High in the hills above the Mediterranean is a road that’s seen its share of cinematic stunts.

The remarkable Route de Gentelly is where Pierce Brosnan as 007 in his Aston Martin DB5 duels Famke Jannsen’s Xenia Onatopp in her Ferrari F355 in Goldeneye and where Jean Reno in a Mercedes S-Class chases down a Peugeot 405 and Citroen Xantia while Robert de Niro launches a rocket from its sunroof in Ronin.

The Ronin chase begins in Nice, but it’s the medieval walled village of Vence, some 20 miles further inland, where the real fun starts. As soon as you leave Vence you’re climbing. The going is gentle to begin with but soon becomes ever more curvaceous as you gain altitude.

Switchback sequences start coming thick and fast and you won’t be surprised to know that this section of the road up to Col de Vence is a rallying regular. There’s precious little room for sliding sideways though and just a low concrete wall to protect you from tumbling down should a mistake be made.

There’s some 16 miles of terrific turns until you reach the village of Gréolières. Only around 400 people live here, but there are still four rather nice restaurants to choose from should you fancy calling “cut” for a while.

Next, it’s another 10 miles of bend after bend, rising higher and higher until you reach the end of the road at Gréolières-les-Neiges. As the name suggests it’s a small ski resort, usually open between December and March each year.

At this point all that’s left is to turn around and enjoy the run down again. For once, it’s a sequel that’s every bit as exciting as the original.

Words Nik Berg‍ ‍Instagram
Photography Shutterstock

ROADBOOK

CLASS: Mountain PASS

NAME: Route de Gentelly

ROUTE: Vence to Gréolières-les-Neiges

COUNTRY: France

Distance: 27 Miles

An Ariel Nomad has just completed a 1,700-mile desert adventure and lived up to its moniker.

The car, driven by loyal Ariel customers Gavin Kirby and Kevin Henderson, took part in the 2026 Morocco Desert Challenge. The eight-day driving adventure started in Ouarzazate, south of the Atlas Mountains and headed through the dunes to Saïdia on the Mediterranean coast.

“The Morocco Desert Challenge lives up to its name,” says Kirby. “The desert tests both machine and driver relentlessly for eight days and many thousands of kilometres, but despite everything it threw at us, the Nomad brought us back to camp every night. There were some sections of the course that, had we come across them under different circumstances, we would have turned around and found a different route. However, to complete the MDC, we either tackled what was in front of us or admit defeat. Not only did the Nomad get us through these sections, but it tackled them with style and grace. Having both owned Nomads for some years before the event, Kev and I found a whole new level of respect for what the Nomad is actually capable of. Completing the event is something we're immensely proud of."

To ready the car for the gruelling rally Ariel upgraded the cars’s suspension, packed a supply of spare parts and dispatched a mechanic to support the duo. “What's particularly satisfying is that the car demonstrated exactly the qualities we value most at Ariel: capability, reliability, and adaptability,” adds Ariel Managing Director Henry Siebert-Saunders. “The fact it completed the event with only routine maintenance required is a testament to both the strength of the underlying Nomad platform and the commitment of everyone involved."

Top Gear meets Top Gun in the Mach Loop of the Welsh Valleys.

The military jets that practice low-level flying in between the mountains are fast, but the idea that the Mach Loop gets its name from supersonic speeds is a misnomer. In fact this circular route is named after the town of Machynlleth on the edge of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park.

The market town is steeped in history, known as the “ancient capital of Wales” and was home to the Welsh Parliament in the early 1400s. For a town of just 2,000 people it punches above its weight culturally, hosting an annual comedy festival, and being home to MoMA Wales. It’s even got its own Hollywood-like sign in the hills.

For aviation enthusiasts, however, it’s the geography that’s more appealing. With a bit of a scramble up the hillside it’s possible to actually look down on the Typhoons, Hawks and F-35s that roar through the valley below.

There are several key vantage points on this route, so pack your driving shoes and your hiking boots, and be prepared for a wait. The RAF and USAF don’t publish their training timetable for obvious reasons, so you never know what you’ll see. Just don’t try at weekends or bank holidays when the flyers stay grounded.

Your first opportunity comes just a few miles north of Machynlleth on the A487, after an engaging, mostly tree-lined drive to the Corris Craft Centre. Here, on the valley floor, the aircraft pass overhead, and you need never leave the car park – unless, of course, you want to try your hand at woodworking or pottery, or stop for sustenance at the cafe.

Now you’ve got a choice: you can bank right towards the Corris Corner viewing spot or stay on the A487 to access The Bwich, Cad West and Cad East viewpoints. The half-mile climb to Corris Corner is described by the experts at machloop.co.uk as “Strenuous” but rewards you with sights of jets turning at full tilt. Alternatively, if you continue on the main road you’ll soon find yourself at the most popular car park on the loop. It’s on the straightest section of the A487 so easy enough to spot. Head up to The Bwich on a steady half-mile climb to 400 feet for “the most iconic” views, or take a more challenging hike to Cad West (half a mile and 300 feet) or Cad East (one mile and 400 feet). Whichever route you take you’ll be above the aeronautical action.

When you’ve had your fill of flybys get back on the A487 north. A stop at the award-winning Cross Foxes Inn is highly recommended and you can even stay overnight before heading east on the scenic A470, then picking up the A489 to complete the loop in Machynlleth. These are all great roads, so even if you fail to see Maverick in motion you’ll have had a dynamic drive.

Words Nik Berg‍ ‍Instagram
Photography Shutterstock

ROADBOOK

CLASS: FLy DRIVE

NAME: The Mach LooP

ROUTE: Machynlleth to Machynlleth

COUNTRY: Wales

Distance: 38 Miles

If you’re looking for an electric car to cover some major mileage then the new Škoda Peaq might just be the ticket.

Two Škoda employees have just driven the seven-seat SUV 935 km (586 miles) without stopping to charge. That beats its official homologated range by almost 45 per cent, and was achieved with the help of some seriously smooth driving, together with clear roads and weather.

While many EV advocates believe that maximising regenerative braking is the best way to extend driving range the Škoda team said that maintaining a constant speed, avoiding hard acceleration and braking or coming to complete stop are crucial to eking out the most miles.

“Our goal was to demonstrate the capabilities of the technology at the very limit of its potential. To achieve the maximum possible range, we carefully selected the most suitable route and, naturally, an appropriate driving style,” says Jakub Krs. When he is not driving the Peaq on record-range attempts, he serves as Chief Battery Officer for the model. “An average user would probably never drive the car this way. Instead, they would make full use of the Peaq’s dynamic performance, onboard infotainment and comfort features,” adds fellow driver Marek Jež, who is responsible for the Peaq programme as Project Leader. 

The Škoda’s route took the hypermiling drivers from the Mladá Boleslav factory, where the Peaq is built, into Germany and on to Zandvoort in the Netherlands. By the time they reached their destination the 91 kWh battery pack had recorded an energy consumption figure of 9.2 kWh/100 km (6.8 miles/kWh) and set a new Czech record.

Most mums-to-be book a babymoon for pampering to a soundtrack of pan pipes, posh suppers and putting their feet up in a fluffy robe, but not Charlotte Vowden.

Well into my eighth month of pregnancy, it was five days before Christmas when we set up camp in north Wales. Checking into our poly-cotton penthouse suite, all 29.4 sq ft of it atop an INEOS Grenadier, we chose to overnight at the foot of Tryfan; a jagged and instantly recognisable mountain in the Ogwen Valley. How’s that for terrace views?

To get there we’d followed the A5 from Shrewsbury, a road that runs out at the ferry port of Holyhead. The stretch from Capel Curig, with the Carneddau and Glyderau ranges in view, was particularly beautiful in the copper-toned winter sun. In fair weather, peaks can be a dependable compass.

Providing a sturdy base for our overnight perch, the 3.5-tonne Grenadier was loaded to the gunnels. With more than 2,000 litres of lugging capacity, filling the Trailmaster Edition Station Wagon was quite the feat for two people, plus bump. Our essentials included a car seat for the unborn bairn, just in case their arrival caught us out.

Allowing my better half to do the heavy lifting, i.e. deploy the tent in the fading light, I kept myself busy with finishing touches. Festooned with fairy lights, our setup looked suitably festive. At home, or out in the Welsh wilds, nesting is nesting. Right?

Planning a one pan cook up so the elements of our meal would slip into a bun without fuss, we had no need for forks or linen napkins. A feast we could hold in our hands and a scrap of kitchen roll would suffice. If only we’d packed the bottled-gas… 

The elevated patty I’d curated comprised a filling of roast turkey, pigs in blankets and stuffing, accompanied by cheese and cranberry sauce. But with our ride immobilised and supply shops long since shut, it would take a Christmas miracle to replace what we’d left behind. A Hallmark movie life is not.  

So, we took the menu back to basics. De-escalating dinner to a cheese roll that required no cooking, we did attempt to melt butter in the warm air that flowed from the vents on the Grenadier’s dashboard.

Bellies full, we prised our posteriors away from the heated seats and retired to the first floor. With a Tupperware of snacks I must add. You never know when pregnancy cravings might strike. First though, there was the matter of the baby pressing on my bladder to address. While having a wild wee, I pondered the darkness around us. It possessed an eerie beauty. The mystery of what, or who, might be out there was amplified by a dot of light in the distance. The gentle flutters of our baby in my belly was a reminder that we really weren’t alone.

Lacking a hoist, I navigated the ladder carefully, ensuring a sturdy footing on each rung. Once the ascent was complete, I flung the container of treats across the threshold before executing a sort of commando roll through the rain canopy to deposit myself inside.

With an insulated polyfoam mattress, blackout canvas and trio of windows – one above the head for gazing at the heavens – the iKamper 3.0 was the outdoor equivalent of a five star hotel. Except you bring your own bedding and torches. A world map on the far wall provided a focal point for us to fantasise about far flung adventures, and my husband would be a dutiful butler, night porter and concierge.

Over six foot up, we were out of reach of roaming beasts. Most notably, the native sheep. We were however, vulnerable to the whims of the weather. Thoughts of trying to get some kip downstairs crept in around midnight, when the 40mph winds forecast arrived. Pummelling our fabric bolt hole, the gusts maintained their gusto well into the early hours. My brain was completely wired.

Running through irrational worst case scenarios while my husband snored lightly beside me – what if the wind rips us from the roof of the Grenadier?! – I raided the treat tub for comfort. Flapjacks and chocolate are my go-to it’s going to be OK foods. Still, I didn’t yearn for a plushy bedroom with en suite. Pregnancy insomnia meant that a decent night’s sleep was a thing of the past, and for me being in such close proximity to nature is more revitalising than a soak in a hot bath. You can forget spritzing a load of lavender spray in the air too.

You see, if you see winter as a season to embrace, it really is an opportunity. Quieter roads, quieter places. I viewed pregnancy that way too. Rather than chase the sunshine to another country or hibernate, I sought outdoor intrepidness, fresh air and big skies; a bit of a challenge for our last hurrah before becoming parents. That just so happened to take place in the darkest month of the year.

Unzipping our front door in the morning, a chill nipped at the end of my nose. That beats any bougie holistic therapy in my book. Languishing the moment, I wondered, how long would it be before we’d be pitching up somewhere as a three? Daydreaming about our maiden voyage – where would it be? – I gazed at the leaden mist that clung to Tryfan.

Without means to heat water or cook breakfast, we packed away our sleeping bags and tucked away the tent. With the locks and latches securely fastened, we hit the road, and although we could travel safely at over 60mph with the iKamper mounted to the roof, we thought it unwisely to do so. Take it slowly and you take more of your whereabouts in.

We spent days exploring the byways of north Wales; the hum and vibration of the trail soothing our little one en route. It’s said that babies respond to sounds and vibrations in the womb, so the come-hithering growl of the diesel B57 engine didn’t fall on deaf ears.

Capable of serious off-roading, we didn’t use the Grenadier to its fullest potential this time round, but if we’d had need to make a sudden dash to the hospital, it would have got us there come hell or high water – a max depth of 0.8m to be precise. Had it required a cross-country clamber, it could have hauled itself up near-vertical rough-stuff terrain. Plus, because it’s built like a brick, ahem, house, it has the reassuring stature of a leviathan god. Which in turn made me feel incredibly safe.

Part bonkers, part brave, but utterly brilliant, I’d recommend a road-cum-rooftop camping trip for anyone on the cusp of becoming a parent. Make the most of the intimacy that a two-person tent enforces while you can. 

Words & Photography Charlotte Vowden Instagram

Top tips for rooftop tenting when you’re pregnant

• Climb with caution Morning dew, frost or rain drops will make the ladder a slip hazard. Add grip tape to the rungs for careful measure. 

• Take snacks to bed Pregnancy cravings, nuff said.

• Take heed of the forecast Carrying a baby is endurance enough. Reschedule if the conditions are set to be extreme.

• Set up camp near the loos Got the luxury of a toilet block? Save yourself the waddle and park as close as you can. Or, pack a sheewee and save the trip.

• Delegate Appoint someone else for the slog of assembly and disassembly; you’re doing your bit by growing a human.

• Zip up, real tight Don’t risk free-falling out of the tent, the bouncing baby bit comes after they’re born.

It’s taken four years, but finally the VW ID. Buzz has an official California camper edition.

The new ID. California Cruise comes in regular and long-wheelbase editions, and the key feature is a folding bed that’s a decent 1.2m wide and 2m in length. The mattress is designed to sit on top of the folded rear seats, so it’s not a ‘rock’n’roll’ unit, as seen in many VW conversions.

Neither does the California Cruise come with a kitchen or washing facilities, although, as it’s completely electric, its vehicle-to-load function means you can power a coolbox, kettle or even an air-fryer to feed hungry campers.

Only two will be able to sleep inside, but they should get a good night’s Zs in as there are ventilation grilles and blackout covers for all the windows, with special storage spaces inside to keep them when not in use. There’s also a California mode for the heating and air conditioning so it can be used when the car isn’t driving. VW also offers a camping table and chairs that slot in with the mattress so you can enjoy the outdoors.

The ID. California Cruise is available with a 79 kWh or 86 kWh battery with a maximum range of 275-or-so miles if you opt for the bigger pack. It can recharge at up to 200 kW as well, so long distance road trips are a viable option.

Three kids, one day skiving off school in Chicago, and a (fake) Ferrari made Ferris Bueller’s Day off one of the biggest movies of 1986, and, my personal favourite film of all time.

Maybe it’s because I saw it while on holiday in America, or maybe it’s just that no teenage boy could ever disagree with Cameron when he declares “Ferris Bueller, You’re My Hero.”

That just so happens to be the title of a new book by über fan Jason Klamm, who interviewed literally hundreds of people involved in the filming, from stars Matthew Broderick and Alan Ruck to set designers, producers, hair and makeup and even the extras at Shermer High School. It’s a great read for Ferris fans and reveals all manner of insights from John Hughes’ improv-heavy direction to the film’s key locations 

The Bueller House, where Ferris puts on “One of the worst performance of my career,” to convince his parents that he’s too sick for school, was actually in California, but the school and surroundings of Shermer were shot in Northbrook, Illinois.

It was here that Hughes grew up, and where he also set The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Sixteen Candles,Pretty In Pink and more. The town was previously known as Shermerville, so there are no prizes for guessing where Hughes got his inspiration.

Shermer High’s exterior is Glenbrook North High School on 2300 Shermer Road, and seeing as it’s where Ferris picks up Sloane it seems like an appropriate place to start. Nearby, at 1201 Cedar Lane there’s a tribute to the filmmaker that put Northbrook on the map, with a John Hughes Memorial Bench. Look northwest and you’ll see the water tower (sadly no longer daubed with Save Ferris) 

Ferris’s mom’s office can be found in Chestnut Court, Winnetka, a short drive east. It’s here where she first speaks to school principal Ed Rooney who tells her Ferris has been absent “Nine times!”. It’s also in the Winnetka area that many of the yards Ferris races through on his mad dash home can be found.

At 370 Beech Street, Highland Park is Cameron’s house. “The place is like a museum. It's very beautiful and very cold, and you're not allowed to touch anything,” says Ferris. Hughes and the film crew came across the home, real name The Ben Rose House, quite by chance, having originally scripted that Cameron would send his father’s Porsche into the depths of Lake Michigan. When Hughes saw the Rose House and its amazing glass and steel Pavillion, housing its owner’s collection of classic Ferraris, the movie’s most memorable scene was re-written.

In the film’s timeline, that comes later, after the trio has driven into Chicago and left the car with the “Professional what?” at A-1 EZ OK Park – in reality Washington Madison Wells Self Park, at 172 West Madison Street. It’s a half hour drive south on I94, where you may be tempted to throw your arms in the air as you listen to Beat City by the Flowerpot Men. It may also be hard to resist playing the theme from Star Wars and attempting to copy stuntman Rick LeFevour who launches the Ferrari (actually a replica made by Modena Designs) on Clark Street using a special kicker ramp.

Chez Quis, where Ferris declares himself “the sausage king of Chicago” is at 22 W. Schiller Street. Don’t expect to go inside and eat pancreas, though, as it’s a private home. The next stop is Wrigley Field, home to the Chicago Cubs baseball team, where if you time it right you can take in a game and chant “Hey batter batter! Swing batter!”

Cameron, Ferris and Sloane head to the Sears Tower (now the Willis Tower at 233 South Wacker Drive. At the time of filming, it was the tallest building in the world. “The city looks so peaceful from up here,” says Sloane. “Anything is peaceful from 1,353 feet,” replies Ferris. You can find out for yourself on the Skydeck.

The trading floor at the Board of Trade is no longer a sea of arm-waving capitalists, but does have a museum so you can see how money was made back in the day.

At the Art Institute of Chicago the curators have put together a self-guided Be Like Ferris Bueller tour that takes in the Chagall, Rodin, Pollock artworks that the trio enjoy. Take extra time for Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte where Cameron gets totally absorbed in the painting’s Pointilism. “The closer [Cameron] looks at the child, the less he sees. I think he fears that the more you look at him, the less you see,” noted Hughes.

It’s at Dearborn and Adams Streets where Ferris hijacks a float at the Von Steuben Day German-American heritage parade, first singing Danke Schein and then launching into Twist and Shout for Cameron, “a young man who doesn't think he's seen anything good today.”

To complete the day the fastest way back to Shermer (Northbrook) is on the I90 and I94. Just don’t try to drive it in reverse.

Words Nik Berg‍ ‍Instagram

ROADBOOK

CLASS: MOVIE MAGIC

NAME: The End of the ROad for 007

ROUTE: Northbrook to Chicago

COUNTRY: USA

Distance: 80 Miles

A new study by neuroscientists has discovered a “sweet spot” that influences the sense of thrill drivers get when behind the wheel.

The research, commissioned by Castrol and conducted by neuroscience company Brainbox, reveals that driving thrill comes from the convergence of three factors in an elevated state: visceral (intense state of mental and physical stimulation), intellectual (how engaged the mind is on the given task) and emotional (identifying the balance of excitement versus fear).

If any of these factors exceed a level that’s manageable then the driver becomes overwhelmed and thrill turns to fear. Surprisingly speed isn’t necessarily a key factor in driving thrill, say the scientists. “Beyond any other factor, a sense of controlled immersion is essential for creating the thrill of driving. Notably, while speed is one of multiple contributory factors that heighten the sense of thrill, it is certainly not a primary determinant.”

To discover just what makes driving thrilling the boffins measured, brain waves, heart rate, skin response and eye tracking, as a group of test subjects took to the wheel at PalmerSport in Bedfordshire. They tackled a range of different cars and disciplines from slow off-roading, to karting, driving a McLaren Artura GT4 and the PalmerSport JPLM open race car. They also rode shotgun with a pro driver.

Although the data revealed that the most “thrilling” experience was driving the McLaren, the passenger ride with a professional racer was actually less thrilling than karting and off-roading, despite the speeds being higher.

“No single measurement defines thrill, rather it is where they are heightened and converge: the individual is experiencing a state of elevated neurophysiological arousal, they perceive that they are fully in control of the vehicle, and they are immersed in the experience both cognitively and emotionally,” says Dan Phillips, Co-founder & Director at Brainbox. “Thrill isn’t about speed, it’s about focus. The data shows real thrill as the moment a driver locks in completely, and it can be seen across the brain, heart and eyes.”

Vincent Panel, Head of Product & Communications for Europe at Castrol says: “We commissioned this study to develop unique insights into what the driver feels when behind the wheel: the thrill, the control, the connection. Crucially, we identified that you don’t need a supercar to experience driving thrill; you can experience almost the same sense of immersive control without high speeds, from a visit to a local karting track or a drive along one of your favourite roads. This study examines how that sense of thrill can be found in every driver.”

The drive to where James Bond met his demise is dramatic in its own right.

“I’m not going to make it.”  They’re the words that no 007 fan ever thought they’d hear, but in the closing moments of No Time To Die, Bond is left with no option but to sacrifice himself for his family.

Seconds later a barrage of missiles lands on the mountain top where Daniel Craig’s Bond is standing. Now I’m standing here too, rewatching that scene on my phone thanks to the impressive 5G coverage here in the Faroe Islands. 

007’s demise is marked by a headstone that reads: “In memory of James Bond 1962-2021. The proper function of man is to live not to exist.”

Getting to this spot on the island of Kalsoy, where the emotional final seconds were filmed is a little like being in Bond movie, with a sequence that involves a drive through dramatic landscapes, a ferry crossing and a scramble up steep slopes and narrow ridges with death-defying drops.

Like our other Detours in the Faroe Islands it starts in Torshavn, the capital city from which almost all of the islands are accessible within a couple of hours drive. It’s straight into the epic Eysturoy Tunnel, taking the Runavik exit at the undersea roundabout and then following Skàlafjoður north on Route 10, passing busy fisheries and scattered settlements. 

A second tunnel leads under the fjord to Borðoy island and the harbour of Klaskvik. Just over 5,000 people live here, making it the second biggest town on the Faroe Islands, but with no time to… dawdle I’m straight into the queue for the first ferry of the day. It’s best to book in advance as there’s room for less than 20 vehicles and locals always get priority.

I roll onto the boat in ‘my’ Morgan Supersport 400 – a car which would make a fine Bond mobile if he ever switched allegiance from Aston Martin – and settle in for the 20 minute crossing.

Reaching land again on Kalsoy there’s no need to consult a map or GPS, there’s just one road, running up the east coast. The island is home to less than 100 people, and unsurprisingly the road isn’t quite as well maintained as the rest of the Faroes. It’s narrow and broken with the steep spine of the island to my left and the narrow fjord that separates it from Kunoy to my right.

The first of a pair of dark and dingy tunnels disappears into the mountains, wide enough for one vehicle only, but with wisely positioned passing spots. At Mikladalur there’s a monument to a Faroese legend more horrifying than any Bond villain. On the craggy rocks below the village is a bronze sculpture of The Seal Woman. The story goes that those who died at sea would come back as seals, but return to land at once a year and shed their seal skins to become human again. A local farmer kidnapped one and made him his wife, locking her seal skin away in a chest. For years she lived a miserable life on land before finally escaping. The farmer and his friends took revenge on the local seals, killing her mate and pups. The Seal Woman then cursed the farmer, the villagers and all their descendants. Grim stuff.

To reach Trøllanes and the end of 007’s adventures requires passing through another narrow tunnel and tackling a couple of car chase-ready switchbacks to find the parking area.

It was here that the 60-strong film crew of No Time to Die based themselves on sheep farmer Jóhannus Kallsgarð’s land. Enterprisingly his son had the idea to mark the exact location of 007’s death with a carved headstone, and now the family charges 200 Kroner (around £23) to hike up the hill to see it and the impressive Kallur Lighthouse perched precariously on the cliff top.

It’s a 45-minute walk that’s mostly on a gravel path, but gets steeper and boggier towards the top. Here I traverse a spine-tingling ridge to look out over the islands and the open Atlantic Ocean, before paying my respects to the world’s greatest secret agent. And now I appear to have something in my eye…sniff.

 For further information about exploring the Faroe Islands check out https://visitfaroeislands.com/en

Words Nik Berg‍ ‍Instagram
Photography Nick Dimbleby Instagram

ROADBOOK

CLASS: SPY DRIVE

NAME: The End of the ROad for 007

ROUTE: Torshavn to Trøllanes

COUNTRY: FAROE ISLANDS

Distance: 35 Miles

Make a Pit Stop at Grill 66 for the most remote - and delicious - burger in Iceland

Iceland’s northernmost settlement is best known for its herring fishing heritage. They used to hunt sharks here too. Located at the tip of the Tröllaskagi peninsula, Siglufjörður is home to a tight-knit community that has an enduring relationship with the sea. Surprising then, that it’s probably the best place you’ll eat a burger on the island. Think turf, not surf.

To get there, abandon Route 1 – the touristy primary highway – and set your sat nav for Grill 66. There’s one road in and out of town, Route 76, and whether approaching from the east or the west, the driving is spectacular. You’ll lose count of the waterfalls that cascade off cliff edges into the Atlantic.

Conveniently, this burger joint is part of the town’s petrol station, so you can top up tummy and tank in one hit. Smashed patties and trendy flavours aren’t a thing here, the more traditional menu comprises grilled meat, a few sides and some fries. Request an extra sachet of Kartöflukrydd seasoning to give your portion of fried potatoes some extra oniony zing. A local favourite, which is always a good sign, meals are cooked to order so it’s fresher, tastier and a little slower than typical fast food. There are plant-based options too.

A household name, Grill 66 is a chain, but Siglufjörður’s outpost is possibly the most sensationally set. Dine out on the picnic bench beyond the forecourt on the bank of the fjord and gaze up at the mountain’s as you graze. Then, take the 793 up to the ski resort on the outskirts of town for a birds’ eye view. Before you go though, treat yourself to a squiggle of soft serve. Ice cream always seems to taste better in the summer by the sea, especially when it’s being melted by the heat of the midnight sun.

Words & Photography Charlotte Vowden Instagram

ROADBOOK

CLASS: FAST FOOD

NAME: GRILL 66

ROUTE: Route 76, Tjarnargata 6, 580 Siglufjörður

COUNTRY: Iceland

Practice your Italian and your German on this border-spanning alpine drive.

Jaufen Pass. It doesn’t sound very Italian, does it? And with good reason. This magical little road is tucked away in a crevice of the South Tirol region, a curious, autonomous province where German and Italian language and culture combine on road signs and in hotel receptions. Practice your best Buongiorno ready for check in and you might be met with a miffed Guten tag in return.

Perhaps we should switch to its alternative name – Passo di Monte Giovo – not least because it can claim to be the most northerly Alpine pass entirely on Italian soil. Where it dwells might be of little concern once you peel off the main thoroughfare and into the first of its hairpins, though. 

I begin in St. Leonhard in Passeier (around 30 miles north of the South Tirol capital, Bolzano), a village whose German resonance is underscored further by its hotel names; Wiesenhof, Ferienhaisl and Fallenbach are not bred from a Romance language. Yet their aesthetics are all unmistakably Alpine and on a sunny day their natural tones contrast so bewitchingly against the verdant green valley, you’d be forgiven for parking up and whiling away your afternoon with a coffee and gelato amongst it all.

Resist the urge, though: the road, and those views, just keep getting better. Starting with a dozen switchbacks. The tight, blind sort that you take calmly, allowing their slower pace to build the anticipation in your belly. It’s a biker’s paradise here – both engine and pedal powered – so it’s better to keep things sensible until you have the visibility ahead to go a bit quicker.

With a stone wall one side and trees on the other, you’re afforded only teasing glimpses of the scenery during your ascent. These initial few miles are narrow, too, making my choice of car – a Mini Cooper S – one I can be pretty smug about. With a mite over 200bhp and a subtler approach to suspension stiffness than a full-bore Cooper Works, it’s an amiable thing, and though O’ll forever crave a manual ‘box on roads like this – Minis are a DCT-only zone nowadays – not worrying about which gear you’re in allows a greater focus on accurately threading the car along this slim but scintillating road.

Around four miles in and the trees drop away and the pass widens. Useful if you’ve got caught behind one of the local buses that wend their way implausibly up and down this route. The hairpins pick up again shortly, but it’s the breathless mix of corners between them that you’ll really enjoy, the brilliantly smooth surface ensuring you can focus fully on balancing your car through each bend. The Cooper S handles tidily and its twin-clutch transmission helps ensure there’s lots of torque for building altitude without fuss.

With the sun shining, the rolling hills around you astonish in their tones; if the weather’s bleaker, you’re not missing out either, the vivid streaks of cloud and rain across the sky providing true theatre. This is an Alpine pass that’s generally open all year, closing overnight in winter but not barriered off for several months like some of the bigger hitters. Yet even in warmer months you should pack a jacket or jumper – the air remains fresh at its 2,094m peak. Time it right and the Edelweißhütte can welcome you in for a coffee and cake as you bask in the Jaufen’s (or Giovo’s…) headline view. 

Then it’s over and down the other side, repeating a similar mixture of slow hairpins and quicker stretches while enjoying the views of a completely different Tirol valley on your descent. At 22 miles overall it’s simple to run back and forth and it’s a joyful road whichever direction you attack it in – and whichever language its signage or locals happen to favour, too.

Or you can tag right onto our Timmelsjoch Detour for a fuller exploration of the Tirol region…

Words Stephen Dobie
Photography Mini / Stephen Dobie

ROADBOOK

CLASS: Mountain Pass

NAME: Jaufen Pass / Passo di Monte Giovo

ROUTE: St. Leonhard in Passeier to Casateia

COUNTRY: Italy

Distance: 22 Miles

The government of South Tyrol has banned car and bike tour groups from the Italian Alps on roads above 1,600 metres. The rules mean that famous mountain passes such as the Stelvio, Furka and Timmelsjoch will be out of bounds for drivers and riders travelling in organised tour parties.

Citing congestion and environmental concerns, the provincial government’s ruling puts a stop on any motorsport events and organised recreational gathering, but crucially, does not stop individuals from accessing the region’s marvellous mountain roads.

The wording of the regulations is a bit vague, so it’s unclear what actually constitutes an ‘organised’ event, but if a small group of friends are driving or riding together then that should still be ok. It’s where enthusiasts have paid a commercial event organiser and are travelling in a larger convoy that is likely to fall foul of the new rules. It’s also worth noting that neighbouring Switzerland and Austria have not taken similar action, so the passes can be still be tackled by groups from a different side.

The Stelvio Pass celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2025 and remains a mecca for drivers and riders, but despite this South Tyrol’s governor Arno Kompatscher says that he is working on “additional, targeted measures” to counter the large volumes of traffic and over-enthusiastic driving that takes place in the mountains. Watch this space…

The Faroe Islands are a traffic-free drivers’ delight, but one road bests the rest.

There are more sheep than people on the Faroe Islands, so it won’t surprise you to learn that the roads are almost empty.

Some 370 miles of asphalt cover 16 of the 18 islands (the other two aren’t inhabited), which doesn’t sound much, but with 21,000 of the 54,000 islanders living in and around Torshavn, you don’t have to travel far from the capital to experience the emptiness.

In four days criss-crossing the islands in ‘my’ Morgan Supersport 400 the only real traffic I encounter is the handful of vehicles disembarking the Smyril Line ferry from Denmark with me.

Yes, there are occasional tourist buses, rental cars and foreign-registered campers, dawdling along, but in a 400 bhp sports car they’re just momentary delays.

It’s not that I spend all my time driving as if my trousers are aflame, for the islands are so distracting in their beauty that it would be impossible not to slow down and soak in this landscape of craggy peaks that literally exploded out of the Atlantic in a violent volcanic eruption. Sheer sea cliffs are home to millions of birds, waterfalls tumbling down the rock faces into the ocean. The islands are barren, devoid of any trees (bar a few that have been imported), yet rich in verdant grass, providing year-round feed for the 80,000 sheep.

The Faroe Islands are pushing for more human visitors but for now they still feel relatively undiscovered. Soon more wildlife watchers, hikers and history buffs will arrive, but keen drivers should also add the islands to their lists.

The roads are, for the most part, smooth and well-cared for. You’ll find fast and flowing sections that run parallel with the edges of deep lochs, leading to isolated fishing villages of black sandy beaches, multi-hued wooden houses and turf-topped churches.

Then there are steep, switchback-strewn parts that cut inland over the peaks and sometimes right through them via narrow tunnels.

There’s one road, however, that beats the rest for pure driving entertainment. It leads from Eiði to Gjógv on the island of Eysturoy and even the build-up is brilliant.

From Torshavn you track the Kaldbaks fjord, running just high enough above sea level to look down at the fisheries as waterfalls crash down the mountainside. The road rises into a valley reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands then disappears into a tunnel, emerging to reveal the edge of Kolla fjord which you follow north. So far, it’s an unchallenging route, with curves that gently follow the coastline and passing through small settlements – every one with its own church, some ancient, some modern.

Cross the short bridge at Oyrarbakki and you leave Streymoy for Eysturoy and take the road to Eiði, choosing the right fork to Gjógv. Signs warn that the road may not be cleared of snow in the winter months – a clue to the climb ahead.

Sure enough the road rises as it first follows the coast before cutting sharply inland into the domain of the bovine. Sheep are everywhere and the road is narrow, but the sight lines are good and there are plenty of passing places in the unlikely event that you should meet another vehicle. Soon the corners start to come, and they just get better and better, with swift sweepers leading to a brace of hairpins and then a faster, more open part that brings you to the high point of the road. Over the crest another fabulous fjord view greets you, but pay attention as the road drops dramatically through a sequence of switchbacks and then takes a winding, undulating path, with more crazy curves thrown in, before a final gentle run into Gjógv.

It’s a perfect postcard village in a natural harbour and an opportunity to stretch your legs before the drive back to Torshavn. You’ll retrace your steps at first, before peeling off left to Funningur and tackling some final, fantastic hairpins that take you to the edge of Funnings fjord. Now you have time to breathe again as you follow the road down to Strendur, where there’s one last chance to have it taken away once more.

Enter the Eysturoy tunnel and you’ll plummet down into one of the longest, deepest road tunnels in the world. It’s 11 km to the other end, just outside Torshavn, and you’ll also have to negotiate the only undersea roundabout in existence – but that’s another story.

For further information about exploring the Faroe Islands check out https://visitfaroeislands.com/en

Words Nik Berg‍ ‍Instagram
Photography Nick Dimbleby & Matt Jennings

ROADBOOK

CLASS: ISLAND LIFE

NAME: Fun in The Faroe Islands

ROUTE: Torshavn to Torshavn

COUNTRY: FAROE ISLANDS

Distance: 71 Miles

Owners of Škoda’s electric vehicles can now make use of a new Camp Mode to maintain a constant temperature overnight, if they’re kipping in their car.

An update to the MyŠkoda app means that drivers of the Epiq, Elroq, Enyag and Peaq can now have a climate-controlled sleep, as long as there’s at least 30 per cent charge in the battery pack.

Car camping is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to pitching a tent for an overnight stop on a road trip, with SUVs offering sufficient space to lie flat in the back, and offering the kind of weather protection that no canvas can compete with.

Drivers of many EVs - now including Škodas - can stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter by running their car’s heating and ventilation system. In a combustion powered car you’d have to fire up the engine to do the same thing - which just isn’t practical or responsible.

For those who enjoy the spontaneity and freedom that car camping allows, but with added comfort, Škoda can now be added to the list of camping candidates.

Nothing beats the heat like a sea breeze on an ocean drive.

If you’re looking to cool down this summer then take a cruise on one of these seven coast roads, in the UK, USA, Australia, Namibia and India.

From an early start at Morgan’s home in Malvern, across six countries, and including a high-speed autobahn run, Detour founder Nik Berg and the Morgan crew reaches the tip of Denmark in just two days. They hop aboard the Smyril Line ferry and, having borrowed some old school paper maps from car photographer Stan Papior, plan a route that criss-crosses the islands, taking in its most picturesque locations.

Grass-roofed houses, majestic mountains, causeways, undersea tunnels and deep blue fjords form a stunning backdrop, while the island’s intoxicating roads are an opportunity to put the Morgan Supersport 400 to the test, driving all day and all night, as the sun never sets.

In an otherwise unremarkable trading estate in Newbury you’ll find cool cars, great coffee and sophisticated sim racing rigs.

They’re all at Podium Place, a hub for petrolheads, where enthusiasts meet to admire metal and shoot the breeze in a stylish club house. From the outside it doesn’t stand out from the other industrial units, but behind the glass is the kind of slick setup you’d find in a Formula 1 team’s hospitality suite.

To the left there’s a small coffee bar, plenty of seating on a mix of armchairs and diner tables and chairs, with more room outside. There’s always a couple of interesting cars and bikes on display, together with plenty of F1-inspired artwork.

To the right of the entrance is the sim lounge, with three very fancy full-motion racing simulators, each enclosed in a pod with a massive wraparound screen. Visitors can book up to an hour at a time in the hope of getting their name on the Top Gear-style leader board.

There’s also members club, which offers discounts on everything from coffee and merchandise to sim laps and driving events, with Podium hosting monthly local drive-outs and occasional trips further afield. To help the local car community look after their vehicles there’s also an on-site detailing facility.

When Detour visited on a sunny Saturday morning the café was packed, and there was a constant flow of arrivals on two and four wheels.

It’s not exactly a glamorous location, but it’s a popular spot for Berkshire bike and car fans and worth a visit if you’re in the area.

Words Nik Berg  Instagram
Photography Nik Berg

ROADBOOK

CLASS: Cars & CoFFEE

NAME: Podium Place

ROUTE: 31A Bone Lane, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 5SH

COUNTRY: UK

For stunning sandstone canyons draped in eucalyptus forest and a leisurely meander through heritage towns, few drives can match Australia’s Blue Mountains.

An hour’s drive west of Sydney, the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains form part of Australia's Great Dividing Range, where sandstone plateaus are dissected by vast valleys cloaked in gum trees. The eucalypts release aromatic oils into the air, creating the distinctive blue haze that gives the region its name.

I begin my 100-mile tour in Richmond, originally home to the Darug people and settled by Europeans in 1794. The route heads southwards across the western Sydney fringe before joining the M4 near Emu Plains. Crossing the mighty Nepean River, its broad, languid waters marking the edge of the city, the motorway becomes the Great Western Highway, and the Blue Mountains rise ahead as a dark, heavily wooded escarpment.

The highway climbs steadily through a series of gentle curves. This is nothing like blasting along a European motorway; the pace is relaxed with steady traffic, smooth asphalt, courteous driving and speed limits between 60 and 90km/h. Eucalypts, rainforest vegetation and flashes of seasonal deciduous colour crowd the verge as the road threads past historic mountain towns, affording occasional glimpses east across Sydney's rolling plains and west into a sweep of green-clad folds. Bushfire warning signs are a constant reminder of the landscape's volatile nature, while sulphur-crested cockatoos swoop to gather noisily by the roadside.

A brief detour leads to Wentworth Falls, where the waterway plunges over successive sandstone ledges into the immense Jamison Valley. A few miles farther west, Leura’s colourful shopfronts sit beneath awnings typical of Australian country towns. Then comes Katoomba, home to the Three Sisters, although today only two rocky pinnacles emerge clearly through the mist.

A little further, the outdoor terrace of the historic Hydro Majestic is hard to beat for a flat white and an unfolding panorama across the Megalong Valley, where layer upon layer of forested ridges fade into a soft blue with distance.

At just over 1,000 metres, Blackheath and Mount Victoria are among the Mountains’ highest towns. Beyond, a structural failure has closed the route west towards Lithgow. The Darling Causeway is the main alternative, and with a woodland canopy spilling away on either side from its winding, undulating ridgeline, it hardly feels like a diversion.

At Bell I reach the quieter alternative to the Great Western Highway: the Bells Line of Road. Named after the man who in 1823 enlisted the help of two Aboriginal guides to find a route across the Mountains, it follows a corridor that had long been known to Indigenous people. The road’s remoteness hints at the difficulties encountered during its construction, and why it fell into disrepair not long afterwards, before being revived during WWII.

S-bends, dense vegetation and steep gradients surround Mount Tomah, where signs warn against stopping due to rockfalls. The mist that lingered in the southern valleys now spills across the rain-slicked tarmac, and the constant twists and turns are almost dizzying.

At Bilpin, I’m in the heart of apple-growing country; orchards replace forest, while cafés and cider houses advertise homemade pies and local produce. The landscape opens once more, particularly from Bellbird Lookout, where Sydney's plains again stretch toward the horizon.

The final highlight arrives at Bellbird Hill near Kurrajong Heights. With gradients of up to 1:8 and a series of tight bends, it’s one of the most satisfying sections on the entire circuit. Before long, suburbia reappears and I'm back in Richmond, having completed a loop that captures the Blue Mountains at their finest: engaging roads, characterful towns and a landscape that seems to stretch without end.

Words & Photography Indi Bains

ROADBOOK

CLASS: Mountain High

NAME: Blue Mountains Grand Circular Drive

ROUTE: Sydnet to Sydney

COUNTRY: Australia

Distance: 100 Miles

Hagerty has named a Pennsylvania byway as its 2026 Road of the Year.

American auto enthusiasts know Hagerty as a classic car insurer and champion of the car community. Hagerty’s founders and its members have a real passion for driving, as demonstrated by its annual award for Road of the Year.

For 2026 the prize goes to Pennsylvania State Route 144, which runs 109 miles north-south, bisecting the state in its most mountainous region.

“Paved nearly a century ago to provide an automobile-friendly connector to lumber and railroad towns, the road now delivers a recreational paradise,” writes Hagerty’s SVP of Media and Editorial Larry Webster. “Outdoor pursuits on or near PA 144 include hunting, fishing, river rafting, hiking, off-roading, and of course, fantastic driving.”

Webster describes “large-radius sweeping curves carved with generally excellent pavement cut through a less dense, sun-drenched area of pitch pine and scrub oak,” and “abundant wildlife but not another human for miles.” Near Hall Run Creek Webster says: “This is where PA 144 is most like an amusement ride, hugging steep hillsides edged by steel guardrails.”

Visit Hagerty to read his full guide to Pennsylvania 144 and why it captured the award for 2026.

Perhaps it’s a cliché to liken a scintillating stretch of road to a rollercoaster. But with Timmelsjoch, the toll road which straddles the Austrian-Italian border deep in the Tirol region, the comparison feels uncanny.

You sit in its short, polite queue to pay your 20 euros (€28 return), excited tingles building in your belly as you ponder what G-forces await you. Much like a visit to a theme park, though, the anticipation begins much earlier. Getting to Timmelsjoch typically involves a drive from Innsbruck, whose mountainous approach is a sight to covet whether by car or plane.

Immersing yourself in its scenery doesn’t take long, and sticking in Kühtai as my waypoint – ski resort in the winter, verdant valley in the warmer months – proves a neat way to cut the highway miles short. This 26-mile stretch is warm, inviting and chockful of everything we love as drivers: hairpins, 90-degree corners and quicker, more flowing bends, all perfectly surfaced and wide enough to maintain decent momentum. The car helps, too. I’ve commandeered a Mini John Cooper Works for the journey, one of the few remaining small petrol hot hatchbacks on sale and an ideal device for a day like this.

Human endeavour weaves neatly into the work of mother nature here. Tunnels twist and bend sympathetically through the rock, their open sides allowing light to dapple their interiors, while the swooping Längental dam boasts banking to rival an American speedway, the reservoir it keeps in place as dazzlingly turquoise as any I’ve seen.

Reaching Sölden, I start to pick up more enthusiast traffic, the little Mini rubbing shoulders with the copious Porsches, Ferraris and McLarens of supercar tour groups. Yet we’re all pottering along at the same speed and I’m wincing far less as we skulk through contraflows or meet oncoming timber lorries. Out of Sölden you have the choice to turn right onto the Ötztal Glacier Road, among Europe’s highest passes and the shoot location of a Spectre chase scene, or carry on along route 186 to Hochgurgl and the beginning of Timmelsjoch.

Today, I’m doing the later, and the 186 plays its own support act ahead of the main event, its subtle jinks and chicanes an utter joy in something so nimble. This JCW may be a 1.4-tonne car nowadays, its onslaught of borrowed BMW tech not without consequence, yet it still handles gleefully.

Ten miles later it wends into a briefly dizzying ascent to the Timmelsjoch toll booth and its neighbouring café and motorcycle museum, a fine pitstop before rolling up to pay for the pass and begin our plunge into the Tirol scenery. The breakneck run to the road’s 2,509m peak begins right out the gate, with long straights, sweeping bends and a rapid climb to its crescendo through a series of hairpins. This isn’t a chance to wring out every last ounce of the Mini’s 231hp and 280lb ft; tourists pepper the route, as do the cows, sheep and goats who claim free reign over the road surface. Yet visibility is always vast and you can safely up your pace on demand, the road often quiet enough to spin around in a layby and repeat a favourite section with a mite more commitment.

The Timmelsjoch peak also marks the Italian border a switch in identity to Passo del Rombo. A shift in character, too: much like cresting the Stelvio Pass and descending its fiddly eastern side, leaving Austria means stemming the lovely, rapid flow you’ve hopefully enjoyed so far. I’m into a world of tight, nadgery lanes and the sort of acute hairpins that larger campervans take several bites to clear, slowing traffic further.

It’s a chance to slow down, rest the brakes and absorb the scenery, then, the pass’s lower stretches dipping through a cooling forest whose fresh scent simply has to be enjoyed with the windows rolled down an inch. The euphoric epilogue that signs off any great rollercoaster ride.

Words Stephen Dobie
Photography Mini

ROADBOOK

CLASS: Mountain Pass

NAME: Timmelsjoch

ROUTE: Innsbruck to Timmelsjoch

COUNTRY: Austria

Distance: 85 Miles