This post was not entirely my own idea. I was totally inspired by a short blog post by fellow travel blogger We Are Travellers, who wrote about ‘the five coolest cars for a road trip‘ recently. Her post immediately reminded me of the many very cool road trips that I have done over the past years. It even made me realize for the first time that I am actually a real road trip travel addict. Many of my most epic trips were road trips and I still prefer taking the car wherever I can… or can’t… Let these road trip ideas inspire you:

The coolest road trips in my experience are always a little crazy. Before deciding on actually making the road trips that I describe below I had a moment of hesitation. Isn’t it too dangerous? Isn’t it too far? Won’t it be too tiresome? But each and every of these trips became epic in their own respect, and are now among my best travel stories. Great to tell at parties, where people actually enjoy listening – always an indication of how interesting these trips really were.

Instead of dedicating a post to each of these trips (some actually have their own posts), I combine some of my road trips of the past 7 years into my personal top 5 of road trips that I have undertaken myself. Although numbered 1 to 5, the sequence is pretty random, as they were all so different in nature. Hard to choose between, so never mind the order, but enjoy some of the best pictures of some of my best road trips!

#1 – Amsterdam – Dakar Challenge

This is the ultimate petrol head traveller bucket list road trip! Well, it was for me. After reading stories like ‘My Mercedes is not for sale’ and Chris Scott’s detailed planning guide ‘Sahara Overland’ I knew this was the ultimate adventure for me too. So I took a month off and registered for the famous ‘Amsterdam Dakar Challenge‘, a charity rally following the route of Le Dakar. Not for the faint of heart and taking ‘off the beaten track’ very literally. Full story is here (or click the picture).

Driving from home through Belgium, France, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Senegal and the Gambia, following the tracks of Le Dakar. The ultimate road trip adventure!

#2 – Driving a classic British two-seater to Silverstone

How better to experience Britain then driving a symbol of British engineering in the most classic English countryside? Despite their quality reputation (I live too close to Germany) I have always loved classic British cars. For a couple of years I owned a small MGF roadster, perfect for driving on small hedge-lined hilly roads. What better destination for this car then the heart of British motor racing in Silverstone? The annual MG Live event is a must-attend event for every MG owner, with beautiful road trip sights along the way. Here is the full report.

Driving a classic British roadster along several beautiful English heritage sites, between Oxford and Silverstone.

#3 – Utrecht to Istanbul and back, in 6 days

Definitely one of the craziest roadtrips in this list. Why would one drive all the way from the Netherlands to Turkey only to immediately turn around and drive back? What can I say, it’s a complex story. You can read the full story here. But without a love for driving this cross-Europe trip is a tough one.

The main theme of this crazy trip are the three European Capitals of Culture of 2010: Istanbul in Turkey, Pécs in Hungary (this picture) and Essen in Germany.

#4 – To the Arctic Circle and back, in winter

The same car that took me to Istanbul and back also took me in the opposite direction. Crossing the Arctic Circle in my own car was one of those bucket list items that needed to be ticked. When the Swedish Volvo Owners Club organized an Arctic driving event I didn’t hesitate too long. Together with my father I undertook a fantastic 7-day drive from home to home, via the capital of Lapland. See the full story here.

Made it! Crossing the Arctic Circle after driving for three full days is a magical experience, especially in the heart of the Arctic winter.

#5 – An All American – East Coast – Road Trip

To many, a classic road trip is an American road trip, so of course a top-5 of road trips in the world should have at least one in North America. In October 2014 I took my then 12 year old son on his first trip to the new world. What better way to connect Washington DC and New York City than n an all-American classic car? So here is our trip report of a very special father-son road trip on the US East Coast!

Even this densily populated region of the USA has beautiful Scenic Byways, like the Catoctin Mountain Highway in Maryland.