When compared to wild adventures through African in a self-built MAN truck, camel safaris in India or flying into the middle of the Pacific Ocean to reach the mysterious Easter island, some may consider a vacation in Europe underwhelming in comparison. Some of my most rewarding travel experiences have personally been in Europe. And the best way to do it? Road trips!

When I plan a road trip, it’s most often at the very last minute, meaning within a week or couple days before departure. Some basic criteria for me when planning a trip is choosing a few key spots I have a genuine interest in and hitting as many new places, cities and countries as possible. Even if it costs me a few extra minutes or even hours, I will avoid backtracking on the same road at all costs.

Here as some of the best road trip itineraries I’ve created and embarked on since living in The Netherlands for the past 8.5 years. From weekend trips to three week excursions, take a look at these European road trip itineraries and see which suits you best. ENJOY! 

Amsterdam to Lisbon: Windmills, Vineyards and Beaches

Mileage: 3,246 miles (5,225km)

Total Driving hours: 50hrs

Minimum Time Needed: 2.5 weeks

Stops to Consider: Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Andorra la Vella, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Porto

Countries: 6 – The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Andorra, Spain, Portugal

Amsterdam to Pompeii: Casinos, Sun, History, Pizza and World Wonders

Mileage: 2,771 miles (4,460km)

Total Driving hours: 46hrs

Minimum Time Needed: 3 weeks

Stops to Consider: Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg City, Nice, Monaco, Pisa, Florence, Rome, The Vatican, Pompeii, San Marino, Venice, Innsbruck, Frankfurt, Cologne

Countries: 10 – The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Monaco, Italy, The Vatican, San Marino, Austria, Germany

Amsterdam to Oslo: Canals, Ferries and Vikings

Mileage: 1,727 miles (2,780km)

Total Driving hours: 30hrs

Minimum Time Needed: 6 days

Stops to Consider: Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Oslo

Countries: 4 – The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway

Amsterdam to Scandinavia and The Baltic States: 10 Countries, 10 Capital Cities 

Mileage: 2,848 miles (4,585km)

Total Driving hours: 59hrs

Minimum Time Needed: 3 weeks

Stops to Consider: Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Šiauliai (Hill of Crosses), Vilnius, Minsk, Warsaw, Berlin

Countries: 10 – The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Germany

Amsterdam to Budapest: Capital Cities, Music, Art, Mountains and Castles

Mileage: 2,181 miles (3,511km)

Total Driving hours: 36hrs

Minimum Time Needed: 2 weeks

Stops to Consider: Amsterdam, Dresden, Prague, Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest, Lake Balaton, Maribor, Ljubljana, Lake Bled, Triglavski National Park, Bovec, Salzburg, Neuschwanstein Castle (Disney Castle), Ulm

Countries: 8 – The Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovakia, Italy

Amsterdam to Luxembourg: Castle, Rhein River, Churches and Countryside

Mileage: 636 miles (1,025km)

Total Driving hours: 10.5hrs

Minimum Time Needed: 3 days (If you want to be crazy like us, it IS possible to do this route in one single day!)

Stops to Consider: Amsterdam, Bonn, Schloss Drachenburg, Luxembourg City, Kenfen (If you have extra time, it’s worth driving down to Metz, France), Liege, Eindhoven

Countries: 5 – The Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, Belgium

Amsterdam to Barcelona: Vineyards, Mountains, Sand and Gaudi 

Mileage: 2,174 miles (3,499km)

Total Driving hours: 34hrs

Minimum Time Needed: 2.5 weeks

Stops to Consider: Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Carcassonne, Lloret de Mar, Barcelona, Zurich, Freiburg, Frankfurt, Cologne

Countries: 6 – The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany

Amsterdam to Lichtenstein: Fields, Gorges, Mountains and Palaces 

Mileage: 1,367 miles (2,200km)

Total Driving hours: 23hrs 15 mins

Minimum Time Needed: 1.5 weeks

Stops to Consider: Amsterdam, Luxembourg City, Metz, Zurich, Vaduz, Paris, Brussels

Countries: 6 – The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Lichtenstein

Amsterdam to Bruges: History, Beer, Horse and Carriage

Mileage: 328 miles (528km)

Total Driving hours: 6hrs

Minimum Time Needed: 2-3 Days

Stops to Consider: Utrecht, Antwerp, Ghent, Bruges

Countries: 2 – The Netherlands, Belgium

Amsterdam to Pisa: Art, Gelato, Romance and Canals

Mileage: 2,369 miles (3,813km)

Total Driving hours: 39hrs

Minimum Time Needed: 2.5 weeks

Stops to Consider: Amsterdam, Brussels, Luxembourg City, Pisa, Florence, San Marino, Venice, Rijeka, Ljubljana, Bled, Salzburg, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne

Countries: 9 – The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany

Amsterdam to Paris: Eiffel Tower, Baguettes and Versailles

Mileage: 640 (1,030km)

Total Driving hours: 10.5hrs

Minimum Time Needed: 2-3 days

Stops to Consider: Amsterdam, Ghent, Paris, Versailles

Countries: The Netherlands, Belgium, France

The Netherlands – The Complete Dutch Experience

Mileage: 715 miles (1,150km)

Total Driving hours: 14hrs

Minimum Time Needed: 2

Stops to Consider: North Holland, Friesland, Groningen, Overijssel, Flevoland, South Holland, Limburg, Zeeland, Drenthe, North Brabant, Gelderland, Utrecht

Countries: 1 – ALL 12 provinces!

Amsterdam to Brussels: The Belgium Weekend Circuit  

Mileage: 360 miles (580km)

Total Driving hours: 7.5hrs

Minimum Time Needed: 3 days

Stops to Consider: Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Bruges

Countries: The Netherlands, Belgium

Keep in mind, these are just suggested outlines from trips I have personally taken, but everyone’s road trips should be tailored to their own interests and comforts. I’m the kind of person who can sit in a car for 20 hours a day without flinching. I know others like to stop every 30 minutes and can’t go longer than a few hours max. So decide what is important to you whether it’s seeing famous icons or cities, spending time in the quieter countryside, getting to know the people or visiting as many countries as possible and covering as much ground as you can on a trip. Slow pace, fast pace, it’s all up to you!

Estimates do not include last minute excursions, detours or misadventures along the road. In my opinion the more unexpected turns and bumpy patches the better!

Every tuesday we chat about a new travel topic on #TRLT. Search the hashtag #TRLT on Twitter to find us and don’t forget to include the hashtag #TRLT in your tweets to participate with fellow travellers.

Last week we had a great chat on road trips and TODAY,  we’re chatting “Language”!  I am here each and every week hosting with fellow founder and friend Shane Dallas (public speaker, visited 100+ countries, currently living in Kenya) and amazing travel host, and good friend, Jessica Lipowski (accomplished author and “foodie” in USA) and host Anton Magnin (specialist in family travel in South Africa). 

Safe travels

Savannah Grace