Visibility is tops "in the hierarchy of perfect driving conditions," asserts British meteorologist Jim N.R. Dale in a new report that ranks road trips by weather.
That sounds like bad news for frequently foggy stretches like the coast of Oregon. But three other U.S. routes did crack the global top 10—a stronger nationwide showing than any other country featured on the list, which was released by the U.K.'s Autotrader, an online marketplace for buying and selling cars.
[Of course, many folks considering a U.S. road trip this summer might find gas prices—currently averaging more than $4 per gallon—a greater deterrent than cloudy skies.]
Autotrader partnered with Dale to come up with a "Perfect Driving Weather Score" of a possible 100 based on a "range of factors including humidity, ground temperature, number of clear days, visibility quality, and wind speed" as determined by historical weather data for the world's most ballyhooed road trips.
Topping the list, with a score of 90.6 out of 100, is South Africa's 186-mile Garden Route, a showstopper of a drive encompassing coastline, forests, and mountains between Mossel Bay in the Western Cape province and Storms River in the Eastern Cape.
Autotrader's analysis praises the road's clear skies for most of the year, allowing for spectacular views of the Indian Ocean coast. Noting as well the route's "gentle winds and comfortable temperatures," the ranking declares "this is as close to perfect as driving weather gets."
A pair of storied U.S. drives place second and third on the list.
Route 66, with a weather score of 87.3, takes the silver medal in this, the Mother Road's 100th-anniversary year. "Reliably low rainfall and strong sunshine" make the Southwestern portions of the highway, particularly in Arizona and New Mexico, pleasant from a meteorological perspective, according to the report.
Just behind, with a score of 86.1, comes California's Pacific Coast Highway in third place.
While acknowledging the northern section can get rainy and the parts in Big Sur have experienced landslides and road closures in recent years, the analysis points out that the "central California coast in particular benefits from a microclimate that keeps extremes of heat and cold in check," creating "stable, predictable conditions" for the highway's cliff-top vistas and golden-hour magic (which, again, comes at a hefty price currently, what with California having the most expensive gasoline in the country.)
Europe's best-performing routes round out the top five.
In fourth place, the sunny Mediterranean climate of Italy's Amalfi Coast (with a score of 81) means that at least the weather will be nice as you negotiate those sharp cliffside turns and high traffic levels during peak tourism season.
Another seaside fave, the Costa Brava in northeastern Spain, earned the fifth spot with a weather score of 76.3.
Frommer's Spain
Frommer’s books aren’t “written" by A.I., like so many others, or by travel writers who simply pop in briefly to a destination and then consider the job done. We use seasoned, locally-based journalists like Peter Barron (formerly of the BBC), along with writers who live part-time in Spain, like Patr...
Get the bookFrommer's Spain
Frommer’s books aren’t “written" by A.I., like so many others, or by travel writers who simply pop in briefly to a destination and then consider the job done. We use seasoned, locally-based journalists like Peter Barron (formerly of the BBC), along with writers who live part-time in Spain, like Patr...
The third U.S. road trip that made the top 10: northern Maui's Kahekili Highway in ninth place.
Remember that the ranking is based on historical weather data rather than recent events such as the flooding in parts of Hawaii that led to closures of Kahekili Highway last month. Always check current local conditions before hitting the road.
Road trips with the world's best weather conditions
Here's the full top 10 of the best road trips for good weather conditions, according to Autotrader's research.
- Garden Route, South Africa (driving weather score: 90.6 out of 100)
- Route 66, USA (87.3)
- Pacific Coast Highway, USA (86.1)
- Amalfi Coast Road, Italy (81)
- Costa Brava Coastal Roads, Spain (76.3)
- Great Ocean Road, Australia (71.4)
- Icefields Parkway, Canada (69.5)
- Loire Valley Drives, France (67.3)
- Kahekili Highway, USA (57.2)
- Norwegian Atlantic Road, Norway (39.1)
To read the full analysis, go to Autotrader.co.uk.