By CRAIG ABLITT

Route 66, Illinois to California

The term ‘road trip’ and Route 66 go hand in hand. Land in Chicago, arrange your car hire and then head out on the journey of a lifetime like no other. The great American states of Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and finally California are all yours to discover, with the possibility for excitement and adventure untold. ‘Route 66’ itself no longer exists, but is in fact made up of several new highways and routes, however a map from the National Historical Route 66 Federation will detail the original roads as they are now plus all the must-do stops and sights along the way.

The Garden Route, South Africa

Around 500km makes up one of South Africa’s premier tourist attractions – The Garden Route. The main N2 road runs from Mossel Bay right on to Tsitsikamma National Park, with a plethora of true wonders and sights to behold along the way. Expect spectacular mountain landscapes, magnificent beaches, incredible caves and lakes, amazing wildlife including dolphins, whales, elephants and more, plus an innumerable amount of outdoor pursuits to thrill yourself with; all sitting by the sumptuous ocean coast. Wonders simply do not cease for the duration of this unique voyage.

The Great Ocean Road, Australia

The Alaskan Highway

If sheer beauty and escapism are high on your agenda, very few road trips can compare to the famous Alaskan Highway. This is truly about getting away from it all as your journey clambers through the spectacular wilderness of British Columbia, through Yukon and then on to the serene nature of Alaska. It’s not just the small settlements, rugged mountainous landscapes and wide open spaces that will greet you, expect to see elks, sheep, moose, marmots and grizzly bears in their natural habitats as well as whales and dolphins as your journey culminates by the ocean.

Sydney to Cairns

2,407km is the exact distance between the two points, but the drive between Sydney to Cairns will bombard the senses from start to finish. See the iconic sights of Sydney, arrange your car hire and then ready yourself for the magic that awaits, culminating in Cairns – the gateway to The Great Barrier Reef. Go surfing at the world-famous Byron Bay, ride the ferry across to the wild splendour of Fraser Island, visit the dolphins of Tin Can Bay, laze on the picture-perfect beaches of Whitsunday, lose yourself in the dazzling haze of the culture of Brisbane, or simply crank the music up and head north, hugging one of the most beautiful coastlines on the planet.

Craig Ablitt is a freelance article writer who has travelled extensively around the globe which has given way to his career in writing travel articles. Now living in South of England he writes full time for various companies, newspapers and magazines.