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us state highway one - a californian
coastal dream
" US state highway one, which undulates
along the pacific coast from San Francisco to Los Angeles is
one of my favourite drives. Dense, chilly mist gives way to
intense heat as you drive through Santa Cruz, Carmel, San
Simeon and Santa Barbara to sunny Los Angeles. Stopping off at
diners along the way, you could be in your very own movie. "
ian mccurrach, freelance travel writer |
southern venice
" Holidaying in Bavaria I had to get down
to Venice and so hired a car to drive south. The sheer scale
of the Alps above us as we entered Austria was stunning and
the tiny schlosses clinging to the cliffside were delightful.
There was also much fun watching as the domestic architecture
became more Italian the closer we got to the great plain of
Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It was too much to do in one day but to
swim at the lido that evening was heavenly and made it all
worthwhile. "
adrian mourby, international correspondent
of opera and now magazine |
the kimberley
region of australia
The Gibb river road in the Kimberley
region of Australia is one of the wildest car journeys I have
ever taken. Accessible only in the dry season and with 4 wheel
drive, this earth road leads from Derby to the Timor sea for
267km. It feels like true wilderness, with romantic creeks and
gorges cutting green swathes through the barren, blood-red
landscape. In an ordinary car, the northern highway, which
also ends up at Kununurra, is tarmacked and easier driving,
although you are more likely to be sharing your picnic spot
with a coach load of enthusiastic octogenarians than you could
ever be on the Gibb river. "
catherine fairweather, travel editor of
harpers and queen |
tunisia - from
sousse to el jem
" A lot of holidaymakers to Tunisia never
venture further than the swimming pool or beach, which is a
great pity. Renting a car adds a whole new dimension to a
trip. This scenic drive makes a wonderful day's outing from
either Sousse or the nearby purpose-built resort of Port el
Kantaoui. From Sousse, you head south on a long, straight road
flanked by row upon row of olive trees. It is impossible to
miss El Jem's star attraction - a magnificently-preserved 3rd
century roman amphitheatre. Drive back via Monastir, the
country's showpiece tourist town with its elaborate,
golden-domed mausoleum, the final resting place of the founder
and first president of modern-day Tunisia. "
peter lilley, travel writer and author of
"essential tunisia" |
draa valley
drive - southern morocco
" Exotic, yet stress-less, this drive
from Arabia into Africa takes you from relative civilisation
(the dusty market town of Ouarzazate) to the first sands of
the Sahara. You follow the Draa valley, where crocodiles once
lurked, through thick palm oases and crumbling red clay
villages that seem to grow from the earth. You can do it all
in a day, but I recommend overnighting in Zagora at the Hotel
Kasbah Asma with its sunken swimming pool. At sunrise, climb
the majestic 100 ft sand dune at Tinfou, before continuing
south along the single lane P31 to the end of the road and the
village of M'hamid. Here the Hotel Sahara offers tea and shade
and the services of M'barak - owner and local guide. For a
small fee he will show you around town, and the sand dunes
that extend towards Mali and beyond. "
jim keeble, travel writer/author
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west cork to
co. kerry
" One of my favourite drives is from West
Cork to Kerry, skirting the edge of Bantry Bay with its grand
house looking out to sea, crossing the neck of the Beara
peninsula and climbing up the range of hills which separates
the two counties. When I get through the tunnel at the top I
always have to stop - partly to retune my radio, but mainly
because the great bowl of rocks and pasture always takes my
breath away. The weather is completely different. I usually
drop down and drive along the south side of the Iveragh
peninsula, next to a sea which will be in a foul, grey mood or
glittering blue in the sun, and end up at Derrynane. A grand
place to be. "
sophie campbell, freelance travel
journalist |
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tenerife in
the canary islands
" My favourite drive… is in Tenerife in
the Canary Islands. Most visitors stay at the southern resorts
of Playa de las Americas and Los Cristianos, and few of them
realise what spectacular scenery can be found just a short
drive inland. Tenerife is dominated by a massive volcano,
Teide, which rises to 12,402 feet and is the highest mountain
in Spain. Take the C822 towards Arona and Vilaflor and you
soon find yourself climbing into cool pine forests with
terrific views back along the coast. At Boca del Tauce you
cross into the Teide national park, a huge crater full of
chocolate-coloured lava fields where there is a parador
(government-run hotel) and a cable car that takes visitors up
Teide. If you continue east to El Portillo, you can turn right
to take the C824 that runs along the mountainous spine of the
island. There are panoramic views over both sides of the
island, and several miradores (viewpoints) where you can pull
in to take pictures or have a picnic. To return south, take
the winding road down to Guimar, where you can visit ancient
step pyramids that the explorer, Thor Heyerdahl, believes are
evidence of pre-Columban settlements on the island. From here
it is an easy drive home along the autopista. "nigel
tisdall, freelance travel writer and regular contributor to
the sunday telegraph |
geneva to val
d'isère
" My favourite drive in the world is from
Geneva Airport in Switzerland to the French ski resort of Val
D'Isère. I know Geneva like the back of my hand, having lived
there for three months, so I always do a quick detour to look
at the lake, no matter what time of day or night I arrive.
From there I meander through tiny little villages on my way to
the slopes. I never cease to be stunned by the sheer beauty
and breadth of the lake at Annecy which remains, for me, one
of the wonders of this part of the world. Look carefully in
summer and you will see hundreds of brightly coloured
paragliders hovering around the peaks that surround the lake.
It's enough to take your eyes off the road. As I head towards
the mountains my stomach fills with anticipation as I look up
at the mountain tops, covered in snow, that frame my view. I
can't wait to get out there. I feel as though I'm coming home.
"
cathy wood, travel editor daily mail
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prague to
london
" The best long-distance drive I've ever
done was in 1991 from Prague to London. I'm sure you can do
the journey in a proper car in a matter of a day, but with a
friend I bought a vintage 1968 Skoda (racing green with lots
of shiny chrome bits) for £50 and went on a meandering route
across Europe to get it home. It was deepest winter and we
went over the Alps through Austria and Switzerland to northern
Italy. I can remember stopping in the dead of night in a
mountain pass near Gstaad and looking up to see these great
craggy peaks, a whole sky full of stars, breathing in the
sharp alpine air, and not wanting to ever go home. I had to
eventually, but since it was by Skoda it took another couple
of weeks to get there. "
carole cadwalladr, daily telegraph travel
news editor |
whistler to
vancouver
" This must be the only drive which can
dull the pain of ending a snowboard trip. Fast and winding,
Route 99 drops down through spectacular mountain passes,
curving along the fast-flowing Cheakamus river, a favourite
hang-out for bald eagles. When the river opens into the Howe
Sound, the enormous scale of the Pacific coast hits home, and
then you round the last bend and catch sight of the gorgeous
skyscrapers of downtown Vancouver. "
stuart millar, the observer scotland editor |
vancouver to
portland
" My most recent favourite drive was by
accident. Driving through the rugged evergreens of the Pacific
north west from Vancouver across the border to Portland,
Oregon, the light started to go and I was too exhausted to
continue. I pulled off the highway and discovered a little
town called Canon Beach. It was an oasis: an artist community
of white picket houses, nourished by a microbrewery and
gourmet pizzeria, bordered by a long lick of soft, white sand
staring out to the Pacific Ocean. You enjoy a drive best when
you're parked somewhere unexpectedly wonderful. "
jennifer cox, publicity and promotions
manager uk lonely planet publications |
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