Spain Tipped as the Top Road Trip Destination in the World

Photo Shutterstock
According to a new index a road trip to Spain should be on your bucket list for 2024.
A study conducted by comparison website Compare the Market looked at the popularity, levels of congestion, accidents and road quality, along with the cost of fuel and car rental across the globe to determine a formula for the best country for road trippers.
“According to the research, Spain is the country where foreign drivers are likely to find the most pleasurable driving experience,” says Compare the Market. “With the fifth-best road quality, Spain is renowned for its modern and well-maintained highways. The country also has the third cheapest car hire prices at just £25, meaning money saved can be spent on everything from visiting some of the country's most famous galleries to delicious tapas."
Canada came in second thanks to quiet roads and cheap fuel, while the USA followed in third place. The UK and Portugal rounded out the top five.
Compare the Market also suggests those countries which you may wish to avoid, and it’s bad news for Serbia. “Serbia takes the crown as the worst place to drive abroad – and whilst part of it may be down to the fact that congestion levels aren’t available, it doesn’t score well amongst other factors either. Not only does it have the joint second least searches for road trips, at just 140 (the only place to score lower was Czechia, at a measly 120), but it also has the second worst levels of road quality. Saying that, petrol is cheap, at £1.34 – but you may choose to consider travelling between cities by bus, as opposed to hiring your own car.”
Scotland’s mountains and lochs dwarf those to the south, its beaches rival the best in the world, and the roads that weave between them are among the most spectacular on the planet.
It’s easy to miss amongst Switzerland’s sensational mountain passes, but the Panoramastrasse Oberaar is worth the Detour.
The Cherohala Skyway that runs between Tennessee and North Carolina has been named the 2025 Hagerty Road of the Year.
Madrid is gearing up to host formula 1 with Racers taking to the streets of Spain’s capital from 2026. Here’s how to take a (slower) Lap.
It allegedly cost one million dollars per mile to build and there are many riches to be discovered on Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway.
A drive from Worcester to Wales from a historic hill climb to the hottest cars and coffee spot shows the very best of old and new car culture.
The climb to the ski resort at Breuil-Cervinia is just as exhilarating as the winter sports on offer.
Mel Nichols tackles Tasmania’s Weldborough Pass en route to the superb shores of the Bay of Fires.
Reserve your spot in advance if you want to experience the altitude of Pikes Peak, says Colorado native Ross Robbins.
Ben Barry explores Wales’ Gower Peninsula – a sun- and shower-soaked National Landscape of coastal beauty
Off the coast of North Carolina the Outer Banks National Scenic Byway is a drive back in time.
With Ian Fleming’s books and iconic movie locations as his guide, Mike Breslin spies a great road trip in Jamaica.
As he Detours across America James Hearne discovers some of the most memorable off-road routes in Utah.
One of Britain’s least visited national parks nominates itself as a great place for silent stargazing. And driving
Sudhir “Banzai” Matai retraces a route last seen from the back seat of his dad’s old Mercedes-Benz 230E.
Reach the top of the Wrynose Pass and you’ll find yourself at the intersection of three counties of old England.
In search of a four-legged rock climber, Paranjay Dutt finds himself caught between endless tea gardens and hairpin bends.
Pau, one of the oldest racing circuits in the world, may not have much of a future - drive it while you can.
Every year the road to Yongwu vanishes beneath the rising waters of Poyang Lake, yet daring drivers still brave the waves to cross.
Driving through towering ancient forests, Jamie Hearne finds inspiration in the sheer scale of nature.
As the journey that was 2024 nears an end, we look back on the most memorable road trips of the year.
’Tis the season to be driving. For many of us that might mean seasonal gridlock on the way to visit friends and family, but if you’re feeling a little more adventurous then check out these five festive drives.
Home to the legendary Bathurst 1000 race, the Mount Panorama circuit in New South Wales is actually a public road.
A few laps of a track, a blast into the hills above Seville and an insight into the life of a road tester, courtesy of Stephen Dobie.
Nik Berg takes a gamble on the amazing route of Ridges in France’s Vosges region.