Loch Drunkie and Loch Venachar in Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park (Alamy)
#1 LOCH LOMOND AND THE TROSSACHS, GLASGOW
Why should I go?
This drive is pure Scottish drama. Within 20 minutes of leaving the city, you’ll trade urban streets for one of Britain’s most exhilarating stretches of road that hugs the western shore of Scotland’s largest freshwater loch, with moody mountains rising steeply on your left and shimmering water on your right.
When is the best time to go?
Year-round, though autumn and spring are particularly pretty. Pack layers and, yes, a woolly hat.
What is there to see and do?
Stop in the village-postcard perfection of Luss and explore the Loch Lomond Whisky Experience. Push further to Crianlarich, where you can hike into the Scottish Highlands (budget B&Bs make it affordable), then loop back to the straight-out-of-a-fairy-tale Buchanan Castle ruins.
What’s a ‘don’t miss’ experience?
The Three Lochs Forest Drive – a 11.5km route through ancient forest, passing three glorious lochs and some of the most atmospheric ‘wild’ camping in the British Isles (open Easter to October).
What should I listen to?
Wind down the windows and belt out The Proclaimers’ ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’.
How do I get there?
British Airways flies direct to Glasgow.
Relaxing on the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro (Amelia Le Brun/Tiny Atlas x Kintzing); Church of Our Lady of Remedy overlooking the old town of Kotor (Getty Images). Below: making a splash in Lefkada (Tom Farmer/Kintzing)
Alaverdi St George Cathedral in the Kakheti region of eastern Georgia (Getty Images); the hilltop town of Sighnaghi perched above the Alazani Valley (Alamy)
#4 THE EASTERN LOOP, TBILISI, GEORGIA
Why should I go?
This drive is a journey through time and terrain. The real fun is the Georgian Military Highway through the Caucasus Mountains – a masterpiece of engineering that climbs relentlessly through switchbacks, steep grades and mountain passes with views that seem to expand infinitely in every direction.
When is the best time to go?
Spring (April-May) or autumn (September-October) are ideal. The summers are punishingly hot (regularly touching 35°C and feeling far hotter in the narrow Old Town streets), while winters transform the nearby mountains into something treacherous.
What is there to see and do?
Stop in Sighnaghi to wander the balconied streets and visit the town's small but excellent museum, housed in a former nobleman's house. In the Alazani Valley, seek out family-run wineries where you can taste directly from ancient qvevri vessels and share lunch with the winemakers. Break your journey at the stunning Alaverdi Cathedral, one of Georgia’s most important spiritual sites.
What’s a ‘don’t miss’ experience?
Visit Uplistsikhe (aka ‘The Lord’s Fortress’), a rock-hewn fortress town dating back to the Early Iron Age, where you can explore carved chambers, churches and tunnels.
What should I listen to?
The spine-tingling harmonies of ‘Mravalzhamier’ by Ensemble Tbilisi. If Heaven has a playlist, this will be on it (even if it is technically a drinking song!).
How do I get there?
British Airways flies direct to Tbilisi.
An African bush elephant in a game reserve near Cape Town. Opening image: Signal Hill and Lion’s Head (Getty Images)
#5 EAST TO HERMANUS AND THE GARDEN ROUTE, CAPE TOWN
Why should I go?
Few destinations on Earth offer quite as much as Cape Town – Table Mountain rising above the city, the romance of Robben Island and wine estates tumbling across perfect valleys. Then just when you think you've experienced everything, you realise the driving is equally as epic. This is a trip that starts in one of the world’s great cities and spirals into landscapes of raw, dramatic beauty.
When is the best time to go?
December to February brings summer heat and long days. August and September are cooler but deliver the bonus of extraordinary whale migrations – southern rights, humpbacks, minke whales and orcas all come to these waters to breed and calve.
What is there to see and do?
Spend your first two or three days in Cape Town itself, then point eastwards. Stop where and whenever you feel the urge. There’s swimming and serious surfing at Wilderness, elephant encounters at first light when you might walk alongside a rescued herd at Addo Elephant Park (yes, you can buy snack buckets), hidden beaches that appear around each corner and forests that seem untouched by time.
What’s a ‘don’t miss’ experience?
Hermanus – the whale-watching capital where, between August and November, southern right whales swim so close to shore you can hear them breathing. Those of a hardy disposition can even try shark cage diving in nearby Gansbaai, known as the Great White capital of the world.
What should I listen to?
Would the theme tune to Jaws be tempting fate?
How do I get there?
British Airways flies direct to Cape Town.
British Airways flies direct to Cape Town 21 times a week*
British Airways has an extensive direct route network, connecting you to destinations across the globe. Discover hidden gems, revisit beloved spots or embark on an adventure somewhere entirely new.
*Flight frequencies may vary seasonally. See ba.com for details.
