One of the absolute best ways to travel is by doing a road trip.
Not only do you avoid the hassle of airport security and plane delays, but it’s also the best way to see parts of the country you may have never been to before.
With that in mind, we asked some travel experts for their favourite road trip routes across Australia and the world.
Read on for some inspiration.
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Dilvin Yasa, 9Honey Travel expert
While Dilvin Yasa points to Kangaroo Island as her favourite place to drive around – “the wilderness and the wildlife gets me every time” – she says she loves a good road trip to Broken Hill.
“I love all the dodgy outback motels and dodgier chicken parmigiana meals,” she says, “but I also love taking detours to places like White Cliffs to try my hand at opal mining and staying in underground motels.”
“You need to be prepared of course (plenty of food, water, and something you can use as a weapon if need be), but I think it’s a road trip every Aussie should undertake at least once in their lifetime.”
“Just not in the summer months.”
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Katherine Scott, writer and reporter at Traveller, part of the Sydney Morning Herald.
“I find the Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven are super charming and easy to pair together when you’re road-tripping south of Sydney,” she says.
On Katherine’s must-see list are Robertson for one of their famous pies, Berrima for a pint in the dreamy beer garden, and tea and scones in Kangaroo Valley.
John Burfitt, Travel writer
John reckons you simply can’t go past the road from Sydney to Lismore, if you take the 200km long Summerland Way road.
“Just beautiful country,” he says.
It’s an eight-hour drive, so could be done in a day, but you’re much better off stopping along the way. Great options for an overnight stay include Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, South West Rocks, or Yamba.
The best and most beautiful road trips around Australia
Lindy Alexander, travel and food writer – www.lindyalexander.net
Lindy Alexander’s favourite road trip is in the other side of the world, located in Canada.
“The Canadian Icefields Parkway linking Lake Louise with Jasper National Park is one of my favourite road trips,” she says.
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“You travel through sweeping valleys, hanging glaciers and looming mountains, past lakes and rivers so blue you have to rub your eyes to make sure you’re not dreaming.”
“Jasper is a special place for me as it was the first (and only!) spot I’ve seen the Northern Lights.
“I’m also related to Edith Cavell (a British nurse who covertly helped around 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Belgium during WWI) and there’s a mountain named after her in Jasper.”
Helen Hayes, editor at large Vacations & Travel
While classic USA road trip options usually include Route 66 or the Californian coastline, Helen Hayes is all about the northern route between Bozeman in Montana and Boise, Idaho.
It’s a seven-and-a-half hour drive, with enough amazing stops along the way that you could spend a week doing it. Along the way, you’ll drive through Yellowstone National Park, famous for its hot springs and gushing geysers.