A 7-Day Trip Through the South’s Most Challenging Routes
England, europe
N/A
N/A
extreme
Year-round
Okay, picture this: ditching London and heading west on the B4632. Forget the soul-crushing motorways—this old A-road between Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon is a proper driving experience. Think smooth turns and views for days as you cruise the Cotswold Hills. Day two? Get lost in the cute, but super-narrow, stone-walled lanes. Seriously, know your car's width!
Next up: Devon and Cornwall! Time for the A39 Atlantic Highway. The star of the show? Porlock Hill, with a crazy 25% gradient. Yep, the steepest A-road in England, and a true test for your brakes and engine. Careful on the way down to Lynmouth—engine braking is your friend! Day four is all about the ridiculously tight lanes of North Devon. We're talking hedgerows taller than your car and reversing skills that will make you a legend.
Island time! Hop over to the Isle of Wight and hit the A3055 Military Road. This is where you race against nature. It's perched right on the edge of the cliffs, fighting a losing battle against the sea. Epic coastal views with the English Channel on one side, green hills on the other. Heads up: it closes sometimes when the road decides to take a swim.
Back on the mainland, aim for the A285 between Petworth and Chichester. This one's a bit spicy. It's got sneaky bends and hidden dips that have earned it a reputation. Stay focused—it throws you from fast straights into tricky, tree-lined curves without warning!
Last day! Skip the M25 and take the backroads through the North Downs toward London. Box Hill has some fun climbs, and the Surrey Hills are packed with narrow, steep roads to keep you entertained until you hit the city. Oh, and definitely give your car a good once-over after all that hard braking and gear-shifting!
This trip isn't about tea rooms and castles, it's about tackling England's gnarly roads. From the insane gradients of Exmoor to the crumbling cliffs of the Isle of Wight, you'll get a new appreciation for the country's wild side. Get prepped, check the weather, and respect those hills!
Where is it?
A 7-Day Trip Through the South’s Most Challenging Routes is located in England (europe). Coordinates: 52.9197, -3.0711
Road Details
- Country
- England
- Continent
- europe
- Difficulty
- extreme
- Coordinates
- 52.9197, -3.0711
Related Roads in europe
moderateA brutally steep road to Cumbre del Sol in Alicante
🇪🇸 Spain
# Cumbre del Sol: A Thrilling Climb in Costa Blanca Tucked away in the heart of Spain's Costa Blanca, Cumbre del Sol (also called Puig de la Llorença) is a 413-meter peak that'll test your driving skills and reward you with absolutely stunning views. Located in the charming municipality of Benitachell in northern Alicante province, this isn't your typical leisurely mountain drive. The 4.1km ascent packs a serious punch with an average gradient of 8.8%, but here's the thing—it's way steeper than that suggests. You'll encounter multiple sections hitting 15% or higher, with a brutal 19% section that'll make your palms sweat halfway through. The last kilometer doesn't let up either, throwing 10% grades at you as you approach the summit. This climb's so intense it's been featured in Spain's prestigious Vuelta race. The good news? The entire road is perfectly paved and well-maintained, so you can focus on the drive itself rather than dodging potholes. Traffic is surprisingly light, which means you'll have a peaceful (if challenging) ride up. At the top, you'll spot communication towers, but more importantly, you'll get phenomenal panoramic views that make every difficult hairpin turn absolutely worth it. This is the kind of climb that stays with you long after you've descended.
extremeFear and adrenaline: Traversing the terrifying Vitim River Bridge in Siberia
🌍 Russia
# The Vitim River Bridge: Siberia's Most Terrifying Crossing Ever heard of a bridge so sketchy that crossing it feels like a badge of honor? Welcome to the Kuandinsky Bridge in Russia's Trans-Baikal Region, where an old railway structure spanning the Vitim River has become legendary among adventure seekers. This isn't your average road crossing. Built back in the 1980s for trains, the 570-meter (1,870-foot) bridge sits just 50 feet above the fast-moving Vitim River—a major tributary of the Lena River. Here's where it gets wild: it's only six feet wide. That's barely wider than most cars' wheelbases. No railings. No safety features. Just you, your vehicle, and a whole lot of nerve. The bridge's surface? Rotting wooden planks laid over a decaying metal frame that hasn't seen proper maintenance in four decades. In winter, those planks turn into an icy death trap with zero traction. Summer's no picnic either—the wood is slippery, cracked, and frankly, sketchy. The crossing takes about three minutes if you know what you're doing, but one wrong move and you're breaking through to the river below. Here's the kicker: if your car does punch a hole in the planking, you better have a repair kit handy. The next person using the bridge will be fixing it themselves. That's just how things work in remote Siberia. Yet somehow, this rickety structure is the lifeline connecting the small village of Kuanda (population 1,500) to the outside world. About 34 people have successfully crossed it—they even created a Facebook page to celebrate their survival. If you're crazy enough to attempt it, just know you're joining an elite (and slightly unhinged) group of adventurers.
hardWhere is Col Saint Martin?
🇫🇷 France
Okay, picture this: you're cruising through the French Alps in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, wind in your hair, headed for Col Saint Martin. This baby climbs to a cool 1,500 meters (that's 4,921 feet!), and the views? Seriously epic. It's a key part of the Route des Grandes Alpes, so you know it's gonna be good. The road itself, the M2565, is all paved and stretches for about 21.8 km (13.54 miles) from Rimplas to Saint-Martin-Vésubie. Some sections are practically carved into the mountainside – talk about dramatic! Be ready for some serious twists and turns, and a few hairpin bends thrown in for good measure. It's a bit of a climb, with gradients hitting up to 9.1% in places. This road's so iconic it's even been featured in the Tour de France! Get ready for an amazing drive.
hardN232 Road is not suitable for those who get dizzy
🇵🇹 Portugal
# N232 Road: Portugal's Wild Mountain Ride Ready for a serious adrenaline rush? Head to central Portugal and tackle the N232 Road, a gloriously twisty mountain route that'll test your driving skills like nothing else. This isn't for the faint of heart – we're talking about a road with so many hairpin turns and switchbacks that most drivers wisely give it a wide berth. The good news? The pavement is solid and well-maintained, with some genuinely fun fast corners thrown in. The catch is that it's narrow in places, which adds to the intensity. You'll climb up to 1,427 meters (4,681 feet) of elevation, navigating gradients that reach 8% – those ramps really make you feel the climb. Stretching 86.6 kilometers (53.81 miles) from Mangualde to Belmonte, this scenic loop will gobble up about 2 hours of driving time if you're pushing through without breaks. But honestly? You'll probably want to stop and soak in the views. The real showstopper is the 37-kilometer (23-mile) stretch between Gouveia and Manteigas in the Guarda District. This section alone packs in over 100 turns while winding through the stunning Serra da Estrela Mountains. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking – dramatic peaks, sweeping vistas, and some seriously photogenic curves that'll make your followers jealous. If you crave curves and can handle a challenging mountain drive, this is your calling.