Road trips
Road trips from the UK
The drives British motorists actually make: France is the top overseas destination for the Caravan and Motorhome Club and the Camping and Caravanning Club, with the Alps, Spain and the Low Countries close behind. Every trip is worked out on the real road from London, Manchester or Birmingham, the Channel crossing included.
Days are at a comfortable pace, about five hours of driving a day, and costs are for two in a car: fuel at the EU Weekly Oil Bulletin's prices, tolls and ferries at the operators' published tariffs, nights and food at each country's usual prices. Where a ferry fare isn't published, it says so rather than guessing. The road page shows the same trip at a slower and a brisker pace too.
France
Photo: Léna · CC BY 3.0 Bordeaux
Wine châteaux and the Dune du Pilat on the Atlantic.
Best time: May to September
Photo: Carsten Steger · CC BY-SA 4.0 Brittany
Granite coast, walled Saint-Malo and crêpes.
Best time: May to September
Photo: --sinava-- from Berlin · CC BY 2.0 Colmar and Alsace
Half-timbered Colmar and the wine villages around it.
Best time: May to October; December for the Christmas markets
Photo: Frédéric Ducarme · CC BY-SA 3.0 The Côte d'Azur
Nice, Cannes and the corniche roads.
Best time: May to October
Photo: Sémhur · CC BY-SA 4.0 The Dordogne
Castles above the river and the Lascaux caves.
Best time: May to September
Photo: Carsten Steger · CC BY-SA 4.0 The French Alps
Chamonix under Mont Blanc and the lakes of Annecy.
Best time: June to September; winter for skiing
Photo: W. Bulach · CC BY-SA 4.0 The Loire Valley
Chambord, Chenonceau and the vineyards between them.
Best time: April to October
Photo: Diliff · Public domain Mont-Saint-Michel
The abbey on its tidal island off the Normandy coast.
Best time: all year
Photo: Diliff · Public domain Normandy
The D-Day beaches, Honfleur and Mont-Saint-Michel.
Best time: April to October
Photo: Yann Caradec from Paris, France · CC BY-SA 2.0 Paris
A morning crossing and you're there for dinner.
Best time: all year
Belgium and the Netherlands
Photo: Basile Morin · CC BY-SA 4.0 Amsterdam
Canals and museums, a short hop from the ferry ports.
Best time: all year
Photo: Jean-Christophe BENOIST · CC BY 2.5 Bruges
A medieval centre just over an hour from Calais.
Best time: all year
Switzerland
Photo: The original uploader was Yesuitus2001 at German Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 2.5 The Swiss Alps
The Eiger, Interlaken and the high passes.
Best time: June to September
Germany and Central Europe
Photo: Wilfredor · CC0 Neuschwanstein and Bavaria
The fairy-tale castle at the foot of the Alps.
Best time: May to October
Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 Prague
The old town, Charles Bridge and the castle above the river.
Best time: all year
The long road south
Photo: Canaan · CC BY-SA 4.0 Barcelona
Gaudí's city at the end of the long road south.
Best time: May to October
Photo: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz) · CC BY-SA 4.0 The Basque coast
Biarritz, San Sebastián and the surf beaches between.
Best time: May to October
Photo: This Photo was taken by Timothy A. Gonsalves. Feel free to use my photos, but pl · CC BY-SA 4.0 Cinque Terre
Five cliff villages on the Italian Riviera.
Best time: April to October
Photo: Singa Hitam · CC BY 2.0 Lisbon and Sintra
Trams, tiles and the palaces of Sintra.
Best time: March to October
Photo: Martin Falbisoner · CC BY-SA 4.0 Venice
The canals, at the end of the road over the Alps.
Best time: April to June, September and October
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, author and licence under each photo.