15 amazing European road trips for motorhome owners

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Motorhoming is a mega business, with the number of touring vehicles on our roads rocketing. UK motorhome ownership is predicted to grow by 40% between 2022 and 2030. It's the same picture in mainland Europe and the US, with both regions seeing big increases in recent years. Chances are, then, you’re here because you’re a new camper convert looking to leap into the seat of an automotive abode, or already a motorhome owner, plotting your next trip to parts unknown in Europe. Either way, you can get inspiration here. Put these 15 ideas for European road trips on your bucket list.

Read on to find out more about your next motorhome adventure...

Portugal: Braga to Faro

It feels like everyone you know has been on holiday to Portugal lately, all making the most of cheap flights, gorgeous beaches, trendy cities, and fiery piri piri chicken. Not many of them, though, will have started their holidays up north in the energetic university city of Braga before embarking on an epic drive down the country's spine. Prior to departing this northern city, be sure to check out some of its finely constructed Baroque churches. Sat upon a dramatic hilltop, Bom Jesus de Monte (pictured) is particularly impressive.

Portugal: Braga to Faro

From Braga, you’ll open up a 430-mile route through Portugal’s second city, Porto, which hugs the Douro River and sleeps beneath towering hills. After filling up on the famously gut-busting cheese and meat sandwiches known as Francesinha here, it’s onto the "Venice of Portugal," Aveiro, before paying a visit to the home of the iconic Pink Street, Lisbon. By then you’ll have walked (and eaten) your way down the entire length of the country, making the sandy beaches of the Algarve (pictured) all the more perfect for your well-earned afternoon snoozing.

France: Route des Grandes Alpes

Three national parks. Seventeen mountain passes. And more than 435 miles of, often questionable, road. The Route des Grandes Alpes is a badge of honor for motorhomers. Built in 1920 and officially named 30 years later, this is Tour de France country. There's snaking alpine roads to test your gears and brake pedal, as well as beauty spots like Écrins National Park and Queyras Nature Reserve to help reduce your heart rate after the high-altitude action.

France: Route des Grandes Alpes

The route, which starts at Lake Geneva, is also home to one of the greatest driving roads in the world: the Col de Turini, which is located at the end of your trip near Nice and up there with Italy’s Stelvio Pass and Romania’s Transfǎgǎrǎşan Mountain Road in terms of dream routes for road-trip enthusiasts. A night at UNESCO World Heritage Site Briançon is a popular sleeping spot for drivers and cyclists, after all that high-alpine awe.

Romania: Transfǎgǎrǎşan Highway

If you’ve got just one weekend to spend on the continent, then you can do no better than a quick (but very cautious) trip to enjoy the epic Transfǎgǎrǎşan Mountain Road in Transylvania. It's a spooky yet spectacular stretch of tarmac in the heart of classic horror film country. Someone, somewhere, just did an evil Dracula cackle.

Romania: Transfǎgǎrǎşan Highway

This hairpin-heavy road is a glorious gift to motoring enthusiasts. What's more, at just 56 miles long, you can have it in the bag in mere hours during the summer. Ease off that accelerator though, Speedy. You'll want to cram in plenty of action along the way. Highlights here include Poenari Castle, once home to the infamous Vlad the Impaler, and glacial Bâlea Lake, where hearty bowls of ciorba (a traditional sour soup) can be slurped up at the road’s highest point – roughly 6,562 feet above sea level.

Croatia: Zagreb to Dubrovnik

Your circle of friends can be split into two halves: those who’ve never been to Croatia, and those who won’t stop raving about it. The former category is getting smaller and smaller too, with UK tourism to its islands and historic cities up 40% from 2017. Visitor numbers from the EU and the US have also risen. For the ultimate road trip here, you’ll want to steer your way to the capital city Zagreb and set your sat nav for Dubrovnik, 375 miles down the coast. Go by way of the incredible Pelješac Bridge, opened in 2022.

Croatia: Zagreb to Dubrovnik

While you have some must-sees in the first half of this trip – the Plitvice Lakes and the ancient ruins of coastal city Zadar, for example – it’s further down the coast that things come to life. Here you’ll want to hit the handbrake on the motorhome and leap across the Dalmatian Islands, with essential stops including lively Hvar and historic Korčula. Any road trip that ends in Dubrovnik (yes, that location from Game of Thrones) is fine by us.

Germany: The Fairy Tale Road

Time to get a little Grimm (in a magical way, that is). Germany’s most famous sibling academics, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, are best known for their famous children’s tales including Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, and Rumpelstiltskin. With a little help from your motorhome, this 370-mile adventure is where you can live out the childhood memories (and terrors) that these classic stories have imprinted on your mind.

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Germany: The Fairy Tale Road

Naturally, it starts in Hanau, the birthplace of the twosome, before weaving northwards through an incredible number of storied stops. Route highlights include Sababurg, where the Sleeping Beauty Castle rests in the Reinhardswald Forest, and Trendelburg, where Rapunzel’s tower looms. Hamelin, home of the Pied Piper, and Kassel, the location of the official Brothers Grimm Museum, are also worth a look. Enjoy plenty of local-led fairytale tours along the way, and be sure to make the most of the many nature parks the drive will take you through.

Scotland, UK: The North East 250

You’ve probably heard of the North Coast 500 – a world-famous Scottish romp that starts and ends in Inverness. Perhaps you’ve already completed its 516 miles, soaking up all of its Highland and coastal goodness as you went. Its half-sized sibling, the NE250, might live in the legendary route's shadow but is no less spectacular for it.

Scotland, UK: The North East 250

Launched in 2019, this 257-mile tour starts and ends in Aberdeen and takes in some of Scotland’s most famous icons. We’re talking castles, glens, the Cairngorms, the beaches of Moray, and, yes, delicious distilleries too. You might be wondering: how does one combine whisky with getting behind the wheel? Well, as well as tours and tasters, many distilleries now offer driver’s kits to take away and enjoy when you're resting up at beautiful pitches like Glenmore Campsite in Aviemore.

Poland: Kraków to Blizne

While entire cities have crumbled since the Middle Ages, the UNESCO-listed Wooden Churches of Southern Malopolska have stayed intact. See these amazing examples of medieval architecture for yourself, as you drive from Poland's second-largest city to one of its most historic small villages. It's cheaper (and easier) than turning your motorhome into an actual time machine. 

Poland: Kraków to Blizne

You don't need a devout Christian faith to enjoy this one, just an appreciation of ancient timber buildings shaped like witches’ hats, and traditional stuffed pierogi. With your compass pointing east, waypoints along this trip include Lipnica Murowana, Binarowa, Sekowa, and Hacźow, where you’ll find the largest wooden Gothic church in Europe. Hitting Blizne marks the end of your 140-mile venture through quiet farming country and village life. Round off your journey into the past with a look at All Saints Church. Built across the 15th and 16th centuries, it's known for its eye-catching interior paintings.

Spain: Bilbao to La Rioja

With a destination like La Rioja involved, there are no prizes for guessing what this tour revolves around. Yes, you guessed it, it's the vino español. We highly recommend heading over at the tail end of September for seven nights to make the most of the produce and the relaxed way of life along this 213-mile route. But first, some viewing pleasure in Bilbao, home to the Guggenheim Museum and the famous funicular, which grants sweeping views across the city.

Spain: Bilbao to La Rioja

The next stop is San Sebastian, where the argument over the 'best pintxos' crown has never been settled. Enjoy doing your own empty-bellied investigations here. After the beaches of Hondarribia, the surf of Biarritz followed by the famous bull-running city of Pamplona, you’ll arrive in La Rioja, where, for obvious reasons, you might want to make friends with a local taxi driver based in Haro (the region’s wine capital). Oh, and be warned – the annual wine festival in June (aka the 'Battle of Wine') gets quite... exciting.

Wales, UK: The Cambrian Way

You probably didn't expect the most action-packed and adrenaline-soaked road trip on this list to be in sunny Wales, did you? But here we are, encouraging you to take your family on a white-knuckle ride around the spine of Cymru. Pack your hiking boots, wetsuits, bike helmets, and whatever you like to go trampolining in for this one. You'll need all of them and more on a route that rolls through two national parks – Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons – as well as the Cambrian Mountains.

Wales, UK: The Cambrian Way

Don’t let the hundreds of rugged walking paths distract you from pit stops at Gwynedd’s underground trampoline park and zip lines, the mountain bike trails in the Beacons, the kitesurfing at Llandudno, and Cardiff International White Water facility. With so many activities to enjoy, you can anticipate snoring from your passengers as the days come to an end. On the subject of catching some sleep, there's plenty of good campsites on the Cambrian Way. Park up for the night, recharge your stamina, and get ready for tomorrow's adventure.

Italy: Sulmona to Fonte Cerreto

Not heard of these start and end destinations? You’re not alone. The isolated backcountry roads of Abruzzo – halfway up the calf of Italy’s boot outline – make this 160-mile trip, which includes a loop around the two nature reserves to the south of your set-off point, an under-the-radar spectacular. Go at the right time of year and it might just be one of the weirdest routes you'll ever take.

Italy: Sulmona to Fonte Cerreto

Just 12 miles from your starting point of Sulmona lies Cocullo, home to perhaps the most unique festival in Europe. The Festa dei Serpari, or Festival of the Snake Catchers for us non-speakers, takes place on the first Thursday of May and sees a statue of the village’s patron saint, Dominic, bedecked with writhing, locally-caught serpents before being paraded through the streets. Despite being just a couple of hours from Rome, you’ll encounter snow-capped mountains, wild bears, winding roads, ancient forests, and the type of traditions that can, at times, make this trip feel more like Montana, USA, than mainland Europe.

Norway: The Atlantic Ocean Road

What’s the minimum distance required for a drive to become a road trip? We’re hoping the answer is five miles, because this fabulous stretch in Norway is worthy of any motorhomer's travel bucket list. More than just one of Europe's most beautiful bits of civil engineering, we actually think you'll be hard-pressed to find a more scenic thread of tarmac anywhere on the planet than the Atlantic Ocean Road.

Norway: The Atlantic Ocean Road

The Atlanterhavsveien (Atlantic Ocean Road) may be under 33,000 feet long, but what it lacks in length it makes up for in loveliness. In essence, this is a group of eight bridges that skip over tiny islets on the west coast of Norway – a place more famous for the imposing fjords further north – and will only take you 10 minutes to cross. All the more reason, then, to factor it into a bigger excursion from Norway’s very cool first capital city, Trondheim.

Austria: The Romantic Road

Love is in the air with this one. Wine, spas, quiet village restaurants, sweeping lakeside views – this trip's for the loved-up couples. So much so, in fact, that the 280 miles connecting two of Austria’s best cities has been dubbed The Austrian Romantic Road. Yes, this idyllic stretch of road which joins up Vienna with Salzburg is sure to get your heart racing.

Austria: The Romantic Road

Set aside a week to slowly wind your way down the Danube River from Vienna, also known as the "City of Music," to Salzburg. While you won’t find many Austrian wines on your supermarket shelves back home, there are plenty to sample along this highway – Grüner Veltliner being a particular specialty as you pass through Wachau Valley. Despite its name, Bad Ischl is a charming and picturesque retreat once described as “heaven on Earth,” by Emperor Franz Joseph. Don your swimming gear and enjoy this historic spa town as a last hurrah before finishing up in Salzburg, just a short drive away.

Ireland: The Wild Atlantic Way

We’re not exactly breaking new ground by shouting about this epic option for a motorhome road trip. Got three to four weeks to spare? Go big and bag the full 1,600 miles up (or down) Ireland’s dramatic western coast. Only managed to book a week off work? Good thing that the drive can be broken down into 14 stages, then.

Ireland: The Wild Atlantic Way

If it’s Ireland’s wild side you want, then the Connemara stretch – the 110 miles between Clifden to Galway – should fill your cup perfectly. The Maamturk mountains, as well as some of the country’s most poetic coastline, are waiting for you there. Fancy some wildlife? Add dolphin spotting on the Dingle Peninsula – the 95 miles from Tralee to Castlemaine – to your to-do list. Or, if it’s something very random you’re after, get stuck into the Achill Island and Clew Bay section and visit Dorinish, a remote island once owned by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and occupied by their hippie commune in the 1970s.

Iceland: The Ring Road

How many road trips have you been on that take you past an active volcano? Yes, thought as much. Time to change that. Iceland’s Ring Road is an essential piece of national infrastructure for this far-flung island, connecting all the major towns with some surprisingly good tarmac. But you’re not here for the blackness of the roads, it’s the dark sands of Reynisfjara and jet-like lava fields you’re here to see.

Iceland: The Ring Road

For every dramatically dark and brooding stop along this nine-day excursion, there’s a handful of bright and relaxing must-sees too. Electric-blue icebergs creak and drift on the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where kayak tours are available for the adventurous. Hundreds of wild geothermal pools also await those with tired bones, with Seljavallalaug our soaking spot of choice. While wild camping is a no-no in Iceland, you’ve got plenty of sites to pitch up at in summer along the 825-mile odyssey. Vik Camping, in Vik – Iceland’s southernmost village – is a great one.

England, UK: The Atlantic Way

Your GPS will want you to call this road the A39. Not us, though. We prefer its adventurous alias – the Atlantic Way. Kick things off in trendy Bristol, where students and a cool art scene provide an urban buzz throughout the year. After a few hours in the driving seat, veer off the M5 and follow signs for the north coast of Devon. Your destination? The Tamar Bridge into Cornwall, and then on to none other than Land’s End – the finishing (or starting, depending on how Cornish you are) line of the country.

England, UK: The Atlantic Way

Take a night or two in the fantastically feral Exmoor National Park, where a sunrise brew out the back of your van will start any day right. Be sure to swing by King Arthur’s old place in the haunting shape of Tintagel Castle and refuel the van (and your bellies) in Padstow, where the fish and chips are almost as good as the multiple Michelin star-boasting restaurants. From there, the surf mecca of Newquay awaits. Hayle Towans, voted Britain’s Best Beach in 2024, is where we’d stop for our sun, sea, and surf. Finish with a photo at the famous Land’s End signpost.

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