This European Country Was Just Named the Best Place to Road Trip

It's time to hit the road in Spain.

Road-tripping is a time-honored travel tradition that never seems to go out of style. It’s simple in its elegance, really. All you need to do is pack a bag, toss it in the trunk, and see where the road takes you. But, since 2024 is all about living our best lives when traveling, why not make this your year to take a further-flung road trip instead of hitting the same old streets?

Compare the Market AU, a car insurance quote company, created a new index of the best nations to visit for an epic road trip experience. It came to its conclusion of the best of the best by analyzing the popularity, financial, and safety factors of several nations, including the road quality of each nation, gas prices, the number of road accidents, and congestion levels. After crunching the numbers, the team named Spain as the top spot to put the pedal to the metal.

“According to the research, Spain is the country where foreign drivers are likely to find the most pleasurable driving experience,” the findings, shared with Travel + Leisure, stated. “With the fifth-best road quality, Spain is renowned for its modern and well-maintained highways. The country also has the third cheapest car hire prices at just €29.55 (about $32.42), meaning money saved can be spent on everything from visiting some of the country's most famous galleries to delicious tapas."

Coming in a close second is Canada, which ranked highly thanks to its relatively affordable gas prices and its free and clear roads, which have little in the way of congestion. In fact, according to the findings, it takes an average of just 14 minutes to drive 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

Not to be outdone, the United States took the third spot thanks, of course, to its famed highways and byways like Route 66 and Highway 1. And, taking the fourth and fifth spot was the United Kingdom, which scored high marks for its equally famous routes like the North Coast 500, and Portugal, which took the fifth spot thanks to its lower cost of gas and for its stunning coastal routes, too.

Are you ready to buckle in and go? First, check out all the rankings at comparethemarket.com, then read up on the 10 road trip mistakes to avoid, according to experts, so you can be well prepared for the road ahead. 

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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.