The German Alpine Road is the most romantic road trip in the world, with a romance score of 9.56 out of a possible 10.
- Italy is the most romantic country to take a road trip, boasting three of the top 10 romantic destinations in the world.
- Historical and mountainous routes offer the most romantic settings, both factoring into eight of the top 10 road trips.
- Confused.com car insurance expert, Alex Kindred, offers advice to couples looking to share the driving to guarantee a successful road trip.
From idyllic sunsets to warm nights under the stars, there is something especially romantic about taking a summer road trip. So, with summer fast approaching, experts at Confused.com sought to uncover the world’s most romantic road trips.
To do this, they analysed hundreds of thousands of reviews from popular hotels and restaurants that you may encounter along each route. This was then used to calculate an overall ‘romance score’ out of 10.
The Results
| Rank | Road Trip | Country | Length (km) | Romance Score/10 |
| 1 | German Alpine Road | Germany | 525 | 9.56 |
| 2 | Puglia | Italy | 180 | 9.13 |
| 3 | Amalfi Coast | Italy | 61 | 8.69 |
| 4 | North Coast 500 | United Kingdom | 800 | 8.26 |
| 5 | Tuscany | Italy | 311 | 7.82 |
| 6 | Wild Atlantic Way | Ireland | 151 | 7.39 |
| 7 | Icefields Parkway | Canada | 291 | 6.95 |
| 8 | Lofoten | Norway | 129 | 6.52 |
| 9 | Highway One | USA | 985 | 6.08 |
| 10 | Romantic Road | Germany | 381 | 5.65 |
View the full dataset with all 22 road trips.
Confused.com can reveal the most romantic driving location in the world is the German Alpine Road. With a romance score of 9.56/10, the historically-enriched route is accompanied by stunning heaven-kissing landscapes. At 525km long and almost nine hours of sightseeing, drivers can stop at the Linderhof Palace or Neuschwanstein Castle for a real-life fairytale experience. Of all hotel and restaurant analysed, 42.77% of reviews were romantic: 3.54% more than Puglia in second place.
Meanwhile, Italy is home to three of the top 10 locations. Routes in Puglia (9.13/10) and Amalfi Coast (8.69/10) take second and third place respectively, highlighting the beauty of Italy’s seafront. Puglia provides 180km of rarely-explored coast set against a backdrop of caves and cliffs. Venues you may discover along Puglia were described as romantic by 39.23% of visitors,
only 1.36% more than Amalfi Coast. These include Masseria Cervarolo, the best location of all hotels and restaurants analysed in the study, with an astounding 64.3% of reviewers finding its romanticism worthy of note.
For couples looking for a shorter trip, the Amalfi Coast offers an equally beautiful journey, at at just 61km – the shortest in the top 10. This trip from Salerno to Sorrento emphasises adventure with thrilling, zig-zagging roads and the option to visit the historic ancient ruins of Pompeii. Amalfi Coast’s venue reviews indicated 37.87% of visitors felt romantic, 3.48% more than Italy’s final route in the top 5: Tuscany, with 34.39% of its restaurant and hotel reviews including romantic language.
Scotland’s North Coast 500 is the fourth most romantic road trip, earning a score of 8.26/10. This 800km circuit highlights not only Scotland’s heritage, but its natural beauty along the coastline. With checkpoints at four castles, whiskey distilleries and a waterfall, the North Coast 500 is ideal for couples looking to make unforgettable thrilling memories. Reviews for hotels and restaurants on the North Coast 500 left a romantic impression on 35.51% of visitors, 1.96% more than Scotland’s neighbouring route, the Irish Wild Atlantic Way (7.39/10) in sixth, which 34.39% of reviewers describe as romantic.
VARIABLE SECTIONS:
The Most Romantic Road Trip in Canada
Icefields Parkway – the 291km journey stretching from Banff to The Jasper National Park of Canada – is the best route for Canadian couples. With a romance score of 6.95/10, Icefields Parkway presents scenic mountains, lakes and waterfalls while passing unmissable hiking spots for those wanting to explore off the beaten track. Couples found 32.69% of Icefields Parkway’s venues ideal for couples, making it the best road trip for partners in North America. This is 3.08% higher than Highway One (6.08/10) in the US, with 29.61% of reviews being romantic.
The most romantic road trip in the USA
Highway One – the Pacific coast highway along the coast of California – claims number nine in the top ten with a score of 6.08/10. As the longest road trip on the list at 985km, the route offers a variety of locales to make for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Starting at the Golden Gate Bridge, and passing by mountains, castles, forests, and piers before arriving at Imperial Beach. This makes for a truly expansive adventure for lovers with a thirst for new experiences. In total, 29.61% of reviews described Highway One’s venues as ideal for couples – that’s 3.85% more than the US’s second most romantic route – Hana Highway (4.34) – which 25.76% of reviewers found romantic.
Alex Kindred, car insurance expert at Confused.com, comments: “Taking a road trip, at home or abroad, can make for an unforgettable experience. And if you’re travelling along some of the most romantic or idyllic routes the world has to offer, take turns behind the wheel. This offers you both the chance to enjoy the scenery while avoiding tiredness. Though, if you do go down this route, it’s important to remember that whoever’s driving must be insured in line with the laws of the country you’re travelling in. And this could vary depending on if you’re taking your own car, or hiring.
“Knowing what you need to do or buy before driving abroad can be confusing. So we’ve compiled everything you need to know about driving abroad, including a checklist of the essentials you need. But always check with your insurer if your policy allows you to travel abroad before setting off.”
