A road trips along these five motor ways takes you to some of the world’s most famous locations visited by millions each year. These trip is not only about driving and looking at the spectacular views but for you to get out your car and take part in some the of the activities or events. You get to watch some of the biggest names in sport play with the possibility of getting up closer than you normally would. You get to drive along roads famous for the Toure de France and Monte Carlo Rally.
THE BASEBALL ROAD TRIP – FLORIDA USA
A Road trip through Florida in early spring is worth the drive, temperature s are high but not as scorching as summer, also many of the states attractions are not yet blighted by the crowds of high summer. During this time (March) 15 of the 30 major League Baseball teams descend on the Sunshine State for a month of spring training.
There is no better place to get closer to the stars of the game than during their month of pre-season, when the action takes place in smaller stadiums dotted throughout Florida, and players take time to sign autographs for fans.
Head to Orlando, home of the Walt Disney World resort, to watch the Anaheim Angels play at the Champions Stadium. Always dreamed of seeing the New York Yankees play? Then drive over to Tampa, a mere 85 miles from Orlanda, where the Yankees play ball at the George M Steinbrenner Fields. Another half an hour in the car and you reach Clearwater, base of the Philadelphia Phillies. It is also, where you will find Clearwater Beach, ranked the best beach town in Florida (by USA Today).
Further south, and driving across to Florida’s east coast you get to the town of Jupiter, which has its own amazing beach and is home to the Miami Marlins.
Further south still, perhaps via the beaches and nightlife of Fort Lauderdale is Miami. Although there is no baseball here in spring, it’s the perfect time to see the NBA skills of the Miami Heat or the NHL action of the Florida Panthers.
GO DRIVING AND WINDSURFING ALONG THE ATLANTIC ROAD – NORWAY
Dramatic landscapes are a feature of Norway’s topography, but this 8km stretch of highway on the journey between the towns of Kristiansund and Molde, winding its way through the Hustadvika – an infamously stormy stretch of the Norwegian Sea, is something else.
Constructed on a sprinkling of small islands and skerries, the road is connected by a series of causeways, viaducts and seven bridges, the tallest and most spectacular of which is the beautifully curved Storseisundet Bridge. It is a stunning drive at any point in the year, although the more daring visitors choose to brave it in the autumn, when the storms hitting the Hustadvika are at their most dramatic.
Don’t feel obliged to stick to the road, however. A small number of rest areas offer panoramic views at various stages along the road, from where on calmer days visitors have been known to spot seals and even whales. Action sports enthusiasts can take advantage of the rocky seas to try their hand at windsurfing in the nearby Hustadvika Bay, while the clean water, powerful currents and plentiful sea life make a diving in the waters an absolute treat. Those after a gentler way of life can join any number of fishing tours in the summer.
MOUNTAIN RALLY DRIVING IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE
The south of France is home to some of the most picturesque routes in Europe, but you can turn the drive from Nice to Monaco, which are near neighbours on the French Riviera into an experience you will never forget with a detour into the Alps.
The Monte Carlo Rally is one of the motorsport’s most iconic events, and the stage that runs from La Bollene-Vesubie to Sospel (or the other way around) features the spectacular Col de Turini. Not for the faint-hearted, it is a tight, twisting mountain pass that includes no fewer 34 switchbacks in just 19 miles, an absolute nightmare for the professional cyclists unlucky enough to have had to negotiate it on the three occasions (1948, 1950 and 1975) it feature on the Tour de France route.
The drive passes a stern test for the world’s leading rally racers, too, who for a spell in recent years had to embrace the challenge as a devilishly difficult night stage. But it is also an automotive joy for those who love driving, not to mention a visual treat for any passengers, whose eyes can stray from the road to the stunning alpine backdrop.
DRIVE THE STELVIO PASS – ITALY
Most road trips through Italy would follow the coastline and take in the beautiful scenery and beaches along the way. For something different, however, take advantage of Milan’s proximity to the Italian Alps. Here you can enjoy a varied driving experience, from the chaos and buzz of the city to the serenity and hairpin bends of the mountains.
As a preface to the drive football fans could visit the San Siro before heading north, where you can take your pick of the Italian Lakes. Lake Como can be reached within an hour and a half from Milan, although a trip to Lake Garda provides the perfect opportunity to visit the year-round ski resort of Passo Tonale in Trentino, where you can ski on the Presena Glacier.
A few hours’ drive north leads you to the famous Stelvio Pass, Judged by Top Gear as the greatest driving road in the world. It’s worth staying in a hotel near the pass and rising early to experience the road free from traffic, while you negotiate the 48 hairpin turns on the eastern pass. It’s only 200m away from the Swiss border, so those whose appetite for hairpin bends hasn’t been sated can carry on to the Umbrail Pass and head off into Switzerland.
DRIVE THE BASQUE COUNTRY – SPAIN
Another drive for footballing purists, as you can visit Bilbao and catch a game featuring its beloved Athletic Club, a team renowned for its policy of signing only players native to or trained in the greater Basque Country, and which has impressively never been relegated from La Liga.
Ensure you don’t leave the Basque Country’s biggest city without visiting the sensational Guggenheim Museum (as striking from the outside as the works within), but once you are on the road you will discover a 480km route that, once beyond Bilbao, takes in the Pyreneese and mile after mile of beautiful Spanish coastline.
Should you be taking the trip in summer (early July), it would be remiss not to plan to be in Pamplona, another stop on the circuit. This means coinciding with the most famous and spectacular bull run held during Spain’s feted San Fermin Festival, a daily event in which six bulls are let loose and charge through the narrow streets of the town as hundreds of people flee in from of them. It’s dangerous for both man and beast, thus it’s the subject of huge controversy, but one of the world’s most compelling sights.