8 great UK road trips to enjoy on a summer vacation Bedford News

Nonetheless, the need for a change of scenery is still strong, so the idea of ​​a break somewhere in the British Isles is alluring. Plus, with such a diverse landscape, culture and history, there is so much to explore, and for car enthusiasts whose pride and joy has been stuck in the driveway for months, this is the place to be. perfect excuse for a road trip.

Whether you want a weeklong tour filled with food and culture or a scenic blast on Route B, you can enjoy an afternoon, we’ve rounded up some of the best UK road trips to explore.

The Great West Way runs from Bristol to London, passing through some of the most photogenic parts of England. You can, in theory, cover the entire route in under three hours, but you’d miss its appeal. Take a few days and you can hop between campsites or luxury hotels, take detours along pretty country lanes and explore the postcard villages of the Cotswolds. The towns along the route have served as filming locations for everything from Poldark to Paddington and there is everything from farmhouse shops to Michelin starred restaurants along the way for foodies. History buffs will be in their element as the route offers access to everything from Hampton Court Palace to Stonehenge.

The Coastal Way is Wale’s answer to the North Coast 500 and offers the same mix of epic roads and stunning scenery. Beginning in Aberdaron, the 180 mile road stretches the length of Cardigan Bay, nestled between the stunning coastline and towering mountains. Like the NC500, the Coastal Way is more than great driving routes, traversing official areas of outstanding natural beauty and integrating everything from food and history to adventure sports and culture, allowing you to plan ahead. an itinerary according to your interests and your schedule. It is also less than 30 miles from the famous Evo Triangle, popular with performance car enthusiasts.

No overview of UK road trips is complete without the North Coast 500. It might have become almost a cliché, but there’s a reason it’s on everyone’s list – that’s it. spectacular fact. From the ever-changing challenge of its winding roads to the sight of its rugged mountains and white sand beaches, there’s nothing quite like it. The 500 mile route loops from Inverness through Black Isle, Caithness, Sutherland and Wester Ross and encompasses the Scottish Highlands at their most breathtaking while offering food, drink, history and history. culture along the way. You can hike the route in a few adrenaline-filled days or take a few weeks to explore all the hidden gems along its length. Beware of the inevitable snake of rental motorhomes and roaming wildlife.

Technically it’s the A39, but the Atlantic Highway is a much more evocative name for the stretch of road that runs from Barnstaple in Devon to the outskirts of Newquay in Cornwall. The 70 mile road runs along the southwest coast with sunny beaches and pretty fishing villages nestled among the cliffs before cutting inland through Cornwall. Along the way, historic sites such as Tintagel Castle and Trevose Head Lighthouse stand out, as well as the prospect of cream teas and some of Britain’s best surfs upon completion.

Another winning route is the Causeway Coastal Route, which combines great roads and spectacular scenery with rich history and culture. The route stretches nearly 200 miles from Belfast to Derry-Londonderry, with a variety of loops to explore. Drivers will delight in its winding tarmac that skirts the cliffs before crossing inland through the rugged countryside of Northern Ireland. Along the way, the road is lined with towering castles, beaches suitable for surfers, a distillery or two and the famous Giant’s Causeway.

One of the joys of driving in the Lake District is that there are a number of amazing short trips that can be woven together over the course of a few hours or days. Take the short but scenic track between Grasmere and Windermere or ascend the hills of the more difficult Kirkstone Pass, which winds between the peaks between Windermere and Ullswater. The Coniston Loop is a longer route and not for the faint hearted as it takes the famous Hardknott Pass with its one in three gradients and meandering switchbacks. Brave it, however, and you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views of the rugged landscape before delving into the unspoiled beauty of Eskdale and ending alongside the scenic Coniston Water.

Like the Lake District, Yorkshire offers a wealth of excellent driving routes that can be tackled individually or linked together as part of a longer exploration of ‘God’s country’. Short routes like the Buttertubs Pass or the Holmfirth Race to Woodhead Reservoir are great for a quick fix of driving and brilliant scenery, but for a longer route that encompasses the area’s varied attractions, try this route that starts in Thirsk right next to the M1. Following the A170 takes you through the pretty villages of Pickering and Thornton-le-Dale before continuing east towards the coast, past Robin Hood’s Bay, as you head towards Whitby , famous for its seafood and literary connections. From here you can take an unlimited number of routes through the North York Moors National Park, although we suggest heading to Goathland and then Dalby Forest with its wealth of adventure sports.

Just off the NC500, the Historic Islands Route is much shorter but has many of the same highlights. Running from Fort William in the shadow of Ben Nevis to Mallaig, the A830 skirts Loch Eil before circling around the tip of Loch Shiel in the shadow of the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct. From there the road twists and sweeps through the lush countryside and along the coast, passing through the almost tropical silvery sands of Morar. Bounded on one side by mountains and ever-changing coastline on the other, it is a driver’s and tourist’s dream and once you reach Mallaig you can continue by ferry to the equally beautiful Isle of Skye. For visitors to the south, the drive to Fort William via the A82 is a treat in itself, skirting the shores of Loch Lomond before crossing desolate Rannoch Moor and plunging into rugged Glencoe.