The Wonders Of Driving – Some Of Britain’s Best Drives

Image from Vanessa of Jibber Jabber 
This is a collaborative post but all thoughts and opinions are my own

I’ve been driving for over 11 years now and during that time I’ve done some pretty epic road trips on staycations or to festivals so when I was asked about my favourite drive in the UK for the #BloggersBestDrives campaign from Lease car – who provide all kinds of rentals including business car leasing – I had to get thinking.

I am not a huge fan of city driving as I find it pretty overwhelming and I’m not the most confident, the idea of driving in London is enough to bring me out in cold sweats. So for me, the most beautiful drive in the UK is between Barnstaple in Devon through towards Newquay as it’s full of winding roads so there’s no boredom like driving on a straight motorway but you pass some of the most beautiful coastlines and scenery. For me, pretty surroundings are what make a road trip, especially if I’m lucky enough to not be the one driving. f you are a tourist and would like to experience a road trip in the UK, which of course you should, you have to consider getting an international driving permit for the UK.

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Britain’s best drives

I’ve done a few staycations across Devon both with friends and with Luke and while I’ve never driven the whole stretch in one go as it’s about 150-160 miles long but it’s beautiful to stop along the way or choose as a way to bypass some of the inland roads. It’s just such a beautiful (and usually peaceful) part of the country. You can check out Lease Car’s graphic here which includes my favourite drive alongside some from other travel bloggers.

There are some stunning places to drive in the UK like the image above “through the Cairngorms from Glenshee to Balmoral. Even if you’re not skier you can fail to be impressed by the snow topped hills and the ski stations. You keep having to stop to breathe in the clear air and marvel at the sheer scale of everything around you” says Vanessa.

Image from Jo of  Tea and cake for the soul

Plenty of other’s seem to love the landscapes in the North of England including Kate who says “the drive from York to Whitby through the gorgeous purple heather on the Yorkshire Moors in summer is just glorious. Always try to do it at least once a year” and Sam who chose some North West gems. She said “my favourite drives are not too far from where I live, up in the North West of the UK. Pendle Hill is my favourite, also the Moors. The Lake District is also beautiful from the small villages to the wonderful scenery.  If you need time to recharge and take a moment whilst looking at the scenery, the North West of the UK has some wonderful sights.”

Beautiful drives in America

Beautiful drives come from all over the world, with Route 66 being a personal bucket list trip for me. Jo has done a dream drive of mine “from Palm Springs to Las Vegas driving via Joshua Tree, through Amboy and The Mohave Desert. You barely pass a soul and see so many different types of vegetation and landscape. There’s also the option for a quick visit to Pioneer Town just before Joshua Tree to see an authentic wild west town.” This drive is something that is firmly on my bucket

Image from Emma of Emma eats and explores

For Emma driving abroad is a reminder of skiing holidays “I used to love driving through France to the Alps for skiing holidays when we were kids. It was such an adventure and the first glimpse of the mountains in the distance was just magical! It was always a competition to see who could see the first patch of snow!”

For some though driving is more of a means to an end as one of Kirsty’s is “something we see all the time but driving up the a63 and seeing the Humber Bridge means we are home” which is so nice and I know the feeling of happiness when I see the bridge which used to house the ‘Give Peas A Chance’ sign on the M25 as I always know I’m close to home when I see it. Rebecca agrees as hers is “the A470 between Betws Y Coed and Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales. Views of the mountains, seeing castles and beautiful countryside. The highlight for me is going over Crimea Pass and coming into Blaenau through slate mine countryside is stunning! It also means I’m home.”

What’s your favourite drive in the UK?

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