The Garden Route in South Africa took top place in a global study of the best international road trips in the world.
UK-based Autotrader, which is not related to the South African online marketplace, decided to compare international road trips based on a major factor that influences driving, the weather.
“Every driver has experienced it: windows down, the road ahead stretching out under a brilliant sky, conditions so good you could stay behind the wheel all day,” said the UK-based company.
The company sought to determine the most iconic roads that reliably deliver the best driving weather, and which kind of weather is best.
The marketplace provider then partnered with Jim R N Dale, Senior Meteorologist and founder of British Weather Services, to define the weather conditions that make driving at its easiest and safest.
Visibility was the most important factor, with Autotrader using Dale’s expertise to create a Perfect Driving Weather Score.
The score factors in the number of clear days, visibility quality and wind speed. The criteria were then applied to the world’s most celebrated driving routes.
Using historical weather data, Autotrader identified the ideal climate conditions, both here and abroad.
The Garden Route, which stretches from Mossel Bay to the Storm’s River Mouth, topped the international rankings, with a score of 90.6 out of 100.
The 300km stretch of road consistently ranked highly, with clear skies most of the year, giving motorists a chance to look out at the Indian Ocean Coast.
The route also benefits from gentle winds and comfortable temperatures. The Garden Route also benefits from its diverse locations, ranging from forests to mountains.
The route includes several popular towns, including George, Plettenberg Bay, Knysna, Stillbaai, Wilderness, Sedgefield and more.
SANParks welcomed the ranking and noted that the Garden Route National Park remains a key part of this route, offering diverse landscapes where forests, rivers, mountains, and coastline meet.
The route beats the famous Route 66 and the Pacific Coast Highway in the USA, which trail in second and third place, respectively. Italy’s Amalfi Coast finished fourth.
It also beat well-known routes in Italy, Spain, Australia, Canada, France and Norway. The top 10 can be found below:
| Rank | Road Name | Country | Perfect Driving Weather Score (/100) |
| #1 | Garden Route | South Africa | 90.6 |
| #2 | Route 66 | USA | 87.3 |
| #3 | Pacific Coast Highway | USA | 86.1 |
| #4 | Amalfi Coast Road | Italy | 81 |
| #5 | Costa Brava Coastal Roads | Spain | 76.3 |
| #6 | Great Ocean Road | Australia | 71.4 |
| #7 | Icefields Parkway | Canada | 69.5 |
| #8 | Loire Valley Drives | France | 67.3 |
| #9 | Kahekili Highway | USA | 57.2 |
| #10 | Norwegian Atlantic Road | Norway | 39.1 |
Images of the Garden Route
