A road trip, when taken for pleasure, provides that opportunity to drive away from the shackles of the everyday, if only for a weekend. But to see just how liberating one day on the road can be, consider these three international road maps for a few hours in the car. Itineraries include end-of-the-day rest stops that are like nowhere else, so that weary—yet exhilarated—drivers can digest the sense of place.
THRILLS IN THE HILLS
Starting point: Portofino, Italy
Destination: Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
Distance: 155 miles
Bliss is yours at the beginning and end of this route, but everything in between is a challenge, so start by parking yourself in Portofino to rest up. After navigating the mere 100 or so miles of Riviera highway to come, you will thank yourself for the indulgence, and at the end you can reward yourself with another. This will be a white-knuckle form of torture, a teeth-grinding drive along an antiquated feat of engineering, with views that will captivate your passengers but which you, the pilot, won’t notice if you want to stay alive.
Italy’s Ligurian coast possesses many idyllic departure points, and Portofino is one of the better known. The colorful buildings of this fishing village contribute to a look that has remained constant for decades—no new residences have been built here since 1935, when the town was named a national monument.
Once you traverse the tiny road out of Portofino (an adventure in driving right at the start), take the A12 toward Genoa, where you’ll hit the A10. This, one of the main routes between Italy and France, is a scenic strand of purgatory that runs high above the sea, rife with more than 100 tunnels and dozens of viaducts. The views are peerless, particularly the thrilling first sighting of Monte Carlo from high above. But unless traffic is stopped—which it could be—you won’t notice because you’ll likely be sandwiched between trucks and, of course, watching for the next curve or looming tunnel. However, your passengers will be enthralled.
Idyllic-sounding exits call out as you pass by, and like operatic sirens they beckon: Sanremo, Ventimiglia, Monaco. But once you reach the French border, and the highway becomes A8, you’re almost finished, and these temptations can be indulged as brief day trips from your final target—Provence—where you will want to park your trusty vehicle and recuperate.
In keeping with the challenge of the day’s drive, you will not take the easy way out by ending in Nice. Rather, by pushing on into the hills about a half hour north, you can top off the day with a final series of roundabouts and hairpins to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a medieval walled town overlooking the Mediterranean and rolling hills redolent with the scent of cypress trees and jasmine.
WHERE TO STAY
Portofino: Hotel Splendido
Portofino’s It-girl, the Splendido sits on a hill overlooking the harbor. A smaller property, Splendido Mare, has just 16 rooms and suites and is in the village, a 10-minute walk from the main hotel. Rates start at 552.50 euros (about $700) per night at Hotel Splendido and at 470 euros (about $600) per night at Splendido Mare.
Saint-Paul-de-Vence: Le Saint-Paul
An otherworldly Relais & Châteaux jewel box (three rooms, 13 suites) within a walled town. Lunch on the leafy terrace? Priceless. Rates start at 250 euros (about $315) per night.
WHEN TO GO
Late September is sublime, when summer throngs are gone.
ASCENSION DAY
Starting point: Vancouver
Destination: Whistler, British Columbia
Distance: 76 Mile
Muscular and vibrant, Vancouver is a city situated beneath mountains that crash down to the Pacific, where totem poles decorate Stanley Park, and where a day at the beach, if it’s at Kitsilano, is to lounge against a massive driftwood log and watch hulking freighters chug into the harbor.
It takes just a couple of hours to drive from sea level in downtown Vancouver (Canada’s third-largest city) to the peaks of the Coast Range and Whistler, along Highway 99, the Sea-to-Sky Highway. Because this drive is not a long one, there is time for a scenic route from the bustle of the port, taking Marine Drive past the mansions and water views in West Vancouver to Horseshoe Bay, where the ferry from Nanaimo docks. Here, connect to the 99 highway and go north along Howe Sound to Squamish, where the Stawamish Chief, a monolith of granite more than 2,000 feet high, holds spiritual significance for the indigenous people and for rock climbers, who are often visible scaling the sheer face.
The highway climbs quickly from Squamish, ascending into the Coast Mountains. Prior to the 2010 Olympics the Sea-to-Sky required 100 percent of a driver’s focus, but thanks to explosives and cantilevering, the road remains just as scenic but is wider, smoother, and offers a more comfortable experience. Southbound, if you return to Vancouver along the same route, there are many strategically placed pullouts to stop and take
in the scenes.
Although the road to Whistler is a stunner, even more stunning is the fact that just 76 miles separate sea-level Vancouver from North America’s largest ski resort, where Blackcomb Peak’s altitude is 7,160 feet. Whistler Village, a pedestrian town that pulsates with people, helps ease the adjustment by reminding those who make the trip of how close they are to a metropolis.
To really get away from it all, push on from Whistler on route 99, where an even more beautiful one-day drive brings you to the Cariboo region, a mountainous desert with a wild Western feel and the majestic Thompson River cutting through it.
WHERE TO STAY
Vancouver: Fairmont Pacific Rim
The hotel group’s newest Vancouver property is located at the edge of Coal Harbour, with views of Stanley Park and Howe Sound. At the rooftop pool, private cabanas have fire pits. Rates start at $279 per night, based on availability.
Whistler: VIP Mountain Holidays
To spread out for a protracted stay, you can rent a fully equipped mountain chalet through this agency. It can put you in a private residence at the Four Seasons or in a private home on the mountain. Rates can vary widely.
WHEN TO GO
Anytime. Vancouver has mild temperatures year-round. Whistler offers the full range of winter sports, and summer recreation includes golf, mountain biking, and white-water rafting.
SLOW RIDE, TAKE IT EASY
Starting Point: Asheville, N.C.
Destination: Back to Asheville after a day on the Blue Ridge Parkway
Distance: 100 miles or less
If “Altitude Affects Attitude,” as Asheville’s motto claims, then the concept of motoring here is to slow down, relax, and don’t try to add too many clicks to the odometer. On the Blue Ridge Parkway, 100 miles is considered an aggressive day’s distance. The speed limit is 45 mph or less for the entire 469-mile length, and millions of folks, including motorcyclists, have ridden this slow-motion roller coaster of a road, the most-visited part of the National Park System. The challenge is choosing a segment to savor in one day.
Asheville is a logical base of operations. The city is edgy, artsy, and affable, and has a cosmopolitan assortment of restaurants and accommodations. (Try one grande dame hotel, then another; see below.) The Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center is about six miles to the south, and the Folk Art Center, five miles north, also has a parkway information desk. Heading north, you'll soon come to Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi, where you can take a detour and drive to the summit. Another detour beckons a few miles later at Crabtree Meadows, a showcase for wildflowers, where you can stretch your legs on a trail to Crabtree Falls. Another waterfall, Linville, is less than 20 miles farther, and you can hike to Linville Gorge or see Linville Caverns. Pushing north to Grandfather Mountain, you can stop again to walk across a mile-high swinging bridge. Or not.
A parkway marathon, going all the way to the beginning at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, can take a few days, but if adhering to a one-day format, steer downhill to Interstate 40 and back to Asheville. From there, the next day could be dedicated to driving in the other direction to the parkway’s terminus in Cherokee, near the Tennessee border, and stopping for walks and views at Mount Pisgah, Waterrock Knob, or a myriad of other highlights.
WHERE TO STAY
Asheville: Inn on Biltmore Estate
George Biltmore’s 8,000-acre estate includes a 250-room mansion, a winery, a Land Rover Driving Experience, and a 213-room inn. Rates start at $189 per night.
Asheville: Grove Park Inn
This Arts and Crafts landmark opened in 1913; it has 512 rooms, a Donald Ross golf course, tennis, and a spa. Rates start at $150 per night.
WHEN TO GO
Fall foliage and spring flora both have advocates. Avoid the parkway in winter, when portions can be impassable.