scenic road surrounded by mountains
The Ring of Kerry is one of the most famously scenic drives on the planet.
Photo Credit: iStockPhoto / Lisa5201

10 Road Trips That'll Immediately Make You Want to Get Behind the Wheel

You Won’t Want to Sleep on These Drives

As fun as road trips are, often the drive in between destinations can be boring and unexciting. At this point, the trip becomes all about the destinations, rather than about the journey in between.

This is far from the case when it comes to these incredible road trips. These stretches of highway and road will keep your eyes constantly trained out the window on the endless stream of beautiful scenery. After all, sometimes driving is the best way to truly appreciate the beauty and expansiveness of a region.

Take your pick from our list of the best road trips in the world. They are sure to inspire you to pack up, get behind the wheel, fill up that tank, crank the tunes and hit the road.

Ring of Kerry, Ireland

The Ring of Kerry is one of the most famously scenic drives on the planet and one of the top road trips to take in Europe. This incredibly mesmerizing route travels for roughly 125 miles, taking drivers through some of Ireland’s most breathtaking scenery.

This is the Emerald Isle you know from postcards, movies and television shows, where dramatic cliffs touch down to rocky shores and turquoise-hued waters. The brilliant green hills dotted with sheep and the maze of stone fences look so stunning it seems as if they were somehow computer generated, and plopped right down on Ireland’s west coast.

winding mountain road along the coastHighway One in California is legendary for its awe-inspiring scenery, particularly the 123-mile winding, cliff-hugging stretch from Monterey to Big Sur on the Central Coast.Photo Credit: iStockPhoto / lucentius

Pacific Coast Highway, CA

Highway 1 in California is legendary for its awe-inspiring scenery, particularly the 123-mile winding, cliff-hugging stretch from Monterey to Big Sur on the central coast. Here, mountains plunge down to the roaring waves of the Pacific on one side while majestic, towering redwoods flicker past on the other.

The area even boasts a rare purple-sand beach near Big Sur at Pfeiffer State Park and a waterfall that cascades down to the sand.

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winding bridge through a forestThe nearly 500 miles of roadway that snakes through both Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains is ideal for those who want to enjoy the magnificent Appalachian scenery.Photo Credit: iStockPhoto / jaredkay

Blue Ridge Parkway, NC/VA/WV

The nearly 500 miles of roadway that snakes through both Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains is ideal for those who want to enjoy the magnificent Appalachian scenery. The best way to begin is by starting in Asheville, NC. You’ll drive through forest-covered mountains to Skyline Drive before hitting the highlight: the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The fall is the best time to experience it, with the undulating hills a patchwork of gorgeous, vivid colors.

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