"All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road."
JACK KEROUAC
ROAD TRIPS
Cross The Bridge from Copenhagen to Malmö and murder feels never far away.
How could one resist a road dubbed “a poem in stone” or “the king of roads”?
If you’re heading up the M6 this Halloween you might want to call Ghostbusters.
Ben Barry takes a road-tripping, beach-hopping detour to Kefalonia – land of Greek myth and a Hollywood flop.
Terror took hold of the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard in 1975 when Jaws hit cinemas. Detour tracks the infamous shark sightings and movie locations on a road trip around the Massachusetts island.
Nik Berg gets misty-eyed as he recalls a childhood road trip.
Jamie Hearne takes his mobile home to where the buffalo still roam on a road trip through Wyoming.
From the awesome oval at Daytona to the Art Deco excess of Miami Florida is a must-visit destination for any auto enthusiast.
A roof-down road trip along the Kent coast from Margate to Dungeness reveals a gallery of art, nature and science.
Time to cosplay a Seventies Porsche development driver in the original ‘widowmaking’ 911 Turbo.
Is there any other country where the Romance of the Road Trip is so strong? There’s simply so much on offer that when planning a driving adventure you’re spoiled for choice. Try these five for starters.
Did you know that London has a string of seven beaches? Neither did we until we got hold of a beach car and went exploring the city.
Driving the Yellowhead Highway is, quite literally, a dream made real for James Hearne.
Miguel de Cervantes’ hero defined the term quixotic for his fantastical adventures. A road trip from Madrid to Ciudad Réal is very real, but no less fantastic.
Ben Barry drives as far north as Kim Jon Un will allow.
Across the flat fenlands of Lincolnshire you’ll find some of the straightest roads in the UK, but if you know where to look there are brilliant bends to be discovered.
Time travelling in a futuristic MG Cyberster, John Mahoney returns to a road full of memories.
Sudhir ‘Banzai’ Matai heads into the wild as he explores the Valley of the Baboons.
A road trip in Slovenia is like journeying into a pastoral past, discovers Charlotte Vowden, even when you’re doing it in an EV of the future.
High in the Pyrenees mountains, on the Col du Portillon, there’s a brief moment where your front wheels will be in Spain, while the rears remain in France.
Ben Barry explores New Zealand’s epic coast-to-coast route through the Southern Alps in the cheapest hire car available.
There’s more to Italy’s Lake District than Clooney’s Como as Nik Berg finds out – with a little help from Maserati.
A classic British sports car and this classic French alpine pass make for a perfect Pyrenean Detour.
Tranquil, mysterious and packed with cracking driving roads Orkney is awesome in any vehicle – even a broken one.
Ask a local and they will say you have not seen the Grand Canyon unless see it from the North Rim – and there is one very special road that can take you to the best view of all, bar none. Especially if you drive it when the sun goes down.
The Wye Valley lays claim to being the first place ever described as picturesque. Detour discovers why – and Wye.
Griff Gough-Walters drove a tiny Hyundai i10 2,500 miles from London to North Africa in four days, and then a month later, did the return journey in three.
What better way to explore Bentley’s London history than in a modern interpretation of his most famous model?
Detour favourite California 33 has been crowned Road of the Year 2024 by Hagerty in its first annual award highlighting the best routes for drivers in the USA.
The greater the effort, the sweeter the reward. It’s a phrase that couldn’t be more true of braving the Beartooth Highway.
PIT STOPS
In fair Verona where we lay our scene is a hidden gem of a motor museum.
With a move to a shiny new factory Caterham Cars opens its doors to visitors who want to discover how its lightweight legends are built.
Looking for somewhere to go for sustenance in the Lakes? The Filling Station will refuel your appetite for the road ahead.
This beautifully curated museum houses over 100 vehicles and manages to cover just about everything.
You could spend a night with a whole stable of Italian stallions thanks to a unique offer from Airbnb - but you’ll need to be as fast as a Formula 1 driver to catch it.
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.
My Favourite
Detour
Charley Boorman has criss-crossed the globe on two wheels with pal Ewan McGregor, but of all the trails he’s travelled it’s the Road of Bones that sticks with him.
Charley Boorman has criss-crossed the globe on two wheels with pal Ewan McGregor, but of all the trails he’s travelled it’s the Road of Bones that sticks with him.
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.
DETOUR LIFE
The 2026 Gaucho Trail Motor Challenge led by historic rally specialists HERO-ERA will cover 7,000 miles and six countries.
The 2026 Gaucho Trail Motor Challenge led by historic rally specialists HERO-ERA will cover 7,000 miles and six countries.
60 years since Goldfinger hit cinemas Rolls-Royce has gone back to the scene of one of the film’s most famous sequences – the Furka Pass in Switzerland.
In 1924 André Citroën set off from Paris to cross the entire African continent. Now rally driver Eric Vigouroux is set to celebrate the centenary of this epic drive with Citroen’s smallest EVs.
Every day, in every weather a trio of Torsus Praetorian buses take tourists up to 3,000 metres on Mount Etna. Detour’s Nik Berg gets behind the wheel.
YouTuber gtoscud is living his best life. Wearing driving gloves to match his yellow Ferrari F430 Scuderia, he’s taken a trip up one of Detour’s favourite Swiss mountain passes.
Carchitecture USA – American Houses with Horsepower is a celebration of the historic link between architecture and the automobile.
It’s 50 years since Porsche unveiled its first Turbo and to celebrate the German sports car maker let several examples loose on Romania’s Transfagarasan Highway.
A chance to drive through breathtaking Bhutan is being offered by automotive exploration specialists Kalmar Beyond Adventure.
Camp 911 Namibia will be the first Porsche Travel Experience to feature the 911 Dakar.
Move over #vanlife, car camping is fast becoming a popular way to extend road trips overnight.
Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman are back on their bikes for another epic ride.
To mark 50 years of the Porsche 911 Turbo the German sports car maker has teamed up with Puma to create a collection of snazzy sneakers.
To celebrate its 40th anniversary Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons has partnered with RBW to offer guests the chance to explore the Oxfordshire countryside in a zero-emissions classic roadster.
Detour lives the #vanlife in luxury with the most magnificent Vee-Dub van you can buy.
We can’t imagine a more appropriate way to take a Detour than in a car that shares our name.
Let our most adventurous Detourist Ben Coombs be your guide to getting your car to the start of an epic adventure.
Father and son Aston Martin adventurers Phil and Will Churchill have resumed their stop-start round-the-world road trip.
Ollie Gamblin and Lavi Scholl have just set a new Guinness World Record for circumnavigating the globe on a motorcycle.
In 1924 Bugatti dispatched five of its brand-new Type 35 race cars from the factory in Molsheim to Lyon to take part in the French Grand Prix. A century later Bugatti enthusiasts from around the world retraced the 600-mile journey.
The 1,000-yard course of the historic Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb may take less than a minute to run, but it’s an experience not to be forgotten.
YouTuber Conner turned a Lamborghini Urus into an overland adventure vehicle and has been living, and exploring, in it for the last year.
Morgan owners seeking a driving adventure can now access road trips run by the experts at Hero-Era.
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?
Cross The Bridge from Copenhagen to Malmö and murder feels never far away.