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Road Trip Capitals
Updated: Friday, 11 October 2024
The charm of a road trip is the freedom to explore at your own pace, with your favourite people, and in the comfort of your own car. Whether that is a car you’ve had for a long time, one you’ve bought recently, or a car on finance.
From breathtaking coastal drives to scenic countryside routes, the UK’s enchanting landscapes offer something for everyone and make for the perfect road trip.
But where are the best places in the UK to experience a road trip? And which are the nation’s favourite routes?
To find out, we’ve analysed each county in Great Britain using a range of factors such as the natural scenery, things to see and do, and places to stay.
North Yorkshire is the UK’s road trip capital
1. North Yorkshire: 8.67 out of 10
Taking the top spot overall is North Yorkshire. The county scored highly for pretty much every factor that we analysed, particularly when it comes to the number of hotels and campsites, as well as its road length (coming 2nd for each).
The county, located in the North of England, offers some of the most scenic road trips in the country. From picturesque villages and rolling hills to historic landmarks and rugged coastlines, North Yorkshire has something to offer everyone.
One of the most popular road trips in North Yorkshire is the North York Moors National Park, which covers over 550 square miles of rolling hills and heather moorland.
2. Devon: 8.39 out of 10
Devon comes in second, boasting almost 9,000 miles of open road, more than anywhere else in the country.
Located in the South West, Devon is known for its stunning coastal scenery, picturesque countryside, and historic landmarks.
A road trip through Devon offers visitors the chance to take in some of the most beautiful landscapes in the UK, from rugged coastlines to rolling hills and charming towns.
3. Cornwall: 8.30 out of 10
Another South West county comes in third place, with Cornwall scoring 8.30 out of 10. In fact, three of the top 5 are in this part of the UK, with six of the top 10 found in the South.
Cornwall has the most campsites of any county in the UK, with 279. It also has the best weather, with 1,745 annual sunshine hours.
Boasting a unique blend of picturesque coastlines, rolling countryside, and historic sites, Cornwall offers a multitude of sights to explore.
Which county has the most open road?
Devon: 8,953 miles
You can’t have a road trip without plenty of miles of road to conquer, and the county that boasts the highest mileage of road is Devon, with 8,953 miles in total. That’s 28% more than North Yorkshire in second place.
Devon is the fourth biggest county in England and its extensive road network provides an excellent opportunity for road trip enthusiasts to explore its diverse attractions and natural beauty.
Which county has the most mountains and hills?
Highland: 4,269 mountains and hills
The natural scenery is one of the most enjoyable parts of a road trip, and nowhere is more perfect for this than the Scottish Highlands.
The Highlands are home to just shy of 5,000 hills and mountains of 30m or more, which is almost three times more than second-placed Argyll & Bute.
Which county has the most things to see?
Kent: 3,358 things to do, 3,389 restaurants
While the scenery itself is a big part of a road trip, you also want plenty of interesting pit stops to check out and allow you to refuel along the way.
Kent tops the table in both of these regards, with 3,358 things to do and 3,389 listed on Tripadvisor.
Some of the best things to do in Kent include visiting historic sites like Leeds Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, and Hever Castle, as well as the iconic White Cliffs of Dover.
Which county has the most hotels?
Devon: 2,581 hotels
If you’re choosing to stay in hotels throughout your road trip, then you’d be spoiled for choice in Devon, where there are over 2,500 hotels to choose from.
Devon is home to a diverse range of hotels that cater to various tastes and budgets, from luxurious country manors to cosy bed and breakfasts.
Which county has the most campsites?
Cornwall: 279 campsites
Many road trippers will choose to skip staying in a hotel and instead find a nice campsite to pitch up in for the night, as they’re more budget-friendly.
Cornwall offers the most, with 279, and offers the perfect setting for an unforgettable outdoor experience, surrounded by the county’s magnificent coastline, rolling countryside, and charming villages.
Which county has the best weather?
Cornwall: 1,745 average annual sunshine hours
Cornwall is also the place to visit on a road trip if you’re worried about the British weather. The county enjoys more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in the country, with an average of 1,745 a year.
The Cornish weather can almost feel like another country at times and is perfect for those seeking to bask in the warm glow of the sun while exploring.
Which county is the cheapest for diesel fuel?
Anglesey: 162.11 pence per litre
Unfortunately, the cost of living crisis is something that we all have to take into account, especially when planning a road trip.
The cheapest county in the country for purchasing fuel is currently Anglesey, in Wales, with an average cost of 162.11 pence per litre of diesel.
Which county is the cheapest for unleaded fuel?
Highland: 142.44 pence per litre
When it comes to unleaded petrol, the cheapest county is Highland, in Scotland, at a cost of just 142.44 pence per litre.
Given the stunning scenery in the area, the Scottish Highlands are a hugely popular destination for road-trippers, so it’s good to know that fuel here is fairly affordable.
The most popular road trips on social media
The UK is a treasure trove of picturesque routes to explore, with the best routes dominating social media feeds. But which are the country’s most loved road trips when it comes to Instagram and TikTok?
By far the most popular road trip across both platforms is the North Coast 500 (or NC500). Often referred to as Scotland’s Route 66, this captivating 516-mile journey showcases the very best of the Scottish Highlands and has amassed over 400,000 Instagram posts and 64.6 million TikTok views.
In second on both platforms is the Causeway Coastal Route, with around 70,000 Instagram posts and 1.4 million TikTok views.
Stretching 130 miles around Northern Ireland’s coast, the route takes dramatic cliffside views such as the iconic Giant’s Causeway.
On Instagram, the third spot goes to the 46-mile ‘Road to the Isles’ through Scotland’s western coast, while on TikTok, road trips in Wales come in third.
If you’re looking for a road trip abroad, why not check out our airport parking report? Airport parking is an often overlooked cost, and our report finds the cheapest and most expensive airport parking stays.
Methodology
To determine the best counties for road trips, we analysed each county in Great Britain on the following factors, giving each county a normalised score out of ten for each, before taking an average of these scores.
Note that counties that mainly cover urban areas such as London and Greater Manchester were removed from our study.
Total road length
The total length of all roads in the county according to the Department for Transport’s road length statistics (RDL0102).
Mountains and hills
The number of hills or mountains with more than 30 metres of prominence according to Hill Bagging.
Things to do, restaurants and hotels
Each sourced from TripAdvisor, correct as of April 18th, 2023.
Campsites
The number of campsites listed on Campsites.co.uk.
Average annual sunshine hours
The average number of annual hours of sunshine according to Weather & Climate.
Diesel price
The average price per litre of diesel fuel as of April 1st, 2023, according to Fleet News.
Social media
To find the most popular UK road trips on social media, we used various articles and guides (which you can view here) to build an initial list of road trips.
We then found the number of posts on Instagram that mentioned each road trip using hashtags, as well as the number of views on TikTok videos that use the hashtag, correct as of April 20th, 2023.
The charm of a road trip is the freedom to explore at your own pace, with your favourite people, and in the comfort of your own car. Whether that is a car you’ve had for a long time, one you’ve bought recently, or a car on finance.
From breathtaking coastal drives to scenic countryside routes, the UK’s enchanting landscapes offer something for everyone and make for the perfect road trip.
But where are the best places in the UK to experience a road trip? And which are the nation’s favourite routes?
To find out, we’ve analysed each county in Great Britain using a range of factors such as the natural scenery, things to see and do, and places to stay.
North Yorkshire is the UK’s road trip capital
1. North Yorkshire: 8.67 out of 10
Taking the top spot overall is North Yorkshire. The county scored highly for pretty much every factor that we analysed, particularly when it comes to the number of hotels and campsites, as well as its road length (coming 2nd for each).
The county, located in the North of England, offers some of the most scenic road trips in the country. From picturesque villages and rolling hills to historic landmarks and rugged coastlines, North Yorkshire has something to offer everyone.
One of the most popular road trips in North Yorkshire is the North York Moors National Park, which covers over 550 square miles of rolling hills and heather moorland.
2. Devon: 8.39 out of 10
Devon comes in second, boasting almost 9,000 miles of open road, more than anywhere else in the country.
Located in the South West, Devon is known for its stunning coastal scenery, picturesque countryside, and historic landmarks.
A road trip through Devon offers visitors the chance to take in some of the most beautiful landscapes in the UK, from rugged coastlines to rolling hills and charming towns.
3. Cornwall: 8.30 out of 10
Another South West county comes in third place, with Cornwall scoring 8.30 out of 10. In fact, three of the top 5 are in this part of the UK, with six of the top 10 found in the South.
Cornwall has the most campsites of any county in the UK, with 279. It also has the best weather, with 1,745 annual sunshine hours.
Boasting a unique blend of picturesque coastlines, rolling countryside, and historic sites, Cornwall offers a multitude of sights to explore.
Which county has the most open road?
Devon: 8,953 miles
You can’t have a road trip without plenty of miles of road to conquer, and the county that boasts the highest mileage of road is Devon, with 8,953 miles in total. That’s 28% more than North Yorkshire in second place.
Devon is the fourth biggest county in England and its extensive road network provides an excellent opportunity for road trip enthusiasts to explore its diverse attractions and natural beauty.
Which county has the most mountains and hills?
Highland: 4,269 mountains and hills
The natural scenery is one of the most enjoyable parts of a road trip, and nowhere is more perfect for this than the Scottish Highlands.
The Highlands are home to just shy of 5,000 hills and mountains of 30m or more, which is almost three times more than second-placed Argyll & Bute.
Which county has the most things to see?
Kent: 3,358 things to do, 3,389 restaurants
While the scenery itself is a big part of a road trip, you also want plenty of interesting pit stops to check out and allow you to refuel along the way.
Kent tops the table in both of these regards, with 3,358 things to do and 3,389 listed on Tripadvisor.
Some of the best things to do in Kent include visiting historic sites like Leeds Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, and Hever Castle, as well as the iconic White Cliffs of Dover.
Which county has the most hotels?
Devon: 2,581 hotels
If you’re choosing to stay in hotels throughout your road trip, then you’d be spoiled for choice in Devon, where there are over 2,500 hotels to choose from.
Devon is home to a diverse range of hotels that cater to various tastes and budgets, from luxurious country manors to cosy bed and breakfasts.
Which county has the most campsites?
Cornwall: 279 campsites
Many road trippers will choose to skip staying in a hotel and instead find a nice campsite to pitch up in for the night, as they’re more budget-friendly.
Cornwall offers the most, with 279, and offers the perfect setting for an unforgettable outdoor experience, surrounded by the county’s magnificent coastline, rolling countryside, and charming villages.
Which county has the best weather?
Cornwall: 1,745 average annual sunshine hours
Cornwall is also the place to visit on a road trip if you’re worried about the British weather. The county enjoys more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in the country, with an average of 1,745 a year.
The Cornish weather can almost feel like another country at times and is perfect for those seeking to bask in the warm glow of the sun while exploring.
Which county is the cheapest for diesel fuel?
Anglesey: 162.11 pence per litre
Unfortunately, the cost of living crisis is something that we all have to take into account, especially when planning a road trip.
The cheapest county in the country for purchasing fuel is currently Anglesey, in Wales, with an average cost of 162.11 pence per litre of diesel.
Which county is the cheapest for unleaded fuel?
Highland: 142.44 pence per litre
When it comes to unleaded petrol, the cheapest county is Highland, in Scotland, at a cost of just 142.44 pence per litre.
Given the stunning scenery in the area, the Scottish Highlands are a hugely popular destination for road-trippers, so it’s good to know that fuel here is fairly affordable.
The most popular road trips on social media
The UK is a treasure trove of picturesque routes to explore, with the best routes dominating social media feeds. But which are the country’s most loved road trips when it comes to Instagram and TikTok?
By far the most popular road trip across both platforms is the North Coast 500 (or NC500). Often referred to as Scotland’s Route 66, this captivating 516-mile journey showcases the very best of the Scottish Highlands and has amassed over 400,000 Instagram posts and 64.6 million TikTok views.
In second on both platforms is the Causeway Coastal Route, with around 70,000 Instagram posts and 1.4 million TikTok views.
Stretching 130 miles around Northern Ireland’s coast, the route takes dramatic cliffside views such as the iconic Giant’s Causeway.
On Instagram, the third spot goes to the 46-mile ‘Road to the Isles’ through Scotland’s western coast, while on TikTok, road trips in Wales come in third.
If you’re looking for a road trip abroad, why not check out our airport parking report? Airport parking is an often overlooked cost, and our report finds the cheapest and most expensive airport parking stays.
Methodology
To determine the best counties for road trips, we analysed each county in Great Britain on the following factors, giving each county a normalised score out of ten for each, before taking an average of these scores.
Note that counties that mainly cover urban areas such as London and Greater Manchester were removed from our study.
Total road length
The total length of all roads in the county according to the Department for Transport’s road length statistics (RDL0102).
Mountains and hills
The number of hills or mountains with more than 30 metres of prominence according to Hill Bagging.
Things to do, restaurants and hotels
Each sourced from TripAdvisor, correct as of April 18th, 2023.
Campsites
The number of campsites listed on Campsites.co.uk.
Average annual sunshine hours
The average number of annual hours of sunshine according to Weather & Climate.
Diesel price
The average price per litre of diesel fuel as of April 1st, 2023, according to Fleet News.
Social media
To find the most popular UK road trips on social media, we used various articles and guides (which you can view here) to build an initial list of road trips.
We then found the number of posts on Instagram that mentioned each road trip using hashtags, as well as the number of views on TikTok videos that use the hashtag, correct as of April 20th, 2023.
For a better road ahead
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Moneybarn’s VAT registration number is 180 5559 52.
Moneybarn Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services reference No. 702781)
Moneybarn No. 1 Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (Financial Services reference No. 702780)
