Top 5 Road Trips in Europe

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Living in Europe for nearly a decade we have had our fair share of road trips. While they seem to always take a fair amount of planning and logistics they always have some of the best memories.

Here are some of the road trips that we highly recommend. Most of these routes are totally achievable in a long weekend.  

Number 1:

Iceland’s Southern Coast and Golden Circle

I am sure you have seen the photos of this picturesque volcanic landscape filled with hot springs, glaciers, and waterfalls. This trip can be done in about 4 full days on the island without rushing. You are just scratching the surface with this trip, but it is a great sampler of all Iceland has to offer.

Many attractions in Iceland are absolutely free making this easy to do all on your own. The roads in Iceland on this route are wide and easy to manage even with a small van. Prime time to visit is between June and October.  

 

Best for: Adventure, Outdoors and Relaxation

How long: 5 days – 1 week

Need to know: While not necessary I would recommend a car with at least 4 wheel drive. Pack layers as the weather can change at a moments notice.

https://goo.gl/maps/sFoqZTP4qKo

 

Number 2:

Croatia’s National Park Route

Croatia’s lush tropical landscape is bordered with gorgeous beaches. This is one of the many reasons we rate this trip high on the must do list.

The National Parks offer numerous route options depending on your mobility. Some of the routes are 10 hours while most are 4 hours and under. Plitvice is vast in size while Krka offers a more family appeal with the swimming areas under the waterfalls. A quick stop over into Split will allow you to embrace the café culture and soak up the sun along the promenade.

Best for: Outdoors, Beaches and Relaxation

How long: 4 days

Need to know: The roads in the remote areas are quite narrow and very steep curves. 

https://goo.gl/maps/k4TnY5GJbBK2

 

Number 3:

Germany’s Wine Roads (Rhine and Mosel)

Germany’s wine roads are straight out of a fairy-tale book. Winding roads that are lined with vineyards and castles for miles. The best way to see the region is by road, but also by one of the many cruises offered along the rivers. KD Cruises offers a large variety of cruises along both the Rhine and Mosel rivers. This offers you chance to take in the views, grab a bite to eat and rest your legs. Some of our favorite stops along the Rhine River were Boppard, St Goarhausen, and Rüdesheim am Rhein. The Mosel River was just as fantastic and we enjoyed Cochem, Kobelnz and Eltz Castle.

 

Best for: Outdoors and Relaxation

How long: 3 days

Need to know: Cruises are essential to book in advance in high season.

https://goo.gl/maps/UAwVvQ959tG2

 

Number 4:

Portugal’s Algarve Coast

The Algarve offers not just warm weather, but some of the most dramatic landscapes in Portugal. The mix of the honey colored sand and sea will push this location to the top of your bucket list. The location of the Algarve offers pleasant weather year round. If sunbathing is not your thing, you have the opportunity to visit the famous caves of Benagil. The markets of Loule and the views from Sagres are not to be missed.

Best for: Outdoors, Beaches, Boating

How long: 3 days

Need to know: The seas can be high during the winter months so call ahead to ensure the boats are going to the caves. 

https://goo.gl/maps/N62h4NLMxZU2

 

Number 5:

Italy’s Amalfi Coast

The Amalfi Coast offers some of the most amazing cliff side views in Europe. The hardest part of the Amalfi coast is picking the perfect village to enjoy the view from. While many chose to take the bus along this route, I highly recommend driving and stopping off at one of the many lookout points along the route. While this area is not the typical beaches, you can enjoy the sunshine under the colourful flowers on most café verandas. 

We used Positano as our base as it offered a quaint boutique feel versus the larger villages, as such Sorrento. The beaches are not your typical sand, but mostly compromising of volcanic rock. A stop over into Pompeii and Herculaneum is must to understand the devastation Mount Vesuvius caused.

Best for: Outdoors and Views

How long: 4 days

Need to know: Most apartments offer parking, but it is sparse. Most walks are up or down numerous stairs.   

https://goo.gl/maps/fk2wrnXgFxK2

Happy Traveling, 

Katrina

Portugal - Part 2 - the Azores

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The Azores

 

Not many people think of the Azores when they think of Portugal. They look at the big cities and the coast lines. With a new route added from the UK, it was added to the top of the bucket list. We headed there over Thanksgiving, which was perfect, as the weather was still in the high 60’s to 70’s. We picked the destination for waterfall trekking and hot springs. We stayed in the Azorean Urban Lodge which offered parking, pool and full kitchen. On arrival the owner mapped out all the sites on the island for us and provided us a list of places to eat. We rented the car through Europcar. If you feel inclined you can book some tours in advance, but I highly recommend getting a car and doing it all on your own.

 

Western Part of Island

We started the first day off to explore the lakes and craters of Sete Cidades. This is the most photographic part of the Azores and it lived up to all expectations. You can reach this viewpoint if you follow the road up the hill to the abandoned hotel. We decided to enter the hotel, as  the rooftop offered some incredible views of the island. It was there that we ran into some of the crew from National Geographic. We headed back down the mountain for the hot springs. Centro de Interpretacao Ambiental Caldeira Velha was gorgeous and easy to find along the road. There is limited parking, so go early if you plan to do this. Don’t forget a towel and flip flops. My daughter still raves about how cool it was to sit in a real life hot tub. There are two swimming areas both varying in temperatures. There is a trekking area which is open twice per day, that offers hiking well above the springs and onto more waterfalls. 

Eastern Part of Island

 

The next day we set out for Lagoa do Fogo and Furnas area. Bring your swimming suit as there are numerous waterfalls and hot springs along the route. Now the Lagoa do Fogo area was a long winding road up the mountain. It took us about 1 hour to make it all the way to the top to capture this incredible photo. We stopped off at the Parque Natural da Ribeira dos Caldeiroes, which had so much to offer. Behind the large waterfall is an area to reach numerous other falls along the way, you have to cross the river where you see paving stones. From here we headed to Furnas and the hot spring river at Poca Da Dona Beija. Here they offered showers and a more spa experience versus Caldeira Velha, which was more the backpacker’s paradise. We spent the rest of the afternoon in Furnas relaxing and taking in numerous lagoons in the area.

 

Whale Watching and Dolphins

 

The final day was the day of our Whale Watching and Dolphin tour. We booked this experience through viator, which I am glad we did as it was sold out when we went to see about other excursions to do. We had an early morning arrival to the port of Ponta Delgada in which we were given full rubber suits, taught some facts about the animals we were about to see and a quick safety brief. Having done these kinds of tours before I expected a full catamaran of people, but on arrival to our boat I knew we were in for more than I bargained for. The boat was a long speed boat in which you sat it in like you were riding a horse. My daughter was thrilled with the speed of the boat and the joy ride past the island to where they had spotted a large variety of whales that morning. The Azores is a migration point so November through March is the best time to see most of the whales. After about 4 hours and many whales and playful dolphins putting on a show we headed back to port. Our tour guide stopped over to Ilheu Vila Franca Campo which is open for swimming and diving in the summer months. The sunken in volcano is limited to visitors and must be booked well in advance. It offers everything from coral, fish and turtle spotting’s as it protected from the oceans current. We ended our trip with a visit to the local cathedral which was decorated for the holidays.

Good tips:

Good hiking shoes, bathing suit and waterproof coat. If you plan to swim in the hot spring bring baby shampoo and a swim suit you are not fond of as the smell of sulphur from the springs is pretty intense and can ruin your clothes and jewellery.

Happy Traveling

Katrina 

Portugal - Part 1 - Algarve, Sintra and Evora

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Tapas and Port

When I think of Portugal these two things come to mind Tapas and Port. While I am not much of a drinker I do love some amazing cuisine. Living in the UK in winter can be quite drab and lack of sun can really ruin your mood. With a long weekend ahead in January I needed that my daughter and I should jump on a small trip. We knew we wanted south and began to look at sunny and warm places in January. We came across Faro, Portugal in the Algarve. With 300 plus days of sun in Portugal we were headed to the right place.

Benagil and Sagres

benagil.jpg

 

On arrival to Faro we picked up the rental car and headed straight into the city center to our quaint hotel for a good night’s rest. We headed out to Benagil to try and catch the first excursion to the famous caves. Due to a storm in the Med the waves were too high and it was deemed about 9am unsafe to begin our journey. We didn’t let this affect our day and decided to head down the Sagres Fort at the edge of the Algarve. The Algarve is quite easy to get around as the toll roads provide easy connections to all the smaller cities along the coast line. Based on some recommendations we headed to Restaurante O Telheiro Do Infante on the beach near the fort to have fresh fish and the largest tray of mussels we have ever seen. We enjoyed the day down on the beach taking photos of the honey colored sand and blue skies.

 

Sintra and Evora

 

As much as we were in love with the Algarve and what we were seeing the rough seas really affected our ability to see the caves which was a main attraction for me. So we decided we would head north to Lisbon for the day. We had been to Lisbon on two occasions already, but we really missed out on the city of Sintra. We got into Sintra about lunch time and headed straight over to the Quinta da Regaleira to see the famous unfinished well and the gorgeous castle that still existed on site. Words cannot describe how gorgeous and mysterious this place is. My daughter said she felt as if we were in a fairy-tale with the moss covered trees, hidden tunnels and gorgeous landscape.  We headed for Sintra Castle for the afternoon on the way to lunch. This castle is at the top of the mountain making it quite the adventure in our car. Once at the top we were able to get some amazing photos of Lisbon from afar and the gorgeous castle and gardens.

 

After our adventure in Sintra we headed for Evora, known for its Greek theatre and wine. We stopped over in some of the wine shops in route, but many were closed for the season. Getting into Evora at dusk we headed straight for the theatre and town center. Evora was such a quaint town and I am sure in summer it is livelier, but there was not much to see in January.

 

Silves and Olhão

 

The next morning we headed out to the market in Silves and then onto Olhão based on the hotels recommendation to see the national park area. It was a great day out walking along the wooden platforms along the Ria Formosa area.  Olhão is such an easy city to walk around and take in some of the colourful Portuguese churches.  We were looking for a relaxing holiday in the sun and that is exactly what we got. A great 3 days in Portugal with a stopover in one of the prettiest cities that it has to offer.

Happy Traveling

Katrina