Our Favourite Detours of 2023
It’s almost the end of the road for 2023, and while Detourist Ben Coombs is still driving onwards on upwards oN one of the biggest automotive adventure of the year, it’s a good time to reflect on the roster of road trips we’ve shared.
In January Nik Berg discovered a road in Northumberland that was so spectacular it caused him to hit the brakes and take stock. “If you’re lucky there’s a moment on your road trip that makes you stop dead in your tracks,” he said. “A point where a breathlessness that’s come out of a combination of driving thrills and an awe of nature means you simply have to pull over and take stock. To switch off both engine and mind and wonder at what lies ahead.”
A month later we put together our guide to driving Italy’s Supercar Valley. “Modena is best known for two things: the sour delights of its balsamic vinegar and the sweet sounds of internal combustion coming from the stunning supercars made in the region,” we noted. You can download our unique Adaptive Travel Guide here.
March Madness saw us drive 2,000 miles to the Swiss Alps and back in a Morgan Plus Four, taking in many mesmerising mountain passes along the way – with the top down of course! We marked the 70th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s first recording with the King of Road Trips in Memphis and Tennessee in April, and went on a dam good drive through Wales’ Elan Valley.
May was another milestone. This time, as part of Lamborghini’s 60th anniversary celebrations, we did a Lambo Mambo across Emilia Romagna in eight supercars. In June we got an example of Ben Coombs’ car-craziness when he recounted the time he drove from New York to San Francisco in an old TVR. Simon Heptinstall gave us a glimpse at the future of #vanlife by camping out in the all-electric VW ID. Buzz and Antony Ingram looked back at the long-lost Circuit de Charade in France. “The old road circuits of France offer an almost unmatched opportunity to travel back in time,” advised Antony.
In the height of the summer we scaled Colorado’s Independence Pass and Greece’s Taygeto’s Mountains, traced the Outlander Trail in Scotland, and took the switchbacks of Snowdonia on four, three and two wheels.
September took us to the crowded coast of Amalfi, Italy and California’s Highway 1 where the epic car chase in Basic Instinct was shot. Ben Barry was back in California to explore The Joshua Tree National Park - in a Lamborghini no less. “Sun sears down, 20-feet high boulders lie like giant walnut husks at the roadside and heat haze knocks the definition from the mountain ranges in the distance. There’s a dream-like quality to driving here,” he noted.
In time for Halloween we offered a guide to The Neck of Hell in Transylvania and provided some top road triup tips for leaf-peepers heading to New England for the fall colours.
In November we were back in Olde England - behind the wheel of an exceptional Jaguar E-Type, before heading to India in search of the flavours of Madurai. We ended 2023 with a visit to Calum’s Road in Scotland - named after the determined Detourist who built in by hand, and took an old Fiat to meet the New Forest.
That’s just a taste of the dozens of road trip tales we delivered in 2023, not counting all the Pit Stops, stories of My Favourite Detour and Detour Life.
We’re looking forward to providing even more road trip inspiration and inspiration in 2024 and hope you’ll join us on the journey. To keep up with the latest road trip news, driving adventures and recommended Pit Stops why not bookmark our homepage or sign up to our newsletter?
No longer a main route, this fair weather alpine adventure leads to the epicentre of Swiss mountain driving.