"All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road."
JACK KEROUAC
ROAD TRIPS
The Araluen Road was once the busiest road in New South Wales, now you can have it to yourself, says Mel Nichols.
No longer a main route, this fair weather alpine adventure leads to the epicentre of Swiss mountain driving.
An Irish road trip with top Hollywood film locations and some fighty bits from Braveheart? Ben Barry finds out more…
Tracing both the Pacific and Sea of Cortez coasts and crossing majestic mountains, Mexico 1 runs the length of the Baja peninsula.
Now home to the highest distillery in England the cat and fiddle has a sobering reputation.
The Aprifuelian Highway in the mountains of Madripoor has a sequence of switchbacks that goes on for more than 100 miles.
Mel Nichols drives deep into a hidden valley on an off-road trail through New South Wales.
The curvaceous coastal roads of the Ionian and Adriatic, beautiful Baroque architecture – and a Maserati – make for a perfect Puglia road trip.
The ultimate outback adventure crosses no less than Four deserts in 300 miles.
Canada has more than a million kilometres of roads to navigate. To says it’s a big country would be a massive understatement, and the driving adventures to be had are also on a very substantial scale.
There are few places in the world that offer a more staggering contrast than this two-and-a-half-hour drive, which begins in Las Vegas and ends up in the land of the dinosaurs.
One of Japan’s most amazing roads is cut through 15 metres of solid snow as it scales Mount Tateyama.
This classic route across France is a celebration of gallic guts and glory.
Driving down Lombard Street is a unique and somewhat unnerving driving challenge, even though it has a recommended 5mph speed limit.
Italy's little-known Basilicata region lays claim to two coastlines, one on the Tyrrhenian Sea and one on the Ionian. You can drive between the two directly in around two hours, but the area has a knack for making travellers pause, stop, detour and digress.
Rosedale Chimney Bank is so steep that cyclists call it The Chain Breaker, but what’s it like to drive?
Claustrophobia and vertigo sufferers turn away now. The climb to Col du Chaussy in the Auvergne-Rhône Alpes is a narrow, steep and nerve-wracking ascent.
Ben Barry discovers Oman’s Dhofar region in an adventure-ready, all-electric Audi
Enjoy a rollercoaster ride across Lancashire thanks to our friends at Rush Magazine.
Nevada’s State Highway 318 is the fastest public road in America where drivers regularly top 200 mph.
It’s almost the end of the road for 2023 and time to reflect on the roster of road trips we’ve shared.
It’s good to take your foot off the pedal once in a while. To slow down and take in the surroundings instead of watching them rush by in a blur, and a drive across the New Forest will force you to do just that.
It’s less than two miles long but it took one determined man over a decade to complete Calum’s road.
There’s nothing quite like the prospect of imminent death to make you feel alive. On that basis a drive up (or down) the Sani Pass might be the most life-affirming Detour in Southern Africa.
Craving the best roads and the finest food in Tamil Nadu, Paranjay Dutt sets off for Madurai.
A half-million-pound Jaguar and some delicious diner food make this road trip on the edge of the Chilterns even more charming.
As the first snows of winter arrive, many of the world’s most marvellous mountain roads are closed until the thaw. However, these five perfect passes in the Swiss Alps remain open all hours and ready for an Alpine adventure.
Between Romania and Moldova lies one of the most stunning drives in Eastern Europe, cutting a narrow and winding path through the Bicaz Gorge.
The A616 Stocksbridge Bypass in south Yorkshire is widely believed to be the most haunted road in the UK.
New England’s forests explode into a riot of colour as the days grow shorter. For leaf peepers there’s no better time to take to the road and enjoy the rich reds, abundant oranges and yellows of the canopy.
PIT STOPS
Watford Gap on the M1 motorway turns 65 this year. Detour takes a nostalgic look back and a glimpse into the future.
Need a hit of caffeine and car culture? Check out Detour’s recommended top spots…
World of Volvo is Stylish, sustainable and celebrates the past, present and future of the Swedish carmaker in the heart of its home town.
Tucked away in a picturesque Oxfordshire village, Detour discovers one of the most significant collections of Aston Martins ever assembled.
Surrounded by Nor-Cal nature and just a scenic drive from San Francisco, this famous restaurant sits at the heart of Bay Area car culture.
For the most authentic experience of the historic Targa Florio visit this small collection in Collesano.
Car culture hub Caffeine & Machine has expanded its operation to Bedfordshire.
Gilks is a garage-themed café with a unique heritage. Detour sent Sam and Carl from Roadster! magazine along for a taste.
The A420 may not have quite the same ring to it as Route 66, but it is home to a classic American-style motel and diner that wouldn’t look out of place on The Mother Road.
Located near the UK mainland’s most northerly tip, this boutique distillery is a must-visit for anyone driving the North Coast 500.
Driving can be thirsty work, but this sensational service station on Route 66 will satisfy even the most dehydrated driver.
This picture-perfect village is the 50-year folly of a Welsh architect and a magnet for fans of The Prisoner and the cars that it starred.
An old tannery outside of Cape Town has been repurposed to house this charming cafe with dozens of classics on show.
The world’s only dedicated Land Rover museum owes its existence to an act of love.
This coffee shop/brunch spot/bakery/roastery and pizzeria – phew! – is open to motorcyclists, as well as motorists, seven days a week.
Passing through Cambridgeshire on the A14 with a healthy appetite? Then stop at Junction 24 where a gluttonous all-American dining experience awaits.
Fan of a niche-museum? This lesser-known attraction dedicated to the post-war decade is well-worth a visit, especially when its owner is in residence.
Tucked away in an industrial estate behind the Lamborghini factory is this terrific trattoria that serves up the most tasty traditional dishes.
From MoTs to packed car meets and corporate hosting, The Motorist is fast becoming Yorkshire’s go-to hub for all things automotive.
Glovebox guide The Extra Mile aims to “steer you into more than 275 better places to eat across England, Scotland and Wales - all near motorway and main road junctions.”
The concept of a Motel might be more associated with American road trips than Scottish A-roads, but that hasn’t stopped Mhor84 becoming a something of an icon.
No-nonsense English breakfasts and builder's tea are the must-haves on the menu of this old-school truck stop.
Cars and art come together at this amazing automotive design studio and gallery.
Spending the night in a disused garage might not sound that appealing, but Hotel Le Garage in Biarritz has other ideas.
The museum of the raging bull has reopened for Lamborghini’s 60th anniversary. There’s never been a better time to visit.
Haynes Motor Museum is home to the UK’s largest collection of cars and motorcycles.
Making a pit stop for food and refreshment on a British road trip doesn’t have to mean fast food chains and high prices.
This quirky French motor museum celebrates the romance of rust with cars unearthed in local barns in varying states of decay.
The tragically-short life of Scotland’s first Formula 1 World Champion is celebrated at this carefully-curated museum near his home in the Borders.
England’s only ‘public road race track' is a maddeningly twisty circuit climbing into the hills above Scarborough which you can drive or ride whenever you wish.
My Favourite
Detour
Richard Porter – the Sniff in Smith and Sniff – describes two diametrically opposite drives that vie for the title of his Favourite Detour.
Richard Porter – the Sniff in Smith and Sniff – describes two diametrically opposite drives that vie for the title of his Favourite Detour.
Andreas Preuninger is not your stereotypical German board member. The head of Porsche’s GT Line is perpetually smiling, wears sneakers and is a true petrolhead, who has loved road tripping since the day he began driving.
Chemmy Alcott is a four-time Winter Olympian, ski coach, BBC Ski Sunday presenter and keen driver. Last winter, she challenged herself to drive a Škoda Enyaq around the Alps — learning the hard way how to make an electric car work over 4,500 miles in the mountains.
The two-time World Rally champ now spends most of his time in the passenger seat, but when the mood takes him he still takes the occasion detour to the forest tracks around his Swedish home.
David Gandy may be best known for strutting his stuff on the catwalks, but Britain’s top male model is also a highly-accomplished designer and driver on the Mille Miglia.
Like all his Formula 1 peers Mika Salo only knows one way to drive: flat out. Even when that’s taking a road trip across South Africa.
Ellie Cooper’s debut book Waiting for Mango Season charts her two-wheeled trek across the Himalayas during lockdown on a Rusty Royal Enfield. Of all the epic mountain passes “The Cliff-Hanger” is the one that counts as her favourite detour.
Filmmaker Alex Bescoby drove 13,000 miles in a 64-year-old Land-Rover from Singapore to London, to recreate one of the world’s most famous overland adventures.
The man responsible for the creation of the fastest BMWs recalls a memorable road trip in South Africa.
Car designer turned man of the cloth Reverend Adam Gompertz finds spirituality behind the wheel, especially when roaring down a French mountain in a classic MG.
Oona Scheepers recounts an unlikely trip in a classic VW that, like most good stories, starts with a bet over a drink.
Away from the cameras Helen Stanley is fan of the weird and wonderful and her Favourite Detour took her on a 400-mile round trip to an abandoned theme park.
Andy Wallace and Pierre-Henri Raphanel have driven thousands of miles around the world as Bugatti’s test pilots. But where do these seriously speedy men find their favourite drive?
Ben Coombs is best known for his epic 27,000-mile Pub2Pub drive by TVR from the northernmost bar in the world to the southernmost. Along the way he came across his Favourite Detour.
Farmer, founder of Evo magazine and YouTuber Harry Metcalfe has road tripping in his blood. His Favourite Detour is the return leg of one of his biggest adventures.
BBC Travel Show presenter Christa Larwood went in search of a fictional paradise, but after many days driving on treacherous Tibetan mountain passes, she thinks she found it.
Ian Callum penned the Aston Martin DB7 and headed Jaguar design for 20 years but it was a spell behind the wheel of a Ferrari 250 GT SWB in Scotland that will always be his favourite Detour.
Three-times Le Mans winner Allan McNish has taken the chequered flag all over the world and still travels the globe as team principal of the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler Formula E team. But when it comes to his Favourite Detour, he's very happy to let country roads and a 1984 short-wheel base Audi Sport quattro take him home to the Scottish Borders.
“Africa, Africa, Africa, Africa, Africa, Africa – there is no other place for me,” is how Ari Vatanen replies when asked where his Favourite Detour lies.
After plans for an epic drive fell through journalist Charlotte Vowden realised her Favourite Detour is anywhere that her, her father and her MGA go together.
DETOUR LIFE
Getting behind the wheel can have a positive impact on people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Most “Safari” spec Porsches may never go further off-road than a country club car park, but those built by KALMAR are set for an incredible African adventure in 2025.
Getting behind the wheel can have a positive impact on people suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder.
A Ford Explorer has just become the first EV to circumnavigate the planet after completing a 30,000-km drive through 27 countries.
What goes up must come down. And that’s extremely good news when you’re driving an electric car in the mountains.
Domi and Zainab covered over 140,000 miles during their world adventure in two 1963 Volkswagen Beetle Herbie replicas, visiting 80 countries and six continents and crossing 115 international borders.
Two for the price of one. That’s the promise of Turkey’s Sealvans and its quirky caravan/yacht combos.
Ferrari is marking the 40th anniversary of the GTO with an exclusive driving event in the Italian Dolomites.
Did you know you can ride for more than 60,000 miles across 30 countries from the Arctic Circle to the edge of Africa without touching tarmac?
EV drivers can now explore the incredible roads of Yorkshire without fear of flat batteries.
Another crew of comics has volunteered to tackle treacherous tracks, mountain passes and arid deserts as World’s Most Dangerous Roads is back for a new season.
If you’re thinking of hiring a car for a road trip abroad then check out our guide.
Almost one in five drivers in the UK say they would choose a drive as one of the top ways to de-stress, according to a new study.
The organiser of the legendary Mille Miglia is offering a second chance to accelerate through Italy in 2024.
In 1969 Chris Wall, Mike Palmer and Waxy Wainwright set out from London in their £400 Land Rover “TEN”. Nine months later they were home after driving 40,000 miles through 40 countries.
According to a new index a road trip to Spain should be on your bucket list for 2024.
A bike-riding software engineer has devised a way to rank roads according to how entertaining they are to drive.
2023 has truly been a landmark year for automotive adventures. Bold Detourists have, quite literally, driven to the ends of the earth.
It’s not even on sale yet, but two brothers have already driven the all-electric MG across 11 countries.
British adventurers Chris and Julie Ramsey have just become the first people to drive from the magnetic North Pole to the South Pole. What’s more they’ve done it in an all-electric car.
Bentley has circumnavigated the globe in style to celebrate two decades since it launched the Continental GT.
For those who find joy in the journey as much as the destination, we've curated a gift guide for the open road.
American YouTubers Tia and Cheveyo of One Pack Wanderers have just travelled over 17,000 miles around Australia in a humble hatchback.
Sustainable fuels promise one way to secure the future of motoring - and Detourism – but what, if any, impact do they have on driving?
A fleet of rally-ready Porsches awaits in Santa’s backyard.
Phil and Will Churchill have driven their Aston Martin Vantage more than 8,000 miles as they bid to circumnavigate the globe in style.
Regular Detourist Simon Heptinstall has written a new book of bizarre motoring facts and stories.
Romanian carmaker Dacia is celebrating the romance of the road trip with a range of in-car air fresheners inspired by Britain’s best-loved driving adventures.
In one of the grandest of grand tours imaginable a brigade of Bugattis just road tripped through Utah and Colorado.
A team of Dutch students has just crossed the Sahara desert in a car powered solely by the sun.
The Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood, California is offering guests the chance to cruise around in a pair of classic cars as part of their stay.
The Araluen Road was once the busiest road in New South Wales, now you can have it to yourself, says Mel Nichols.