Legendary road trip routes around the world.

There are many ways for individuals to seek their own freedom, and a road trip is never a bad idea for adventurous souls. A vehicle, a map, and an endless inspiration for the world are the essentials for exploring the open roads. Trekking through forests, crossing rivers, traversing deserts… all are possible on the world's most famous road trip routes.

The Atlantic Road (Norway)

·Length: 8.3 km

• Starting point: Utheim, Averoy - Ending point: Vevangstraumen, Eide

The Atlantic Road, also known as the Atlantic Highway, connects the mainland with small islands and reefs via eight soaring viaducts and winding coastal roads. This unique terrain creates a breathtakingly beautiful route, leaving anyone breathless at the sight of steep slopes that seem to lead to the sky or the white waves crashing against the vehicle.

The uniqueness of this route lies in its eight viaducts with varying curves and a maximum gradient of less than 8%, along with four terraces offering breathtaking views of the Nordic landscape. Lush green meadows, peaceful villages, pristine small islands, and crystal-clear blue seas will all be within sight for travelers experiencing this route.

Built between 1983 and 1989, the Atlantic Road remains one of the world's iconic roads, renowned for its majestic natural beauty. The Norwegian government considers this route a cultural heritage site and classifies it as a National Tourist Route. In 2005, it was voted "Norway's Construction of the Century".

Route 66 (United States)

·Length: 3,940 km

• Starting point: Chicago, Illinois - Ending point: Los Angeles, California

Route 66 is one of America's first highways, connecting the East Coast with the American Wild West. Part of Route 66 was constructed in 1857 to meet military needs, and was fully opened to traffic in 1926 and paved completely in 1938.

Along with the development in America in the early 20th century, Route 66 met the growing demand for transportation and became one of the symbols of American freedom of movement. The route also appeared in the classic song "Get Your Kicks on Route 66," first performed by the famous singer Nat King Cole in 1946.

Route 66 spans eight states and includes many famous cities such as Chicago, Tusla, Amarillo, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. The route passes through typical American desert landscapes and offers many interesting sights to see: alien-themed motels, auto repair shops, ghost towns, rest stops for long-haul truck drivers, and numerous natural wonders…

Today, although it has been replaced by a modern freeway system, millions of people from all over the world still flock here every year to travel on this historic road.

Icefields Parkway (Canada)

·Length: 232 km

Start: Banff - End: Jasper

The Icefields Parkway, also known as Highway 93, is located in northern Canada. Built in the 1930s and completed in 1940, the highway is named after Canada's famous ice-covered region: the Columbia Icefields.

Located primarily in an area with nearly year-round freezing weather, the Icefields Parkway traverses the famous landscapes of Alberta, running parallel to the bay that separates the North American mainland, and crossing the majestic mountain scenery of two renowned national parks, Jasper and Banff.

The Icefields Parkway is Canada's most popular tourist route, with an average of over 100,000 vehicles passing through in July and August each year. Visitors can enjoy stunning natural scenery with numerous stops along walking paths and lakes, as well as giant waterfalls and permanent glaciers.

May is the coldest month for Icefields Parkway, with heavy snowstorms and temperatures consistently below freezing. To travel on Icefields Parkway, visitors must obtain a permit from the park management, with a speed limit of 90 km/h.

Garden Route (South Africa)

·Length: 366 km

Starting point: Elizabeth Harbour - Ending point: Mossel Bay

South Africa is known for its diverse natural landscapes, ranging from plains to high mountains, from vast plateaus to pristine beaches glistening in the sun.

The Garden Route is a highway that winds through native forests, along rocky bays and white sandy beaches. This coastal road always has a picturesque charm, with countless fields of wildflowers, pretty small towns, and quaint old houses along the way. As you travel along this road, you'll conquer sharp, treacherous curves and stand on spectacular cliffside viewpoints to admire the South African landscape.

South Africa's tourism industry has exploited the Garden Route extremely effectively with its dense network of destinations along the way, including wine valleys, the world's ostrich center, national parks, safaris... and especially adventure sports such as scuba diving, bungee jumping, roller coaster rides, skydiving, paragliding...

Leh - Manali Route (India)

·Length: 479 km

Starting point: Leh, Ladakh - Ending point: Manali, Himachal Pradesh

The Leh-Manali route in northern India has an average altitude of over 4,000 meters above sea level, with the highest point being the Tanglang La pass (5,328 meters). The route is only passable during the four summer months – when the snow begins to melt from June until before the next snowfall – and is completely impassable due to icy conditions and avalanches in October.

Leh-Manali winds its way through the towering mountain ranges and majestic cliffs, xuyên through the lush green forests of the Himalayas. But the vast landscape completely disappears, giving way to a barren brown landscape and snow-capped peaks gleaming in the sun as travelers enter the Chandra River valley in the Lahaul region.

Despite the picturesque and majestic scenery along the way, Leh-Manali is a challenging and dangerous route due to its treacherous terrain on steep cliffs. With rocky mountains on one side and a deep ravine on the other, this mountain road is narrow and frequently subject to landslides. Therefore, only truly experienced drivers have the courage to conquer Leh-Manali and cross it safely.

Article by: Tong Hoang Ha My