The 20 best road trips in the world – and two are in South Africa

Compare The Market Australia has ranked the top 20 best road trips around the world, featuring two stretches of road in South Africa – the Garden Route and Panorama Route.

To calculate the rankings, the online platform gathered data from some famous road trip destinations across the world.

“For each data point, the road trip was given a score out of 10, with 0 being the worst and 10 being the best, in relation to the other road trips,” it said.

These five scores were then averaged to get a final index score. Those particular data points and how they were scored are listed below:

• Length: the length of the road trip in kilometres, according to Google Maps. The higher the length, the better the score out of 10.

• Number of refills: By using the length of the road trip and a 2023 Toyota Corolla with a fuel tank of 49.97L and an average fuel efficiency of 14.88km per litre, they calculated how many refills would be required. The fewer the number of refills, the higher the score out of 10.

• Instagram posts: The number of tagged posts for that road trip on Instagram as of 01/11/2023. Note that for some road trips, the figure is based on combined posts for specific cities (Pula to Dubrovnik, Arosa to Zermatt and Geiranger to Trollstigen). The higher the number of tagged posts, the higher the score out of 10.

• Number of motels: The number of listed motels along or near the road trip route on Google Maps as of 31/10/2023. The higher the number of motels, the higher the score out of 10.

• Number of petrol stations: the number of listed petrol stations along or near the road trip route on Google Maps as of 31/10/2023. The higher the number of motels, the higher the score out of 10.

Based on this scoring system, Compare The Market Australia ranked Route 66 in the United States of America as the top road trip in the world.

“It has been immortalised in books, music and film, and the historic route links Chicago to Santa Monica in Los Angeles. It crosses over eight states in its 3,463km length, and as such, there are plenty of motels and petrol stations to rest up and fill up at.

“There is a lot to see, from open country and mountain vistas to classic diners and historic towns, plus natural and man-made landmarks like the Painted Desert or the Cadillac Ranch. Immerse yourself in old-fashioned Americana and prepare for an epic road trip as you head out on Route 66,” it said.

Route 66 was then followed by Ruta 40 in Argentina in second place – through the beautiful, rugged natural wonder of Patagonia – and Pula to Dubrovnik in Croatia in third place. which offers views of several waterfalls like Plitvice Lakes or Skradinksi Buk.

South Africa

Listed Compare The Market Australia’s top 20 include two from South Africa, which ranked the Garden Route in the Western Cape as the best in the country and eighth in the world.

The Garden Route, flanked by the Indian Ocean and the Outeniqua Mountains, unfolds lush forests, pristine beaches, and charming coastal towns. Its allure lies in the juxtaposition of diverse ecosystems, offering a visual feast at every turn.

Ranking nineteenth is the Panorama Route. The Panorama Route, winding through Mpumalanga’s escarpment, showcases dramatic vistas of deep canyons, cascading waterfalls, and the iconic Blyde River Canyon.

Read: The best airport in South Africa – also ranks third in the world