Five of the best British summer road trips

With many of us feeling financial strain as the recession continues to bite, Brits are increasingly choosing to holiday in the UK . We have a wealth of history and beautiful scenery on our doorstep and there’s nothing quite like hitting the open road to explore. With new drivers experiencing this motoring freedom for the first time, RED Driving School has created a list of five of the best British road trips to enjoy this summer.

North Norfolk coast
With a coastline stretching for 43 miles, much of the Norfolk coast is classed as an ‘area of outstanding natural beauty’ . Drive from Kings Lynn to Cromer along the A149; expect to see stunning landscapes including white sandy beaches in Holkham, Wells and Brancaster as well as areas of pine forest, mud flats and saltmarshes .

The Lake District
For a lakeside drive, start at Pooley Bridge and drive 8.1 miles along the A592 to Glenridding, stopping to admire the Aira Force waterfall on the way. Continue down to Waterhead for picturesque views of England’s largest lake, Windermere . Then drive 17.5 miles along the A593 to Eskdale, along Hardknott Pass, one of the steepest roads in England stopping at Hardknott Fort to take in the beautiful scenery from the ruins of a Roman fort.

The Atlantic Highway
The Atlantic Highway stretches 78.4 miles from Barnstaple in Devon to Newquay in Cornwall along the A39 through Bude. Many areas along this stretch are classed as areas of ‘outstanding natural beauty’ . Stop at the historic fishing village Clovelly in Devon to enjoy a picturesque stroll along its cobbled, traffic-free high street and admire the scenic coastline as you journey into Cornwall.

The Scottish Highlands
There are many national tourist routes across the Scottish Highlands which allow drivers to experience the beautiful highland countryside. The Argyll coastal route takes motorists 149 miles along the A83 from Tarbet by Loch Lomond, joining the A816 at Lochgilphead through Argyll to Fort William in the Highlands. Visitors can stop at the ‘Rest and be thankful’ viewpoint to enjoy magnificent views across the valley. The route concludes at Fort William, at the foot of the UK’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis .

The Cotswolds
Much of the Cotswolds is classed as an ‘area of outstanding natural beauty’ , with rolling hills and some plant species so rare they are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act . The ‘romantic road’ is a two day road trip of two circular routes, ‘a road for today’ and ‘a road for tomorrow’, each starting and finishing in Cheltenham. Travelling the ‘a road for today’, visitors will drive 75 miles through the Cotswolds countryside stopping at historic towns and villages Winchcombe, Stanway, Broadway, Chipping Campden, Blockley, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Wold and The Slaughters . ‘A road for tomorrow’ takes motorists 90 miles through villages Northleach, Burford, Lechlade, Fairford, Bilbury, Cirencester and Painswick .

Dominic Cohen of RED Driving School comments: “Learning to drive presents great opportunities for travel, allowing motorists to experience a side of the UK sometimes inaccessible by public transport. Planning a road trip with friends is the perfect way to celebrate passing your test and to gain some valuable driving experience. There are some stunning places to visit in the UK and the countryside aspect of driving lessons should help to prepare new motorists for rural driving experiences.”

Cohen continues: “All new drivers should thoroughly research their road trip in advance, making sure they are well prepared with maps, food and water, a fully charged mobile phone and warm clothing in case of an emergency. Motorists should always adhere to safe driving practice and take their time on unfamiliar rural roads.”

• More information from www.reddrivingschool.com/