Best road trips England: 7 must-do routes & guides

Ready to set off on an incredible road trip in England? The UK’s largest country is a deservedly popular destination for # vanlife holidays. Lively cities, spectacular coastline, long-distance hiking paths, national parks, mountains, lakes, hills and dales… all make England home to some of the**best road trips in the UK**. Use our expert guide for all the information you need on England’s most scenic drives!

The best road trips in England for 2021 – 7 unmissable journeys

1. Southwest England road trip

Total distance: 433 miles | Recommended days: 7 days | Best time to do the route: Autumn | Route map

Take your pick from ourcampervan hire in Bristol listings to explore England’s beautiful southwest counties of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. We suggest doing this trip in early summer, avoiding the busy summer and Easter holidays.

Start with a day’s sightseeing in Bristol, before driving south through the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the Wookey Hole Caves. From Wookey, drive to Glastonbury, then west into Devon via the Quantock Hills and Exmoor.

Our route then follows the Devon and Cornwall coast and part of southern Cornwall – Ilfracombe, Tintagel and St Ives – then back into Devon at Exmouth, the start of the Jurassic Coast. The final leg of the trip follows the Jurassic Coast’s full length east to Swanage.

Another of our favourites in this region is the Atlantic Highway, the part of the A39 running from Bath to Wells and Glastonbury to Devon and Cornwall’s north coast, finishing on the south Cornish coast at Falmouth. Our route follows the A39 from Bath to St Austell. Check out ourAtlantic Highway road trip map (232 miles; recommended three days).

Look forcampervan hire in Cornwall to do the route in the other direction.

2. London to the Norfolk coast road trip

Total distance: 237 miles | Recommended days: 5 days | Best time to do the route: Summer | Route map

Starting from London is a fabulous way to enjoy an English road trip, as this allows for journeys in any direction plus days in the capital before and/or after. One of our top picks is from London to Norwich via the Essex and Suffolk coastlines – this is a perfect trip for families.

Leave London from the east and drive 52 miles to Maldon, on the Blackwater estuary in Essex. From there, cut inland via Colchester to Suffolk and Felixstowe, then pass the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on a coastal route to Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth. The North Norfolk Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is next, arriving there via Cromer and Blakeney.

Look forcampervan hire in London to start your trip from there, orcampervan hire in Norfolk to start there and drive south.

3. London to the Cotswolds road trip

Total distance: 156 miles | Recommended days: 2 days | Best time to do the route: Summer | Route map

This trip to the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is perfect for a weekend break. Leave London to drive west towards Windsor, and cross the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to Oxford. Arrive in the Cotswolds at Chipping Norton: our route goes to Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, Stroud and Cirencester.

Stop in Windsor and/or Oxford if you want to make this a three- or four-day trip.

4. South coast England road trip

Total distance: 469 miles | Recommended days: 7 days | Best time to do the route: Spring or summer | Route map

Our English south coast road trip encompasses the entire south coast of the country, from the Kent coast all the way to the southwestern tip of Cornwall. Take your pick from ourcampervan hire in Kent listings to get started!

Begin your trip in Margate on the Kent coast, then drive to Dover and Folkestone along the Kent coast towards Brighton, stopping off at Hastings along the way. From Brighton, drive to Portsmouth, then enter Dorset to visit Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth and Lyme Regis on the Jurassic Coast.

Devon and Cornwall are next: first Exeter, Exmouth, Torquay/Torbay and the Jurassic Coast landmark Durdle Door; then a drive via St Austell and Falmouth to reach Penzance, Land’s End and Lizard Point.

This trip is ideal for families on a summer trip, or during the Easter holidays or spring half term. Couples who don’t have to holiday during school breaks can take the trip in late spring or early summer.

5. Road trip around northern England's national parks

Total distance: 330 miles | Recommended days: 7 days | Best time to do the route: Spring | Route map

Our next road trip is in northern England, taking in the spectacular terrain of four of England’s national parks – the Peak District, the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District. It’s great for couples and groups of friends looking for an adventurous holiday with plenty of outdoor activities.

Start withcampervan hire in Manchester or our listings for campervan hire inLancashire and the North West. Spend a day in Manchester, then drive east to the Peak District National Park, arriving in Edale almost at its centre. Drive south to Chatsworth House and Bakewell before heading east to the Yorkshire coast at Bridlington, then into the North York Moors National Park to Scarborough and Whitby.

From Whitby you can drive right across the North York Moors (aim for Northallerton), then into the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Aysgarth Falls. Driving straight west from there, you arrive at Kendal and the Lake District National Park. Explore Bowness-on-Windermere, then go north to Derwentwater and Keswick.

The Lake District gets busy in summer, so we recommend taking this road trip in spring.

6. Road trip around Hampshire and the New Forest

Total distance: 58 miles | Recommended days: 2 days | Best time to do the route: Summer | Route map

This trip covers Hampshire and the New Forest, an ancient woodland and former royal hunting ground that these days has heaps of attractions for families. Start withcampervan hire in Hampshire and spend a few hours in Winchester, then drive south to the New Forest and the New Forest Heritage Centre at Lyndhurst, the “capital of the New Forest”.

New Forest highlights from Lyndhurst include Exbury Gardens and its steam train; the New Forest Reptile Centre and Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary; Beaulieu and the National Motor Museum, and Paultons Park Home of Peppa Pig World. Finishing your New Forest trip at Lymington gives access to the Lymington Sea Water Baths (the oldest lido in the UK) and ferries to the Isle of Wight.

7. A best of England road trip

Total distance: 873 miles | Recommended days: 14 days | Best time to do the route: Summer | Route map

Our final trip covers as much of the country as possible on an epic two-week adventure! Starting in the Lake District, this 873-mile route stops at England’s top highlights, including London, Oxford, York, and stunning coastline among colourful seaside towns. Get started withcampervan hire in the Lake District.

From the Lake District and Penrith, drive southeast to York. Then drive straight south to Oxford, then east to London. From London, our route moves to England’s south coast, starting at Brighton and driving west to Weymouth and the Jurassic Coast. Veer inland next for Dartmoor National Park, then to the west coast of Cornwall and Newquay.

The final leg of the trip covers the north Devon coast and Ilfracombe, then arrives in Somerset and Bristol.

Plan your England road trip today

Ready for your adventure? Hiring a van is the best way to do an English road trip – see the country in comfort and style with a home away from home that you can live and travel in. We have loads of motorhomes and campervans for hire in England – get ready to explore the country!

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