World’s best virtual road trips

Social distancing may have pressed pause on travel, but you can take this added downtime to plan that epic road trip you’ve always dreamt about - the virtual way.

Tour world-famous routes from the comfort of your own home, creating the ultimate road trip itinerary.

Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

No matter what route you take, a road trip to the Grand Canyon will be the trip of a lifetime.

To visit the national park in remote northern Arizona you will need to drive, be it from California, Las Vegas or Denver, just as a few examples.

Driving to the Grand Canyon will be a scenic route leading up to the ultimate destination, with a virtual road trip doing the same. Allowing you to embrace the picturesque route and then enjoy a digital hike of the national park too, taking in its geological history and beautiful bands of red rock.

Ring Road, Iceland

The ring road trip of Iceland could be done in less than 24 hours, but you don’t need to do that.

Driving passed unreal waterfalls, rugged mountains and volcanoes is all part of this amazing virtual trip. And it means you can plan your favourite places to stop in the future too.

With each new Icelandic landscape you'll be more awestruck - especially with the chance of catching the magic of the northern lights. You can experience this digitally, but nothing will prepare you for the sight itself.

Sydney to Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia

The drive from Sydney to Byron Bay is iconic, with coastline views guiding the whole trip.

This virtual trip will take you along surfers paradise, as you fall in love with the clear ocean and blue skies in a digital daze.

Soak it all in and prepare your favourite spots for overnight future stays with quaint towns and scenic landscapes paving the way for this dream trip.

Sure it's faster to fliy, but when you see the beauty in these virtual road trips you won't want to miss out.

Trollstigen, Norway

The Trollstigen road, also known as the Troll’s Ladder or route 63, is one of the shorter virtual road trips on our list at 100 kilometres. But its epic 11 hairpin bends, combined with bridges that hold you within the landscape itself, show that distance doesn't matter.

Settle down from the winding roads in the rugged mountains, and embrace a virtual road trip that feels like it was created at the same time as the surroundings.

Allowing nature to exhibit its true potential, a virtual trip of the Trollstigen road will have you itching to drive those wild bends for yourself.

Transfagarasan, Romania

Known as one of the best driving roads in the world, a virtual trip down the Transfagarasan should give you all the inspiration for an incredible road trip without leaving your sofa.

Connecting the south of Romania with Transylvania through the Fagaras mountains, this is a digital dash that you will want to do slowly.

From tunnels and mountain edge roads to climbing gradients and astonishing twists and turns, it's hard to believe that this road is man-made.

Route 66, USA

Arguably the most famous road trip in the world, spanning from Chicago to California, Route 66 inspired roadside culture in America - from motels to diners.

But when the road was decommissioned in 1985 it saw a reduction in usage, with road trips on 66 turning into an ode to Americana with people wanting to enjoy kitsch motels and roadside diners with a trip calling back to another lifetime.

Prepare to be left yearning for filter coffee and stacks of pancakes, sadly unavailable in the virtual version.

North Coast 500, Scotland

Known as Scotland’s route 66, the North Coast 500 is the best way to enjoy Scotland’s incredible scenery while enjoying open coastal roads and winding country tracks.

An experience of a lifetime in reality or digitally, the North Coast 500 will allow you to witness some of Scotland’s finest views. Starting in Inverness, you can explore the northern coast with its ever-changing Scottish landscape. Take in towns and mountains, steep cliffs, deep lochs and glens. 

A virtual tour of the North Coast 500 paves the way for an amazing adventure.

Grossglockner Hocchalpenstrasse, Austria

One of the most scenic drives in Europe, the Grossglockner Hocchalpenstrasses, also known as the High Alpine Road, blends perfectly into its landscape.

A virtual road trip that you can truly immerse yourself in as it leads straight to the heart of Austria’s largest national park.

The road, named after the epic Grossglockner mountain that towers above the route at 3798 metres, is an experience you will never want to end.

Something you won’t get with a digital experience is the beautiful and unique wildlife you can enjoy from the scenic spots on this drive.

Swot up on your bird watching skills before you visit, with an incredible range of eagles and vultures making themselves at home in the national park.

Los Angeles to Yosemite, California

A road trip to Yosemite National Park is on everyone’s bucket list. Famous for its ancient trees, magic views and rugged cliff faces of El Captain and Half Dom, the end of this road trip isn’t the only amazing thing about it.

Start your virtual trip in Los Angeles, with sandy beaches and clear concrete roads, before moving into the desert country, greenery and a haven of national parks.

From L.A to the wilderness of Yosemite you will be awestruck, desperate to make your digital escape a future holiday where you’ll see the sequoia forests, lakes, cliffs and open roads all for yourself.

Verdon Gorge, France

Known as the Grand Canyon of Europe, a trip around the gorge of Verdon is not for the faint of heart.

For a digital drive that is worth every nail-biting moment, enjoy hairpin bends and jaw-dropping views as you anticipate the 2,300-foot plunge to the river below.

Safely behind a screen, you might be a bit more daring with your corners, but be warned - taking these zigzagging roads too fast will see you miss out on lots of natural beauty. Home to picturesque villages, scenic landscapes and the idyllic Verdon river, a trip here may become more than a digital dream.

If these virtual road trips have got you planning for the future, make sure you’ve got the right car insurance for at home and abroad. It’s time to pull out all the stops for a trip of a lifetime.