If you’ve read our winter events guide you’ll know there’s still plenty to look forward to in the motoring world over the coming months, but you’re probably also beginning to consider what next year might bring.
If there’s a road trip somewhere in those plans, then we’re on the same wavelength, as we’ve come up with ten ideas for next year’s “driving season” to help inspire you to get out on the road. From country-crossing back-roads to famous motorsport routes, here are our top drives for 2025 across the world.
Nurburgring Nordschleife, Germany
[Credit: Porsche]
As a motoring pilgrimage the Nurburgring Nordschleife is almost unmatched. Whether you’re heading there to catch an NLS endurance race or to challenge yourself and your car on a private track day or one of the many open touristenfahrten, the famous German circuit is one of our favourite driving destinations – and will remain so for as long as this brilliant resource is available to enthusiasts.
It does the Nurburgring no harm at all that it also resides in such a beautiful part of the German countryside, is relatively easy to access – just five hours or so from your chosen crossing at Calais – and is itself surrounded by some flowing country roads for a more relaxed drive, and a few stretches of derestricted autobahn where you can legally cruise beyond three figures.
Be sure to make use of the facilities while you’re there, too. Stay in one of the local towns or villages, visit their restaurants and shops, and do drive respectfully whether you’re on the road or the circuit itself, and we’ll all get to enjoy this iconic venue for many more years to come.
Drive it here.
N2, Portugal
The N2 in Portugal doesn’t appear on many “great drives” lists, and unlike more famous routes like the Stelvio Pass or Tail of the Dragon, it doesn’t have the killer Instagram views to make it stand out when selecting a driving destination. But it’s here on merit, because if you love driving, there’s a lot here to enjoy.
Firstly, the road itself. It bisects the entire country, starting at Chaves just below the Spanish border in the north, and ends up in Faro on the southern tip, which gives it immediate road trip potential – more than 400 miles top to bottom through rural Portugal, its villages, hills, and changes in scenery.
But gentler sections are punctuated by some fantastic twists and turns too. We’re most familiar with the southern section, the final 50 miles before Faro, where impeccable surfaces tally with challenging cambered corners through sun-baked scenery along hillside ridges. Then you have the Algarve to enjoy at the end of it and, an hour from Faro, the Portimão circuit for a track day or to watch some racing.
Drive it here.
Targa Florio, Sicily
[Credit: Porsche]
Driving the Targa Florio has always been a challenge, but there’s an additional one today, as its famous surface has, over the years, been left to crumble. We’re not understating it either: some entire sections are falling away and subsidence has created entire hills and valleys in some sections of road.
Don’t let it put you off though, because plenty of the route is still more than accessible, and the beautiful towns and villages – famous from so many iconic racing photographs from the Sicilian event’s heyday – are still present and correct, while signposting of the route is good too, so navigation shouldn’t be an issue.That’s before you consider what the region has to offer in general too, from stunning Mediterranean beach fronts to mountain vistas, bustling towns (with the usual almost unmatched standard of Italian cuisine), and if you wish to deviate from the famous route itself, dozens of other tight and twisting roads nearby. Getting there in your own car can take a while, but few roads are better suited to the traditional Fiat Panda hire car…
Drive it here.
Hakone, Japan
Hakone sits in the shadow of Mount Fuji, an hour or so southwest of Tokyo, and its mix of mountain and lakeside scenery, proximity to Fuji and the Fuji Speedway, and the numerous tight and technical forest roads in the area have all made it a must-visit for driving enthusiasts wanting to break out of Tokyo for a day or two.
It’s best known for the Hakone Turnpike toll road, which you join near the coast at Hayakawa, but the best is to be found once you reach the observation deck at Mount Taikan, where the road forks into several other passes, heading back to the coast, to the town of Hakone itself, and to Fuji and beyond.
Depending on where you are, the area offers glimpses of Fuji – including from the aforementioned observation deck – while venturing into the surrounding countryside offers traditional shrines, museums, parks, restaurants and more. It’s an escape, yet is never far from the bustle of one of the world’s biggest cities, making it perfect for a day trip.
Drive it here.
Angeles Crest Scenic Byway, California
Southern California’s car culture is almost unmatched anywhere in the world but it doesn’t take long in cloying Los Angeles traffic before you realise the difference between moving around by car and actually driving. The Angeles Crest Scenic Byway is the first port of call for most of the city’s petrolheads, and it isn’t difficult to see why.
For a start it’s among the most accessible driving roads around the greater Los Angeles area. It’s also among the longest, really allowing you to switch off and enjoy the drive: 66 miles end to end, the road terminating in the deserts north of the Angeles National Forest.
Along the way you’ll enjoy smooth, well-sighted sweeping turns, and for the southwest section at least, the occasional glimpse of Los Angeles in the distance – demonstrating that civilisation is never far away, but also showing what you’ve probably just escaped from. Between the roads and the ever-changing scenery – from city to mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, and finally desert – the Angeles Crest is also a brilliant example of California’s amazing topographical diversity, and an invitation to keep driving some more once you reach the end of the road.
Drive it here.
Col de Turini, France
The Col de Turini suits a very particular kind of car, and we don’t just mean the World Rally machines that visit for the Monte Carlo Rally each January. Incredibly tight and twisty, lined by severe-looking stone barriers and even more severe cliffs, it could be the perfect hot hatchback road, where narrow and nimble cars truly shine.
Paddy Hopkirk proved this way back in 1964 when he won the Monte in a Mini (we’ll gloss over that the Mini wasn’t technically a hatch) and it’s still true today. Paddy himself reckoned the road felt a little disjointed, and hard to develop a flow, but that’s where a hot hatch comes into its own, letting you treat each corner as a whole new challenge.
You’ll encounter dozens of switchbacks along its length, which officially runs from Lantosque to Sospel, over 26 miles and around a mile of elevation, but its proximity to the likes of Nice and Monaco means the Col is far from being simply a destination; you can roll it into a full exploration of what the Côte d’Azur has to offer.
Drive it here.
Tail of the Dragon, Tennessee & North Carolina
Nowhere does names quite like the US of A. Tail of the Dragon is already evocative before you get anywhere near this forest road connecting Tennessee and North Carolina, giving you a clue of what you might be lgetting yourself in for.
The reality is 318 curves in 11 miles, among the most densely-packed on this list, and it’s become a destination for enthusiasts across the country, whatever they drive, or ride – it’s equally popular with motorcyclists. Speed limits are low – officially 30mph – but the best vehicles for this road, officially called Deals Gap, don’t need huge performance anyway, since it’s all about the corners.
Better still, the Dragon is surrounded by other equally impressive but generally quieter routes, and since it’s sited within the stunning Appalachian range, and a stone’s throw from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it’s in one of the country’s most beautiful regions.
Drive it here.
Via Campocatino, Italy
If you’re also a cycling enthusiast then Via Campocatino, not far from Rome, may be more familiar to you, as it’s admired and feared as a particularly challenging climb on two wheels and two pedals. But as is so often the case for great cycling routes, it happens to be rather special in a car too.
For a start, it’s quiet. The road ends at a ski resort, which means it’s largely deserted in the warmer months. Not one for joining A and B then, but if you want an A-to-A drive a couple of hours outside Rome – perhaps a diversion from a Mille Miglia-inspired tour – then the road offers plenty of rewards.
Far from being the usual switchback-strewn mountain road, Campocatino has a little of everything for the keen driver, and while much of it is lined with trees (which should let you concentrate on the road), you’re rewarded with mountain views once you reach the top. Then of course you can look forward to doing it all again in the other direction…
Drive it here.
Grimsel & Furka pass, Switzerland
Choosing a favourite alpine pass is like choosing a favourite family member – just about impossible, but even if you do settle on an answer, it’s liable to change at a moment’s notice. So we’re cheating slightly here by including two, but they do sit rather close to each other, and we’ve ultimately had to plant our flag in these rather than the dozens of other options…
They’re typical of many passes in the area in that they’re defined by switchbacks, so perhaps don’t offer the technical challenges of some of the more flowing roads lower in the foothills of the Alps. But at this elevation – 2429m for the Furka, and 2164m for Grimsel – they’re perfect for cars with big hearts, big power, and melodious exhaust notes to echo through the valleys.
Furka is famous for its appearance in Goldfinger, which is another clue to the appeal of this area: almost unmatched scenery of jagged peaks, emerald vegetation, and the sight of the road falling away beneath you at every turn. Just stick to the warmer months if you’re primarily there for driving, as both are liable to close in winter.
Drive it here.
Buttertubs Pass, England
Not as grand as others on this list, the Buttertubs Pass in the Yorkshire Dales is still among the UK’s most striking driving roads, located in one of the most beautiful and deserted areas of the country.
You may be familiar with it from a Jeremy Clarkson TV spot many years ago, where in a rare moment, the frizzy-haired presenter let the car and the road do the talking: several minutes of nearly dialogue-free driving over the fog-enclosed pass in a Ford Escort Cosworth. It showed off the road’s rollercoaster nature perfectly.
When not enshrouded in fog the views are quite dramatic too. The elevation is steep, the corners tight, and your car is liable to catch air in places. Better still, it’s far from the only great road in the area. The road runs north out of Hawes, deep in the Dales, but drive south from the village and the road winding all the way to Ingleton is spectacular too, taking you past Yorkshire’s three highest peaks, Whernside, Ingleborough, and Pen-y-ghent. Whether you’re staying in the Dales or heading on to the likes of the Lake District or Pennines, the Buttertubs Pass and its surrounding roads are well worth visiting in 2025.
Drive it here.
Plan your 2025 drive with Windrush
If you’ve been inspired by our Top 10 Drives, you’ll be pleased to know that we can also help to get you on the road without delay. At our classic car storage facilities in the Cotswolds and in London, we keep all of our customers’ cars ‘on the button’ and ready to go, even at a moment’s notice. We can also arrange to have your car transported to meet you at your chosen destination. Contact us to find out more about our six-star car storage services.
