Road trips have always had a charm of their own. What better way to enjoy a holiday than by renting a swanky car and discovering a foreign country by traversing its length and breadth with excellent music and lovely company? There is no tour-like ‘schedule’ to follow. See what you want, whether it’s a world-famous tourist destination or even a tiny little hamlet that caught your fancy. If you want to sit by a meadow to see the sunset, or trek five miles at the crack of dawn and then crash at a simple inn by the highway, you are free to go for it. All you need is a tank full of petrol, and marginally good navigating skills.
When you take a Self-Drive holiday, you entirely, unequivocally define what you want your holiday to be. Whether you are in a high-performance vehicle, a luxury convertible or a simple sedan, you can cruise the open road in a fantasy that knows no borders. Discover that unique freedom and explore diverse landscapes, big cities and beautiful towns, breath taking viewpoints, scenic roads, architectural masterpieces, lively beaches and maybe even discover yourself on a thrilling Self-Drive holiday.
For the ultimate self-drive holiday, drive on the Auto Bahn in Germany at 300 kms per hour, enjoy California’s scenic coastline, or experience rugged South Africa and stunning New Zealand for an unbelievable holiday experience.
New Zealand:
Tucked below the mighty Australian continent is the small, young and greatly underrated nation of New Zealand which, if explored at ease, can be any holiday-maker's dream destination. Visiting New Zealand is like going to several countries at once, the sheer diversity of its topography is baffling. You can lounge on subtropical beaches and see alpine glaciers, go to the mouth of delicate fjords and the depth of rainforests, taste the nightlife in cosmopolitan cities and get closer to nature in great tracts of wilderness. If this wasn’t enough, additional perks of an NZ Road Trip are that the roads are excellent, congestion is non-existent and the scenery is stunning. There are dozens of scenic driving routes to choose from, each exploring a unique part of New Zealand’s landscape. From Auckland, the dolphin-filled waters of Bay of Islands, the pretty beaches of Coromandel, the hot springs of Rotorua, the Kaikoura coastline, the alpine resort of Queenstown, South Island's largest city-Christchurch to the most scenic drive of Milford Sound and New Zealand’s popular capital city of Wellington, all these popular itineraries provide the ultimate touring experience of New Zealand. Each day and each new destination will keep surprising you about that all this land has to offer.
A Coastal Self Drive in Australia:
If you do decide to have a self-drive journey Down Under, you will have fifty-thousand kilometers of endless, heart stopping coastline as your constant companion. Given below are three of the most popular routes taken by tourists for Self Drive Journeys in Australia:
Great Southern Touring Route
Start your journey from West Gate Bridge which leads the way out of Melbourne and drive along the Great Southern Touring Route to Geelong. Drive past the vineyards of the Bellarine Peninsula to the scenic Great Ocean Road. Along this route you'll pass some of the most dramatic seascapes and landscapes imaginable, including the highly recognizable 12 Apostles (although there are now only 11 - the 12th having succumbed to erosion a few years ago). The route also takes you past Loch Ard Gorge, the sight of a tragic shipwreck, the Arch, the Blowhole and the nearby Bay of Islands. Experience whale watching near Warrnambool, explore seaside villages and sandy beaches, and then turn inland to the walking trails, waterfalls, and wildflowers of the Grampians National Park. Finally head east to Ballarat, the home to Sovereign Hill and experience what life was like on the goldfields in the 1800s.
Pacific Coast Touring Route, NSW:
The Pacific Coast Touring Route is an exhilarating 1,539-mile drive from Sydney to Cairns, taking in some of Australia’s best coastal scenery, pristine beaches and buzzy little holiday towns. This scenic drive takes you through some of the most striking landscapes in NSW. Here you get to pass through the lush hinterland of the Central Coast, the wineries of the Hunter Valley and the picturesque inlets of Port Stephens. Traverse through the Hunter Valley, Byron Bay and the glittering Gold Coast and see the World Heritage-listed wonders of Fraser Island and Great Barrier Reef. What you will surely take back with you along this drive is the unstoppable, heaven –like feeling of seeing the sun glinting off the surface of the ocean, a perfect golden lining fringing the rolling green hills of rural Australia.
Sydney to Melbourne Coastal Drive:
The magnificent stretch of coastline between Sydney and Melbourne is one of Australia’s most dramatic and naturally beautiful self-drive experiences. Pretty seaside towns, historic villages, a string of quiet beaches and bays and more than 30 national parks & reserves contribute to the pleasures of this drive. If you want to get the most out of Australia’s exotic wildlife, this is the journey you should pick. See whales, seals, penguins and wildlife in their natural habitat. Spot koalas, colonies of fur seals, and little penguins’ parade up the beach at Phillip Island, look out for migrating whales at Eden and many headlands along the NSW South Coast. See seals and sea birds on Montague Island. Drive the alternative inland route from Lakes Entrance to Melbourne via Walhalla taking in the beautiful green countryside, magnificent vistas, mountain scenery and historic villages.
USA: Coastal California:
Who can deny not having had a Hollywood type fantasy of a perfect road trip that turns out to be the solution to all your woes? If you too want to experience America beyond the glitzy glamour and the skyscrapers, this incredible adventure through the golden state of California is yours to try. The great Californian coastline has been the muse for many a filmmaker, with all the picture perfect ingredients, fabulous coastline flanked by dramatic mountain ranges, tranquil lakes and redwood forests. Perhaps what makes this such a tourist favourite is that all of this is in proximity to some of the biggest and most developed cities in the world! The Coastal California itinerary starts off in San Francisco, takes in charming Monterey and Carmel, dramatic Big Sur and on to the sunshine shores of Santa Barbara & LA and then on to San Diego while also journeying through the Death Valley Scenic Drive. Do not miss the giants in Sequoia National Park and the strangely shaped Joshua trees near Palm Springs- they are the perfect selfie spot.
South Africa: Cape Town & the Garden Route:
Spanning from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, the Garden Route is an incredibly scenic part of South Africa. The Garden Route begins at Mossel Bay, and then journeys through George, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay before ending at the beautiful Nature's Valley. From the semi-desert of the Karoo and forests of Tsitsikamma, pretty seaside towns & white sandy beaches to historic towns and scenic vineyards of Winelands region, the Garden Route is an ideal self-drive destination with good roads, easy access and a range of highlights to keep you entertained.
Knysa, the 'Pearl of the Garden Route' is a small city that has a number of gift shops, outdoor pursuits and oyster fishing excursions. Just a few kilometers from Knysa is the luxurious settlement of Plettenberg Bay, or 'Plett' as the locals call it. The sumptuous surroundings of Plettenberg are marked by the red sand rocks that rise from the two rivers and Indian Ocean and stunning white beaches. Then comes the 65km long stretch to Tsitsikamma National Park which is an absolute must visit for nature lovers.
At the final leg of the journey, Port Elizabeth boasts of attractions including the South Africa Airforce Museum, Bayworld, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum, the Wezandla African Arts and Crafts Gallery and the Alexandria Dune Fields, which are the largest in the southern hemisphere.
Spain by Road:
A self-drive holiday in the vibrant country of Spain will let you explore bustling cities, stunning coastlines, and areas where some of the finest food and wine are made. If there was ever a country where you could feel the vibrancy of its culture in the air, it is Spain. Explore the Spanish countryside, indulge your taste buds by sipping some of the world’s best wine and lounge on its stunning beaches on this holiday. Visit Gaudi’s Barcelona; enjoy the art scene in Madrid and Europe’s best nightlife. Discover magnificent, unique cities and monuments in Leon and Castilia. Visit the three Spanish cities declared as World Heritage Cities by the UNESCO: Segovia, Ávila and Salamanca. If you love wine, set aside some time to visit the La Rioja region in the foothills of the Pyrenees with historic wineries and vineyards like Herederos de Marques de Riscal, founded in 1850. Head south to Moorish Andalucia and visit the magnificent Alhambra Palace in Granada and Cordoba’s Great Mosque. Tour the tapas bars of Seville and enjoy authentic flamenco and a bullfight. Experience the vitality of Spanish towns, with uniquely traditional towns and exquisite local gastronomy. Dance away your woes and feel the rigour of Spain’s devotion to football, to the point where you’ll never want to say Adios to this land of wonder.
Self-Drive through the Auto-Bahn:
Another emerging self-drive favourite destination is a road trip across Germany, Austria and Switzerland via the spectacular Autobahn. Although shrouded in the hype of no speed limits and the smoothest highways ever, the latter of which happens to be true, Autobahn does have Tempolimits that limit your speed to 130 kmph. In particularly dense highways near urban capitals, you might even encounter traffic jams, but your ride will be butter-smooth as long as you keep following the traffic rules. Begin your trip by renting the famed automobiles from Germany and then make your way across the neighboring Austria and then to the heavenly Switzerland. If your priority is to explore the natural bounty of Germany, the river valleys in and around the Rhine and Mosel rivers are some of the most scenic and tranquil destinations in all of Europe. Explore the multiple castles dotted along the German landscape while exploring the brilliant cities of Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg. Vienna, the very pride of Austria, is a fairytale city in itself, and the entirety of Switzerland is any travelers dream personified. As the Autobahn self-drive covers three countries, multiple traffic rules which might be slightly different from the ones in your own country, and often complicated navigation, do plan your trip and the places you want to explore well in advance. If done well, the Autobahn will be one of the most memorable road trips of your life!
The great British Road Trip:
Mighty, mysterious castles, a swirling coastline with water as magnetic as the sky, green, rolling farmlands and a charming countryside with some of the best pubs in the world, there is so much more the UK has to offer than the typical tourist itinerary. The Great British road trip aims at exploring the spirit and charm of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Most drivers begin from London, soaking in all that this metropolis has to offer, from the Buckingham Palace to the London Eye, the nightlife and the multi-cultural liveliness that stays in your very soul. London is mesmerizing enough for you to want to spend the rest of your holiday here itself, losing yourself in the city and its people, whether it’s the Westminster Abbey or the East End. But England shows you different colors as soon as you leave the capital, with quaint countryside full of dainty villages and cobbled streets, historic towns, relics of ancient bloody battles, Salisbury with its majestic cathedral, Bath, Manchester and Liverpool and the gritty streets of Birmingham. Right before you move north from London, go west to be spell-bound by the Welsh countryside, the most famous being the Caernarfon Castle. The Snowdonia is the one of the most beautiful national parks of the country, and a blissful place to explore nature and wildlife, as is Brecon Beacons, a magical place with mountains, streams and waterfalls. The northernmost country in the UK is Scotland, with the medieval charm of Edinburgh, its capital city, and its famed highlands. Visit whiskey distilleries, the Isle of Skye, hard stone castles and the most breathtaking cliffs in the entire world. The last leg of this road trip is the state of Northern Ireland, which can easily be accessed by a ferry ride. Hire a car to explore the delights of Belfast, climb mountains and explore trails that go back to several centuries, its untouched, unsoiled beaches and the outstanding coastal scenery.
About Odyssey Travels
Odyssey Travels is a leading IATA accredited Travel Company, established in 1992. We specialize in planning customized holidays in India and abroad for our clients which includes air ticketing, worldwide hotel reservations, inclusive tours, sightseeing activities, visa assistance & travel insurance services. For further information or to make a booking
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