One of the things that must be on every youth bucket list is road trips. Gather up your most trusted group of friends, a good budget, and a reliable car or transportation plan and you’re good to go. We might not be allowed to travel for now but everyone can dream but most importantly…PLAN.
From beach roads to mountainous terrain, here are the 5 of the best road trips you can take with your buddies.
1.Pacific Coast Highway – California
Aside from Route 66, this drive in the United States will give you an epic experience. It starts in Monterrey and down to Highway 1 to LA. It is advisable to spend the night in Monterrey or Carmel by the Sea where you can kayak and surf.
The highway with views of long stretches of beaches, sea cliffs, and stops often graced by movie stars and billionaires to escape the city life.
- Duration:2-4 Days
- Highlights: The Bixby Bridge, McWay Falls, Carmel by the Sea, Big Sur, Hearst Castle, Santa Barbara, and Pfeiffer Beach.
2.Mongol Rally – 12 countries / 2 continents
It is an adventure of a lifetime. The Mongol Rally is a charity rally start point in London and finishing in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The route can be personalized and there is no time limit. You may take your time to get to know people and experience some of the most remote areas.
You just have to raise money for charity to participate and it is a great way to meet new people and travelers alike.
- Duration: 3-8 weeks
- Highlights: 15 countries, 2 continents, endless possibilities – Siberia, The Mongolian Steppe, Prague, Brussels, Kyiv, Kazakhstan, it all really depends on the route you choose to take.
- Countries include England, France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Tip of Austria, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia.
3.Route 1, Iceland
Route 1 in Iceland is a ring road around the edges of the Nordic island nation with dramatic scenery. Driving east from the capital, Reykjavik, this route leads drivers on an adventure passing fjord, glaciers, fishing villages, and snowy mountains of the Arctic. It will almost make you feel like driving in wintry Narnia.
- Duration: 2-7 days
- Highlights: Seljalandsfoss waterfall, Lake Mývatn, Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon
4. Strada Statale 163, Amalfi Coast, Italy
Italy’s UNESCO World Heritage site, Amalfi Coast contains one of the most beautiful roads in Europe. Starting in Salerno going west along the Sorrento Peninsula, the route is a drive-by towering cliffs and the blue Mediterranean Sea.
- Duration: 5 – 7 days
- Highlights: Pompeii, Ravello, Capri, Positano, Sorrento
5. Tianmen Mountain Road, China
Finally, we’ve reached Asia. This route snake up the side of China’s Tianmenshan Mountain. Despite the shortest in the list, it rises to 1,100 meters and nicknamed the ‘heaven-linking avenue,’ as it leads to Tianmen Cave or ‘Gateway to Heaven’. It is navigable by bus if you opt for public transportation over driving, the bends make it one of the most dangerous roads in the world. There is an option to see the road from a cable car suspended 1,279 meters above the valley.
- Highlights: Ghost Valley Plank Road, Tianmen Cave, Tianmen Mountain Rope Way, Tongtian Avenue
Source: The Planet D, The Culture Trip