There are many ways to travel and discover the world. One type of tourism that tends to take a back seat to weekend breaks and sun breaks, for example, is exploring the destination by rental car.
Picking up a rental car at the airport and hitting the road is a great way to see new sights and make unique discoveries. Whatever terrain you want to explore, it's an exciting choice to do so on a road trip. Here's a collection of 10 places you should experience by rental car!
Mallorca is not just an island of sun and sea for Scandinavians and Brits. Mallorca has an incredible nature and geology in addition to a cultural history that beats most. And, perhaps best of all, there are roads all over the island. Mallorca is made for a holiday of discovery by rental car. Just choose a narrow rental car. Many roads in the mountains are almost impossibly narrow.
So which destinations can be the focus of a road trip in Mallorca? Once you've finished exploring Palma Cathedral, there are a number of incredible beaches, among other things. Caló des Moro, Platja des Trenc and Cala Mondragó are classic. Cap de Formentor will leave you breathless and the caves of Porto Cristo are unique in their kind. Then it's an experience in itself to visit picturesque towns like Port de Sóller and Valldemossa and just soak up the atmosphere.
Fancy renting a car in Mallorca? Check out our Rentalcars.com coupons to get a great deal on a rental car.
Many people discover Ireland by rental car and there are a wonderful variety of routes that are perfect for a road trip. One example is the Causeway Coastal Route which runs between Belfast and Derry in Northern Ireland. There are also no less than nine excellent detours to explore on this route.
The Causeway Coastal Route offers mighty cliffs facing the sea, magnificent castles, valleys with rolling green fields and, of course, the Giant's Causeway. The latter is an area with thousands of columns of basalt standing next to each other like a honeycomb.
All the major international car rental companies are represented in Iceland and a number of operators are Icelanders themselves. The reason is simple. Iceland is a place you should experience with a rental car! Just a note - it's not very cheap to rent a car in Iceland.
Around Reykjavik you don't need a car. It is walking distance to most things. However, getting to the island's more spectacular sights requires a vehicle. The Blue Lagoon is an obvious destination. Road 41 from Reykjavik and road 43 south will take you to Blue Lagoon. Vatnajökull National Park, including the unique Dettifoss waterfall, the Strokkur geyser and Lake Myvatn are other places to visit by rental car in Iceland.
The French Riviera is an area along the Côte d'Azur on the French coast facing the Mediterranean Sea. The Riviera has long been a haven for the rich and famous and artists of all kinds. The area offers fantastic beaches, countless museums, lush countryside, picturesque fishing villages, thousands of bars and cafés and much more.
With car hire on the French Riviera, for example, you can make the trip from Saint-Tropéz in the west up to Monaco a little further up the coast towards Italy. Of course, you can also take a detour north to the villages in the mountains north of the Riviera. Here, time has stood still and there are large portions of the genuine, old France.
Located in northern Spain (and a small part of France), the Basque Country offers natural experiences, world-class tapas (pintxos) and really good conditions for both surfing and hiking.
Bilbao in the west boasts the Guggenheim Museum and San Sebastian in the east has miles of beaches in the middle of the city and a world-class film festival. Pamplona and Vitoria-Gasteiz are other cities to explore by rental car, as is Biarritz on the French side.
If you have a little more time for sightseeing, a road trip from Barcelona to Seville can offer a variety of experiences. You'll start in vibrant Barcelona, where you'll have plenty of sights to see and bars to sneak into. You'll then drive your rental car south towards Valencia, Spain's third largest city.
Next stop is Granada, where the sights are a dime a dozen, and then you're off to Málaga, finally arriving in Seville. Along the Málaga coast, you can make stops in places like Nerja, Marbella and Gibraltar.
Among the places on every other person's bucket list is the Amalfi Coast. Other places in Italy with the same status are Naples, Vesuvius and Pompeii. With a rental car, you can take in all these sights as well as make inland detours or perhaps take a trip over to the island of Capri.
Don't know the Amalfi Coast? It is one of the most famous coastlines in the world. Here, houses sit in plateau after plateau on mountain slopes and there are few places in the world as "postcard-friendly". Pompeii and Vesuvius? Pompeii is home to the ruins of a Roman city that was reduced to ashes by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 BC.
If you want to rent a car in Italy and want to get the best price possible, we have a suggestion. Take advantage of our partnership with Europcar and use a Europcar voucher code to get a discount when renting a car in Italy.
The Atlantic Road in Norway is truly an experience for the eyes. The Bergen - Trondheim route offers scenery that is unparalleled in the world. Be prepared to pick your chin up off the car floor many times along the way!
On the Atlantic Road, you'll see Norway's magnificent mountain ranges from far and near, travel through fairytale forests, gaze out over ancient fjords and even see the occasional majestic waterfall. Just don't be claustrophobic - the Atlantic Road boasts the world's longest road tunnel.
Bavaria, in southern Germany, has a route that boasts an endless array of landmarks, sights and nature experiences that can definitely make for a romantic road-trip by rental car.
The Romantic Road runs between Würzburg and Füssen (or vice versa!) and is about 40 miles long. Along the way you can discover small picturesque medieval villages, vineyards and fairy tale castles. For example, the world-famous Neuschwanstein Castle lies along the route!
The North Coast 500 is a route in Scotland that opened in 2015. However, the number of tourists who have made this road-trip in the past can be counted in many thousands. The route starts and finishes in Inverness and runs through the entire north coast of Scotland.
You have to be ready with your camera. The North Coast 500 offers an abundance of attractions and stunning natural environments. Of course, you pass through beautiful villages and can see mighty castles and palaces. And there's a distillery or two on the way!
Mallorca - a dream to explore by rental car
Mallorca is not just an island of sun and sea for Scandinavians and Brits. Mallorca has an incredible nature and geology in addition to a cultural history that beats most. And, perhaps best of all, there are roads all over the island. Mallorca is made for a holiday of discovery by rental car. Just choose a narrow rental car. Many roads in the mountains are almost impossibly narrow.
So which destinations can be the focus of a road trip in Mallorca? Once you've finished exploring Palma Cathedral, there are a number of incredible beaches, among other things. Caló des Moro, Platja des Trenc and Cala Mondragó are classic. Cap de Formentor will leave you breathless and the caves of Porto Cristo are unique in their kind. Then it's an experience in itself to visit picturesque towns like Port de Sóller and Valldemossa and just soak up the atmosphere.
Fancy renting a car in Mallorca? Check out our Rentalcars.com coupons to get a great deal on a rental car.
Causeway Coastal Route - Nordirland
Many people discover Ireland by rental car and there are a wonderful variety of routes that are perfect for a road trip. One example is the Causeway Coastal Route which runs between Belfast and Derry in Northern Ireland. There are also no less than nine excellent detours to explore on this route.
The Causeway Coastal Route offers mighty cliffs facing the sea, magnificent castles, valleys with rolling green fields and, of course, the Giant's Causeway. The latter is an area with thousands of columns of basalt standing next to each other like a honeycomb.
Iceland by car rental
All the major international car rental companies are represented in Iceland and a number of operators are Icelanders themselves. The reason is simple. Iceland is a place you should experience with a rental car! Just a note - it's not very cheap to rent a car in Iceland.
Around Reykjavik you don't need a car. It is walking distance to most things. However, getting to the island's more spectacular sights requires a vehicle. The Blue Lagoon is an obvious destination. Road 41 from Reykjavik and road 43 south will take you to Blue Lagoon. Vatnajökull National Park, including the unique Dettifoss waterfall, the Strokkur geyser and Lake Myvatn are other places to visit by rental car in Iceland.
Discover the French Riviera by car rental
The French Riviera is an area along the Côte d'Azur on the French coast facing the Mediterranean Sea. The Riviera has long been a haven for the rich and famous and artists of all kinds. The area offers fantastic beaches, countless museums, lush countryside, picturesque fishing villages, thousands of bars and cafés and much more.
With car hire on the French Riviera, for example, you can make the trip from Saint-Tropéz in the west up to Monaco a little further up the coast towards Italy. Of course, you can also take a detour north to the villages in the mountains north of the Riviera. Here, time has stood still and there are large portions of the genuine, old France.
Car rental in the magnificent Basque Country
Located in northern Spain (and a small part of France), the Basque Country offers natural experiences, world-class tapas (pintxos) and really good conditions for both surfing and hiking.
Bilbao in the west boasts the Guggenheim Museum and San Sebastian in the east has miles of beaches in the middle of the city and a world-class film festival. Pamplona and Vitoria-Gasteiz are other cities to explore by rental car, as is Biarritz on the French side.
From city to city with car hire in Spain
If you have a little more time for sightseeing, a road trip from Barcelona to Seville can offer a variety of experiences. You'll start in vibrant Barcelona, where you'll have plenty of sights to see and bars to sneak into. You'll then drive your rental car south towards Valencia, Spain's third largest city.
Next stop is Granada, where the sights are a dime a dozen, and then you're off to Málaga, finally arriving in Seville. Along the Málaga coast, you can make stops in places like Nerja, Marbella and Gibraltar.
Car rental in Naples and on the Amalfi Coast
Among the places on every other person's bucket list is the Amalfi Coast. Other places in Italy with the same status are Naples, Vesuvius and Pompeii. With a rental car, you can take in all these sights as well as make inland detours or perhaps take a trip over to the island of Capri.
Don't know the Amalfi Coast? It is one of the most famous coastlines in the world. Here, houses sit in plateau after plateau on mountain slopes and there are few places in the world as "postcard-friendly". Pompeii and Vesuvius? Pompeii is home to the ruins of a Roman city that was reduced to ashes by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 BC.
If you want to rent a car in Italy and want to get the best price possible, we have a suggestion. Take advantage of our partnership with Europcar and use a Europcar voucher code to get a discount when renting a car in Italy.
Car rental along the Atlantic Road in Norway
The Atlantic Road in Norway is truly an experience for the eyes. The Bergen - Trondheim route offers scenery that is unparalleled in the world. Be prepared to pick your chin up off the car floor many times along the way!
On the Atlantic Road, you'll see Norway's magnificent mountain ranges from far and near, travel through fairytale forests, gaze out over ancient fjords and even see the occasional majestic waterfall. Just don't be claustrophobic - the Atlantic Road boasts the world's longest road tunnel.
Discover the romantic road in Germany with car rental
Bavaria, in southern Germany, has a route that boasts an endless array of landmarks, sights and nature experiences that can definitely make for a romantic road-trip by rental car.
The Romantic Road runs between Würzburg and Füssen (or vice versa!) and is about 40 miles long. Along the way you can discover small picturesque medieval villages, vineyards and fairy tale castles. For example, the world-famous Neuschwanstein Castle lies along the route!
North Coast 500 - Scotland
The North Coast 500 is a route in Scotland that opened in 2015. However, the number of tourists who have made this road-trip in the past can be counted in many thousands. The route starts and finishes in Inverness and runs through the entire north coast of Scotland.
You have to be ready with your camera. The North Coast 500 offers an abundance of attractions and stunning natural environments. Of course, you pass through beautiful villages and can see mighty castles and palaces. And there's a distillery or two on the way!
