Top 11 Road Trips in Great Britain
If it’s your first time here, your gazillionth or you live here, you’ll soon realize that there’s so much more to Great Britain than just London. We are so lucky to have such a huge heap of epic places that make our island so special, which you’ll see if you’re planning one of your very own road trips across Great Britain.
1.) Cornwall
I often think of Cornwall as the leg of Great Britain! Perched in the south-west, it’s an idyllic area to explore. Cornwall is and possibly one of the best road trips in Great Britain if you like small seaside towns and nature. It’s just filled with quaint little villages, incredible coastal trails and some of the best beaches in Great Britain.
Make sure to stop off at spots like Watergate Bay, see Lands End and head over to Port Isaac. Oh yeah, and gorge on all the Cornish Pasties you can find!
2.) Dorset
The Dorset and its world-famous coastline is one heck of a place for one of the best road trips in Great Britain. Once you’re here, make sure to go fossil hunting on the Jurassic Coast, see Durdle Door, and explore the 8,000-year-old village of Corfe Castle. It really is very special.
3.) Scottish Highlands
The Scottish Highlands are unique and unlike anywhere else in Scotland. That’s what makes it one of the best road trips in Great Britain to experience. Now, the thing with the Scottish Highlands is that your trip can be never-ending. So, it’s best practice to set a timeframe and some key priorities of places you want to see.
Once you’re here, make sure to stop off at the Cairngorms to explore the stunning scenery, head to the west coast to visit the tiny towns of Applecross and drive some of the North Coast 500 route.
4.) The Lake District
As Great Britain’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site, it’s one road trip you should consider if you love the great outdoors. Perched a few hours drive (north) from Manchester, the whole region is dotted with lakes, rolling hills, and incredible scenery to explore.
5.) Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are only about a 2.5-hour drive from Central London and pretty easy to explore on a road trip around the region. Based just north of Bath, the area is filled with little chocolate-box villages, charming cottages, lovely little tea rooms, and indie shops to explore.
6.) Cambridgeshire and Norfolk
If you’re looking for a road trip around the easterly region of Great Britain, pop over to Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. Once in the area, make sure to go punting in Cambridge, see some of the best spots in Norfolk and explore the gorgeous East Anglian coastline.
7.) West Sussex
Around 70 minutes (or so) from London, West Sussex is a gorgeous region for one of the best road trips in Great Britain. Now, don’t let its proximity to London fool you, the area around South Downs National Park feels like a million miles away.
8.) Wales
Now, a road trip around Wales is a bumper road trip (especially if you’re travelling from south to north Wales). That being said, don’t feel the pressure to see all of the country in one trip, just choose the regions you feel most appeal to you. Personally, for me, this is the west coast of Wales.
9.) Fife and Edinburgh
If you’ve arrived for a city break in Edinburgh, it’s really easy to partner this up with a road trip around the Kingdom of Fife. Once here, make sure to stop off at St Andrew’s and explore the castle, abbey ruins, and the little cobbled streets.
10.) Yorkshire
Perched in northern England, Yorkshire is a beautiful area of Great Britain to explore. Once you’re here, make sure to stop off at places like York, Whitby Abbey, and Robin Hood’s Bay (a historic smuggler town from hundreds of years ago).
11.) North to South of Great Britain
Probably one of the biggest and longest road trips in Great Britain to experience is from John O’Groats (the north of Scotland) to Land’s End (the south-west of England).
Now, this type of road trip will require a good commitment of time and a few bits of planning but it’s all worth it. There are some key spots you should visit like the Scottish Highlands (via the NC500), Glasgow, Edinburgh, the Lake District, Manchester, Norwich, Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon, Stonehenge, Bath, Dorset, Watergate Bay, and St Ives.
