide, heart-in-the-mouth, jaw-on-the-floor punch as Cornwall. This unforgettable adventure travels top-to-bottom, coast-to-coast, starting from the breezy seaside town of Bude and following the coastline all the way down, round and back up again to Fowey.
Along the way, you’ll encounter sparkling beaches, surf bays, and seaside ports galore, as well as curiosities such as a clifftop castle steeped in Arthurian legend, a theater built into granite rocks, the wonderful St Michael’s Mount, and the famed Eden Project. It’s wild and wonderful out west, as you’re about to find out.
4. The Jurassic Coast
Best road trip for a memorable family holiday
Poole – Lyme Regis; 145km (90 miles), allow seven days
This route rolls up chalk ridges, through thatched villages, and along sea-fringed roads. History is everywhere, from fairy-tale castles to an art-packed quarry. Prepare for a visual feast of Dorset’s sights and sea-view sunsets as you journey west. Fall in love with the romantic hilltop ruins of Corfe Castle and take a dip in Lulworth Cove before hiking over to the stunning Durdle Door arch. Little ones are likely to love a visit to Monkey World in Wareham or the 29km (18-mile) stretch of pebbles at Chesil Beach, and they may well be fascinated by the fossils that can be found in Lyme Regis.
5. The Cotswolds
Best road trip for quintessential England
Bath – Stratford-upon-Avon; 240km (149 miles), seven to eight days
From the less-traveled, superbly pretty villages of the southwestern Cotswolds to the impossibly beautiful gold-colored streets of the northern Cotswolds, this trip threads through the core of one of England’s most desirable regions. Glimpse Georgian grandeur in Bath, marvel at Painswick’s sleepy beauty, and unearth Roman history in Cirencester. Stop in picturesque Bibury to admire the gorgeous cluster of riverside cottages, before strolling Chipping Campden’s honey-hued lanes and wrapping up in dramatic Tudor style at Stratford-upon-Avon, home of the illustrious Bard, William Shakespeare.
Detour: Roughly 1.6km (1 mile) apart, the picture-postcard villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter have managed to maintain their unhurried medieval charm.
6. The Lake District
Best road trip for the great outdoors
Windermere – Ullswater; 260km (162 miles); allow five days
William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Beatrix Potter are just a few of the literary luminaries who have fallen in love with the Lake District. This national park is studded by England’s highest hills (fells), including the highest of all, Scafell Pike. This drive takes in lakes, forests, hills, and valleys, with country houses, hill walks, and cozy pubs thrown in for good measure.
Highlights include visiting Wordsworth’s former homes in Grasmere, walking through the classic Lakeland valleys of Borrowdale and Buttermere, and enjoying the breathtaking wild landscapes in Wasdale. Driving Hardknott Pass, the district’s steepest road, offers a thrilling experience but is not for the faint-hearted.
Planning tip: Motorways and main A-roads deliver you quickly across the country, while lesser A-roads, B-roads, and minor roads provide scenic routes ideal for touring. However, beware of twisty roads if you or your children are prone to motion sickness.
7. The Midlands
Best road trip for battlefields, castles, and stately homes
Nottingham – Lincoln; 344km (214 miles); allow five days
This grand tour begins with the famed Nottingham Castle and ends with Lincoln Castle, stopping at the mighty fortress of Warwick Castle en route. In between, you’ll see Bosworth Battlefield, where Richard III became the last English king to die in battle, and learn about the extraordinary discovery of his long-lost remains in a city car park.
Visit wonderful stately homes, such as lavish Burghley House and Sulgrave Manor. In each, take time to wander the opulent corridors, magnificent gardens, and the wider estates.
8. The North York Moors and Yorkshire Coast
Best road trip for windswept moorlands
York – Robin Hood’s Bay; 140km (87 miles), allow four to five days
This varied tour takes in ancient architecture, wild moorland scenery, picture-postcard villages, and classic seaside resorts. The Blakey Ridge road out of Hutton-le-Hole climbs steadily, leading to a world of windswept heather moorland, wandering sheep, and ancient footpaths.
Stop in Malton, a Yorkshire food haven, and then the bustling fishing harbor of Whitby, with its Gothic abbey and connections to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. End your road trip in Robin Hood’s Bay, one of the prettiest spots on the Yorkshire coast.
9. Historic Northumbria
Best road trip for untamed coastline
Newcastle – Berwick-upon-Tweed; 182km (113 miles), allow three to four days
This drive along northeast England’s stirring coastline from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Berwick-upon-Tweed runs through the historic medieval kingdom of Northumbria, passing long, desolate beaches, wind-battered castles, and magical islands.
Newcastle is renowned for its culture and nightlife. Stop by the iconic Angel of the North sculpture before traveling north to nearby Tynemouth, where you’ll find one of England’s best surf spots at a Blue Flag beach, overlooked by the ruins of a Benedictine priory.
As you hit the open road, you’ll encounter wonderful birdlife in Amble, fresh seafood at traditional fishing ports, and Alnwick, a lovely historic town with an impressive castle that starred as Hogwarts in the Harry Potter movies. Further north, the road takes you by Holy Island, or Lindisfarne, a tiny otherworldly spot linked to the mainland by a narrow causeway at low tide.
