Best European road trips for 2026 ranked: Spain beats UK and Germany to top spot
A new study ranks the best European countries for summer road trips, with Spain taking top spot ahead of Germany, Luxembourg and the UK.
If you're planning to point the front wheel towards Europe this summer, Spain has been named the continent's best destination for a road trip, according to new research. While the rankings were put together with car drivers in mind, plenty of the criteria apply just as well to anyone plotting a two-wheeled escape. In fact, with bikes often paying much less than cars at the toll booth, taking this fidings from a two-wheeled perspective paints an even rosier picture for bikers.
The study, carried out by vehicle marketplace eCarsTrade, compared 37 European countries using a mix of road quality, driving costs, safety, infrastructure, tourist attractions and typical summer weather. Spain came out on top with an overall score of 70.4 out of 100, narrowly edging Germany into second place, while Luxembourg rounded out the top three.
For anyone who's spent time riding through the Pyrenees, the Picos de Europa or the mountain roads of Andalucía, Spain's result probably won't come as much of a surprise. If you ever wondered why most European new motorcycle launches take place in Spain, this is part of the story. According to the report, a two-person holiday costs around €145 a day, with an estimated ten-day trip covering 2,000km coming in at around €1,690. Throw in 50 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and generally warm, dry weather, and it's easy to see why it scored so highly.
Germany finished just half a point behind Spain, helped by its well-maintained road network and an impressive 55 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the highest of any country included in the research. Luxembourg's third-place finish is perhaps the biggest surprise, although its excellent roads and central location make it an easy starting point for touring several neighbouring countries in one trip.
The rest of the top ten is made up of Cyprus, Slovenia, Malta, Slovakia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Czechia.
While the UK only managed ninth overall, it scored well for the number of UNESCO sites, with 35 making the list. Czechia, meanwhile, picked up the title of Europe's cheapest road trip destination, with estimated daily costs of €125 for two people.
The study also looked beyond the tarmac itself. Fuel prices, toll charges, accommodation and food all fed into the cost calculations, while road safety figures, motorway density and EV charging infrastructure helped shape the infrastructure score. Tourist appeal was measured using UNESCO World Heritage Sites and protected natural areas, with weather favouring destinations that combine plenty of sunshine with temperatures around 23 degrees.
Of course, if you're reading Visordown, you'll probably have your own ideas about Europe's best riding roads. Spain deserves its place near the top, but we'd wager plenty of riders would happily argue the case for the Dolomites, the Alps or Norway's Atlantic coast, even if they don't quite make the podium in a survey aimed at motorists.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
