Summer is a great time for a road trip, and Europe is a place that isn't thought of as a great road trip destination the way such familiar drives as Route 66 are. Here are some suggestions for European road trips that are also great with wonderful sightseeing along the journey.
Great Alpine Road, France
The Great Alpine Road, or the Route des Grandes Alps, is a 425-mile drive through the French Alps. It begins in Thonon-les-Bains and runs along the shores of Lake Geneva and ends in Menton, a small town that sits along the Mediterranean coast.
The scenery includes snowcapped peaks, deep valleys and shimmering lakes. The road along runs past mountain hamlets like Morzine, a quaint, chalet-filled ski resort town that is about 20 miles south of Thonon-les-Bains.
The road has a number of cols, or mountain passes, that are known for their tight, dangerous curves and steep cliffs. Among them are Col de l'Iseran, which is the highest paved Alpine pass, standing at 9,090 feet. Obviously, you want to be alert when you drive through.
Amalfi Coast Drive, Italy
The Amalfi Coast, which is at the southern tip of the Sorrentine Peninsula, has some of Italy's most impressive views. UNESCO named it "an outstanding example of a Mediterranean landscape" in 1997.
The Amalfi Coast Drive is also known as the Strada Statale 163, and runs along the shore for about 25 miles, standing out as one of the world's most legendary drives. It begins in Salerno and passes through terraced coastal towns and tunnels carved into the cliffs, and has stunning vies of the Mediterranean Sea.
The drive can be difficult, however, with much of the road extremely narrow, and string winds, heavy traffic, especially during the summer, and reckless drivers all pose potential hazards.
The Atlantic Road, Norway
The Atlantic Road, which is part of Norway's County Road 64, is five miles of amazing scenery in the western fjords. The road was opened in 1989, and the zigzagging configuration that includes seven bridges starts about two miles west of Karvag. It then goes west to link the tiny islands that dot the Norwegian Sea, ending in Vevang.
The Storseisundet Bridge, which is located a little over two miles east of Vevang, is the most well known and is also called the "Bridge to Nowhere." This is because it bends and twists in a way that creates an optical illusion of a steep drop-off when viewed from far away. However, the bridge does continue to reach land on the other side.
Drivers of the Atlantic Road will also have the opportunity to see seals or aquatic birds along the way in the summer, while those in the fall will have the possible danger of raging storms that cause waves to crash against the highway barrier.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
