Great road trips

Nigeria is infamous for the many checkpoints along any road. Some sections have more than others, but the A4, parallel to the Cameroon border, is a league of its own. Here you can see from one checkpoint to the next. Some are guarded by various departments of the police or military, while others seem to be controlled by clandestine armed private security forces seeking "opportunities". On a long day, you can encounter more than 100 checkpoints! Be patient and firm, and it will be possible to pass every single one of them without a bribe.

It is not often that a road becomes a destination, but the Atlantic Ocean Road is up there with Australia’s Great Ocean Road and the United States’ Route 66. In fact, Norway seems to have made it a challenge to design and build spectacular roads in the most unlikely of places, be it across mountain passes or, in this case, to connect various remote islands. At just over 8km it isn’t very long, but there are plenty of places to stop, go for walks and admire the crazy bridges with their fjord and mountain backdrops to ensure that it will take you a good few hours to get past. Very exposed to ocean storms, driving here on a sunny summer’s day and a gloomy, windy winter’s evening are two very different experiences. No road trip to Norway is complete without a visit here!

The Coastal Highway Fv17 is one of the prettiest road trips you can take in Norway - and that says something. It winds its way along the coast, jumping from island to island, from Bodø to Steinkjer 650 km away. The scenery is just mind-blowing and changes at every bend. Snowcapped mountains, deep fjords, dense forest and even glaciers. There are 6 ferry crossings (and 29 tunnels) and the complete journey can be done in 2 days, but more is recommended, particularly if you want to explore some of the islands (like UNESCO enlisted Vegaøyan). 420 km of the route is one of Norway's 18 National Scenic Routes.

Road 55 runs between Lom and Høyager and is 248 km long. The 108 km long section which runs across Sognefjellet (knows as Sognefjellsvegen) is declared National Scenic Routes. The scenery is of course amazing and there are plenty of hairpin bends, but what sets this route apart from the other National Scenic Routes is the elevation. It traverses the alpine plateau of Sognefjellet and passes several glaciers and the highest peaks of Scandinavia. The highest elevation on the route is 1,434 m, but you can take a detour to Galdhøpiggen Summer Ski Center, which will bring you up to 1850 m (where you can touch snow).

Another National Scenic Routes is the country road 5627 (on Google Maps the number is Fv243?). It's about 50 km long and runs from Lærdal to Aurlandsvangen across the Aurlandsfjellet. The views from the barren mountain plateau on Aurlandsfjord 600 m down is even more spectacular. Do we need to mention that there are plenty of hairpin bends. The traffic is just tourists because the route was replaced by the 24.5 km long Lærdal Tunnel - the world's longest road tunnel.

There are many beautiful road trips in Norway and National Scenic Routes 63 is among the absolute best. It's about 100 kilometers long and runs between Åndalsnes and Stryn via Valldal and Geiranger. The route passes amazing alpine landscape, several waterfalls, including Gudbrandsjuvet, and one of Norway's most famous fjords, Geirangerfjord. Four of the most iconic serpentine roads (including Trollstigen and Ørnesvingen) are also part of the route. No wonder why the route has been nicknamed the Golden Route.

The northernmost point on mainland Norway is also the northernmost point in continental Europe, so it's therefore a popular destination for (long) road trips. The parking lot at North Cape visitor center is normally filled with motorcycles, auto campers and everything in between. However, the true "northernmost point" is actually located a bit to the east and can only be reached by hiking in rocky terrain 18 km (return). So most people are happy to reach the visitor center and the big globe at Nordkapp and turn around to go south.

Of all of Norway's crazy roads – and there are lots of them – this is perhaps the most thrilling. The serpentine road winds its way up to the mountain pass in sharp hairpin bends with 10% incline, while waterfalls are tumbling down the mountain sides. The road is two-way, but many sections are only wide enough for a single vehicle. Below the actual mountain pass is a visitor center with exposed viewing platforms that are even more hair-raising than the ride.
Trollstigen is part of country road 63, one of Norway's 18 National Scenic Routes, and attracts thousands of vehicles every day in high season. It's closed during winter due to excessive snow cover.

To get to Fairy Meadows you have to take a jeep from Raikot Bridge. The 16 km long rocky road is probably one of the worst roads you are ever going to take. The condition is ranging from bumpy to just horrendous. Sections cling to the mountain side, just supported by rocks laid by man through decades of improvement. At the most narrow sections you have free view from the jeep of the steep drops. Even though you hold on tight, you will be shaken and thrown around throughout the 60-90 minutes ride.

The famous Karakoram Highway (N-35) starts at Hasan Abdal in the Punjab province and winds its way through the high mountains of Pakistani Himalaya until it reaches the Khunjerab Pass (4,730 m) and the Chinese border 1,300 km away. It follows a branch of the ancient Silk Road, and was built by blasting into the mountain sides during the 1960s and 70s in collaboration with China. Today it's an attraction itself and the gateway to even more adventure in the valleys it connects, where Hunza Valley is the centerpiece of KKH.