Road trips from the UK, planned properly
Your next road trip starts here
Find a route worth taking, work out what it could cost, and choose the crossings, stays and hire that fit your trip. Start with our UK and Europe guides, then make the numbers your own with free planning tools.
UK road trips Europe from the UK Driving abroad checklist
Your route. Your budget. A little less guesswork.
Choose your next adventure
Where will the road take you?
From a weekend close to home to a longer drive abroad, start with the planning that fits your trip.
- UK road tripsFind your next coast, countryside or mountain route, from the NC500 to Cornwall.
- Europe from the UKChoose a crossing and plan the drive through France, Spain, Norway, the Alps or Italy.
- Driving abroadPrepare your documents and vehicle, then check stickers, tolls, zones and cover.
- EV road tripsPlan around your range, charging stops and where you will charge overnight.
- PlanningCompare stays and hire, build your budget and leave enough time for the trip.
- Worldwide road tripsExplore fly-drive ideas for Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Namibia, Route 66 and beyond.
Make the big decisions first
Before you book
Compare what matters for your route, vehicle and travel style.
Ferry or Channel Tunnel?
Compare the crossing with the drive at either end, your vehicle and the flexibility you need.
Camping or a room?
Think beyond the nightly rate: include kit, food, parking and how you want to spend your evenings.
Hiring a car or campervan?
Check deposits, excess, mileage and route restrictions before choosing a vehicle for your trip.
Put your plans into numbers
Less guesswork. More open road.
Work through the practical decisions before you book, using your own trip details.
Trip fuel and charging cost
What a drive will cost in fuel or charging, using your own car's figures and prices.
Driving abroad checklist
Pick your countries and vehicle for a list of documents, kit, stickers and zones, each with its official source.
How many days do I need?
Turn drive time, breaks and stops into a number of days and a day-by-day split.
Tolls, vignettes and low-emission zones
The toll, vignette and zone schemes to check for your route, with official links only.
Schengen 90/180-day counter
Add your trips to see the days you've used in any 180 days, and the latest date you can leave.
Camping vs hotel budget
Compare campsites, hotels and campervan hire for your trip, using your own costs.
A useful place to begin
Start planning
North Coast 500 road trip
A day-by-day North Coast 500 itinerary: how many days you need, where to stay each night, single-track roads, EV and dog notes, and a GPX of the stops.
Driving in Europe checklist
A driving in Europe checklist for UK drivers: documents, car kit by country, stickers, vignettes and zones, hire cars and a printable list.
Channel crossings compared: ferry or Eurotunnel
Ferry or Eurotunnel with your car: routes and operators, crossing times, travelling with dogs, vehicle height limits, seasickness and booking tips.
France road trip from the UK
Driving from Calais or Caen to the Loire, the Dordogne or Provence: route ideas, days needed, tolls, Crit'Air zones and where to stay.
ULEZ and Clean Air Zones in the UK
London's ULEZ, England's Clean Air Zones, Scotland's low-emission zones and Wales: the official vehicle checkers and what to do in a hire car.
Road trip budget in the UK
How to budget a UK road trip: fuel or charging, stays, food, tolls and parking, with a worked example that uses your own figures.
Behind the guides
How we plan
Check the route before you go
Distances and drive times need a named planner and check date. Unchecked legs ask you to check your route planner; maps show the stops, not navigable roads.
Go to the official source
Use the linked government and operator sources to confirm driving requirements, restrictions and current prices for your vehicle and dates.
Understand the check dates
A displayed date records a page or source check. It does not guarantee every detail is current: confirm changing requirements again before travel.
Tools that use your figures
No default prices. Each tool shows how it works and a worked example.