Self-drive itineraries

Hire-car and road-trip plans — daily drives, overnight bases, and routes built for the open road.

All travel guides

• 7-day Ko Lanta self-drive itinerary — A spacious independent Ko Lanta week for Koh Haa, Koh Rok, diving or kayaking, southern beaches and weather flex.
• 5-day Ko Lanta self-drive itinerary — Five independent days for Koh Haa, Koh Rok or Four Islands, Old Town, south-coast bays and a proper beach buffer.
• 3-day Ko Lanta self-drive itinerary — A relaxed independent Ko Lanta break: west-coast beaches, Old Town and one weather-led Koh Haa or Four Islands boat day.
• Best day trips from Ko Lanta: 10 things to do — Ten independent Ko Lanta day-out ideas, from Koh Haa and Koh Rok to Old Town, mangroves and south-coast sunsets.
• 7-day Ko Phi Phi Le self-drive itinerary — A full Phi Phi Don week with a Le circuit, snorkelling or diving, kayaking, island downtime and weather buffer.
• 5-day Ko Phi Phi Le self-drive itinerary — Five Phi Phi Don days at your own pace: Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, a soft Don day and Bamboo Island or snorkel flex.
• 3-day Ko Phi Phi Le self-drive itinerary — A Phi Phi Don-based independent break: ferry arrival, Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon, then Don viewpoints or a snorkel flex.
• Best day trips from Ko Phi Phi Le: 10 things to do — Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Bamboo Island and Phi Phi Don: independent boat and walking days with honest no-car logistics.
• 7-day Krabi self-drive itinerary — A flexible Ao Nang week with Railay, Four Islands, the jungle-and-temple circuit, Hong or Phi Phi, and mangroves.
• 5-day Krabi self-drive itinerary — Five unhurried Ao Nang days: Railay, an Emerald Pool and Tiger Cave driver day, an island boat, and a soft finale.
• 3-day Krabi self-drive itinerary — An independent Ao Nang itinerary: Railay by longtail, then Four Islands or Hong Island, with honest no-car logistics.
• Best day trips from Krabi: 10 things to do — Railay, Four Islands, Hong, Emerald Pool, Tiger Cave and more — practical independent day trips from an Ao Nang base.
• 7-day Phuket self-drive itinerary — A full Phuket week with Grab and hired drivers — Big Buddha and Old Town, Promthep Cape, Phi Phi, Phang Nga Bay, and a Coral Island or Similan flex day.
• 5-day Phuket self-drive itinerary — A Kata or Karon base with Grab and hired drivers — Big Buddha, Old Town, Promthep Cape, and a Phi Phi or Phang Nga Bay flex day.
• 3-day Phuket self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Kata or Karon plan with Grab and hired drivers — Big Buddha, Old Town, Promthep Cape, and an island or Phang Nga flex day.
• Best day trips from Phuket: 10 things to do — Phi Phi, Phang Nga Bay, Coral Island, Big Buddha, Similan, and more — independent Grab and driver-hire day trips from a Phuket base.
• 7-day Bali self-drive itinerary — A classic south-coast-plus-Ubud Bali week with hired day-drivers — Uluwatu, Tanah Lot, rice terraces, and Mount Batur or Nusa Penida.
• 5-day Bali self-drive itinerary — A south-coast-then-Ubud Bali split with hired day-drivers — Uluwatu, rice terraces, and a Mount Batur or Nusa Penida flex day.
• 3-day Bali self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day south-coast Bali plan with hired day-drivers — Uluwatu, Kecak sunset, and an Ubud or cooking-class flex day.
• Best day trips from Bali: 10 things to do — Ubud rice terraces, Uluwatu, Tanah Lot, Mount Batur, Nusa Penida, and more — independent driver-hire day trips from a Bali base.
• 7-day Bangkok self-drive itinerary — A week in Bangkok with independent city days plus DIY Ayutthaya, a floating market, and Kanchanaburi or Bang Krachao — BTS, trains, and boats, one hotel base.
• 5-day Bangkok self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Bangkok base: temple and Chinatown days on BTS and boats, plus an Ayutthaya day trip and a floating-market or Bang Krachao flex day — no city hire car needed.
• 3-day Bangkok self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Bangkok plan on BTS, MRT, and river boats — Grand Palace, Wat Arun, and Chinatown food — without a city hire car.
• Best day trips from Bangkok: 10 things to do — Ayutthaya, Damnoen Saduak, Amphawa, Kanchanaburi, and more — independent train, minivan, and boat days from a Bangkok base.
• 7-day Singapore self-drive itinerary — A week in Singapore with independent city days plus DIY Sentosa, Mandai, Pulau Ubin, and Johor or Batam — MRT and ferries, one hotel base.
• 5-day Singapore self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Singapore base: Marina Bay and heritage days on MRT, plus Sentosa or Universal Studios and a flexible zoo, Ubin, or Johor day — no city hire car needed.
• 3-day Singapore self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Singapore plan on MRT and foot — Marina Bay, heritage neighbourhoods, and Gardens by the Bay — without a city hire car.
• Best day trips from Singapore: 10 things to do — Sentosa, Universal Studios, Pulau Ubin, Johor Bahru, Batam, and more — independent MRT and ferry days from a Singapore base.
• 7-day Osaka self-drive itinerary — A week in Osaka with independent city days plus DIY Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe or Himeji — trains and IC cards, one hotel base.
• 5-day Osaka self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Osaka base: city food streets on Metro, DIY Kyoto, and a flexible Nara, Kobe, or USJ day — no city hire car needed.
• 3-day Osaka self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Osaka plan on Metro and foot — castle, Dotonbori food, and Shinsekai — without a city hire car.
• Best day trips from Osaka: 10 things to do — Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Himeji, USJ, and more — independent train days from an Osaka base, with honest notes on longer loops.
• 7-day Tokyo self-drive itinerary — A week in Tokyo with independent city days plus DIY Kamakura, Nikko, and Hakone — trains and IC cards, one hotel base.
• 5-day Tokyo self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Tokyo base: city wards on trains, DIY Kamakura, and a flexible Hakone or Yokohama day — no city hire car needed.
• 3-day Tokyo self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Tokyo plan on trains and foot — Asakusa, Shibuya, and Shinjuku — without a city hire car.
• Best day trips from Tokyo: 10 things to do — Kamakura, Nikko, Hakone, Yokohama, Kawagoe, and more — independent train days from a Tokyo base, with optional Fuji Five Lakes loops.
• Best day trips from Venice: 10 things to do — Murano, Burano, Torcello, Padova, Verona, Prosecco hills, and more — independent boat and train days from a Venice base.
• 3-day Budapest self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Budapest plan on Metro and tram — Parliament, Castle Hill, and baths — without a city hire car.
• 3-day Prague self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Prague plan on tram and foot — Old Town, Charles Bridge, and the Castle — without a city hire car.
• Best day trips from Rome: 10 things to do — Ostia Antica, Tivoli, Pompeii, Orvieto, Castelli Romani, and more — independent train days from a Rome base, with optional hire-car loops.
• Best day trips from Barcelona: 10 things to do — Montserrat, Sitges, Girona, Figueres, Tarragona, Costa Brava, and cava country — independent train and optional hire-car days from Barcelona.
• 3-day Dubrovnik self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Dubrovnik plan on foot and local buses — city walls, Srđ, and Lokrum or Cavtat — without a hire car in the Old Town.
• 7-day Athens self-drive itinerary — A week in Athens with independent city days plus DIY Sounion or Aegina, Delphi, and Mycenae–Nafplio — optional one-day Peloponnese hire car.
• 7-day Prague self-drive itinerary — A week in Prague with independent city days plus DIY Kutná Hora, Karlštejn or Terezín, and Český Krumlov or Dresden.
• Best day trips from Paris: 10 things to do — Versailles, Giverny, Fontainebleau, Champagne, Loire, and more — independent RER and train days from a Paris base, with optional hire-car loops.
• Best day trips from London: 10 things to do — Windsor, Oxford, Bath, Stonehenge, Cambridge, Brighton, Canterbury, Greenwich, Hampton Court, and the Cotswolds — independent train days from a London base.
• 7-day Cinque Terre self-drive itinerary — A week in Cinque Terre with independent village days plus Portovenere and Lucca — trains first, optional hire car from La Spezia only.
• 5-day Santorini self-drive itinerary — Five days on one Santorini base: caldera villages, Oia, DIY volcano boat, Akrotiri or beaches, and a soft wine-village day.
• Best day trips from Lisbon: 10 things to do — Sintra, Cascais, Évora, Óbidos, Arrábida, and more — independent train and bus days from Lisbon without a city hire car.
• Best day trips from Budapest: 10 things to do — Szentendre, the Danube Bend, Eger, Lake Balaton, Gödöllő, and Vienna — independent HÉV, train, and optional hire-car days from Budapest.
• 7-day Lake Como self-drive itinerary — A week on Lake Como with independent ferry days plus Milan, Lugano or Bergamo — hire car optional for villa approaches.
• Best day trips from Athens: 10 things to do — Cape Sounion, Delphi, Aegina, Hydra, Mycenae and Nafplio, Corinth, and more — independent bus, ferry, and optional hire-car days from Athens.
• 3-day Lake Como self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Lake Como plan — ferry triangle, villa or Brunate, hire car optional for western-shore gardens.
• 3-day Florence self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Florence plan on foot — Duomo axis, Uffizi, Accademia, and Oltrarno — without a city hire car.
• Best day trips from Dubrovnik: 10 things to do — Lokrum, the Elafiti Islands, Mljet, Cavtat, Montenegro, Mostar, and Pelješac wine — independent boat, bus, and optional hire-car days from Dubrovnik.
• Best day trips from Amsterdam: 10 things to do — Haarlem, Zaanse Schans, Keukenhof, Utrecht, Delft, Volendam, Kinderdijk, Giethoorn, and more — independent train days from an Amsterdam base.
• 5-day Venice self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Venice base: palace and sestieri on vaporetto, DIY islands or Padova, and a Cannaregio finale — car only from Mestre for Prosecco.
• 5-day Lisbon self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Lisbon base: Alfama and Belém on Metro, DIY Sintra by train, and Cascais or Évora as a soft or long day.
• 3-day Amalfi Coast self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Amalfi Coast plan — Sorrento or Amalfi base, Positano, and Ravello or Capri — ferries first, hire car optional.
• 5-day Rome self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Rome base: ruins and Vatican on metro, DIY Ostia or Tivoli, and a food neighbourhood finale — hire car only for Castelli hills.
• 3-day Venice self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Venice plan on foot and vaporetto — San Marco, Rialto, Dorsoduro, and Cannaregio — without a hire car.
• 7-day Lisbon self-drive itinerary — A week in Lisbon with independent city days plus DIY Sintra, Cascais, and Arrábida, Évora, or Óbidos — Metro and trains first.
• Best day trips from Santorini: 10 things to do — Volcano boat days, Thirassia, Akrotiri and Red Beach, wine villages, and ambitious Ios or Amorgos ferries — independent island loops from Santorini.
• 7-day Vietnam self-drive itinerary — Hanoi and Ninh Binh by car, then Da Nang, Hue, and Hoi An on a second hire — a full week with flights between regions.
• 5-day Athens self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Athens base: Acropolis on Metro, DIY Sounion or Aegina, and Delphi or a soft neighbourhood day — hire car only for the Peloponnese.
• 7-day Barcelona self-drive itinerary — A week in Barcelona with independent city days plus DIY Montserrat, Girona or Sitges, and an optional Costa Brava hire-car loop.
• 5-day Lake Como self-drive itinerary — Five days on Lake Como: Bellagio–Varenna ferries, villa gardens, and Milan or Lugano — hire car optional for western shores.
• 3-day Cinque Terre self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Cinque Terre plan on trains — Vernazza, Manarola, and a trail or boat day — without a village hire car.
• 5-day Amsterdam self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Amsterdam base: museums on tram, DIY Haarlem or Zaanse Schans, and Utrecht or Delft — hire car only for countryside loops.
• 3-day Amsterdam self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Amsterdam plan on foot, tram, and bike — canals, Museumplein, and Jordaan — without a city hire car.
• 3-day London self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day London plan on Tube and foot — Westminster, museums, and the Tower — without a city hire car.
• 5-day Cinque Terre self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Cinque Terre base: village hops by train, a trail or boat day, and Portovenere or Lucca — hire car only from the mainland.
• Sydney to Brisbane road trip itinerary — A coastal Pacific Highway route through Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, and Byron Bay on the way to the Gold Coast and Brisbane.
• New Zealand South Island road trip: 7, 10 and 14-day routes — Christchurch-to-Queenstown loops with Milford, Wanaka, and the west coast — plus campervan vs car for Aussie drivers.
• 3-day Barcelona self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Barcelona plan on Metro and foot — Gothic Quarter, Sagrada Família, and Park Güell — without a city hire car.
• 5-day Amalfi Coast self-drive itinerary — Five days in one coast base: Positano and Amalfi by ferry, Capri or Pompeii, and a soft beach finale — hire car optional for Ravello.
• 7-day Venice self-drive itinerary — A week in Venice with independent sestiere days plus DIY islands and Padova, Verona, or Prosecco — optional hire car from Mestre only.
• Best day trips from Prague: 10 things to do — Kutná Hora, Karlštejn, Český Krumlov, Terezín, Karlovy Vary, Dresden, and more — independent train days from a Prague base.
• 3-day Lisbon self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Lisbon plan on Metro and foot — Alfama, Belém, and Chiado — without a city hire car.
• 5-day Paris self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Paris base: city museums on Métro, DIY Versailles, and a flexible Giverny or Montmartre day — hire car only if you want Champagne villages.
• 5-day Barcelona self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Barcelona base: Gaudí on Metro, DIY Montserrat, and Sitges or beach time — hire car only for Costa Brava coves.
• 7-day Santorini self-drive itinerary — A week on Santorini with independent caldera days plus volcano/Thirassia, south beaches, wine villages, and an optional Ios or Amorgos ferry.
• 7-day Amalfi Coast self-drive itinerary — A week on the Amalfi Coast with independent cliff-town days plus Capri, Pompeii or Path of the Gods — optional hire car for Ravello loops.
• Best day trips from Florence: 10 things to do — Pisa, Siena, Lucca, Chianti, San Gimignano, Bologna, and more — independent train days from a Florence base, with optional hire-car loops.
• 7-day Amsterdam self-drive itinerary — A week in Amsterdam with independent city days plus DIY Haarlem, Utrecht or Delft, and Rotterdam or Kinderdijk — optional countryside hire car.
• 7-day Florence self-drive itinerary — A week in Florence with independent city days plus DIY Pisa, Lucca, and Siena or Chianti — optional hire car for one wine loop.
• 5-day London self-drive itinerary — Five days in one London base: city museums on Tube, DIY Windsor, and Greenwich or Oxford — hire car only if you want the Cotswolds.
• 3-day Athens self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Athens plan on Metro and foot — Acropolis, Agora, and Plaka — without a city hire car.
• Best day trips from the Amalfi Coast: 10 things to do — Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, Capri, Pompeii, Path of the Gods, and more — independent ferry, bus, and hire-car days from a coast base.
• 5-day Tasmania self-drive itinerary from Hobart — Hobart base with a hire car: Port Arthur, Bruny Island, Huon or Mount Field, and MONA — southern Tasmania without the full island loop.
• 5-day Dubrovnik self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Dubrovnik base: walls and Old Town on foot, Lokrum, Elafiti or Cavtat, and Mljet or Montenegro as a long day — hire car only outside the walls.
• 7-day Dubrovnik self-drive itinerary — A week in Dubrovnik with independent Old Town days plus Lokrum, Elafiti, Trsteno, and Mljet, Korčula, or Montenegro — buses and boats first.
• 7-day Paris self-drive itinerary — A week in Paris with independent city days plus DIY Versailles, Giverny, and Champagne or Fontainebleau — optional hire car for one rural loop.
• Best day trips from Cinque Terre: 10 things to do — Vernazza, Manarola, Monterosso, Portovenere, Lucca, Levanto, and more — independent train and boat days from a Cinque Terre base.
• 3-day Rome self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Rome plan on metro and foot — Ancient Rome, the Vatican, and centro-plus-Trastevere — without a city hire car.
• 5-day Prague self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Prague base: Castle and Old Town on tram, DIY Kutná Hora or Karlštejn, and Český Krumlov or a soft Vinohrady day.
• 3-day Santorini self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Santorini plan: caldera walk, Oia sunset, and Akrotiri or a volcano boat — buses first, ATV or hire car only for beaches.
• 7-day London self-drive itinerary — A week in London with independent city days plus DIY Windsor, Oxford or Cambridge, and an optional Cotswolds hire-car loop.
• 5-day Budapest self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Budapest base: Pest and Buda on Metro, DIY Szentendre or the Danube Bend, and Eger or Balaton as a long day — hire car only outside the centre.
• Best day trips from Lake Como: 10 things to do — Bellagio, Varenna, Menaggio, villa gardens, Milan, Lugano, and more — independent ferry, train, and hire-car days from a lake base.
• 7-day Budapest self-drive itinerary — A week in Budapest with independent city days plus DIY Szentendre, baths, and Eger, Balaton, or Vienna — Metro first, hire car only for outer loops.
• 5-day Florence self-drive itinerary — Five days in one Florence base: galleries on foot, DIY Pisa or Lucca, and an Oltrarno food finale — hire car only for Chianti hills.
• 7-day Rome self-drive itinerary — A week in Rome with independent city days plus DIY Ostia, Tivoli, and Pompeii or Orvieto — optional hire car for one Castelli loop.
• 3-day Paris self-drive itinerary — An independent three-day Paris plan on Métro and foot — islands, a flagship museum, and Left Bank or Montmartre — without a city hire car.
• 7-day Tasmania self-drive road trip itinerary — A Hobart-start self-drive loop through Freycinet, Launceston, and Cradle Mountain — daily drives, overnight bases, hire-car tips, and what to skip.
• Great Ocean Road itinerary: 1, 2, and 3-day routes — From a rushed day tour to a slow three-day self-drive — how much time the Twelve Apostles and the coast in between actually deserve.
• 3-day Vietnam self-drive itinerary — Walk Hanoi, hire a car for Ninh Binh, and decide on Halong — a realistic three-day car-hire plan from Hanoi.
• 5-day Cairns self-drive itinerary — Northern beaches, Atherton Tablelands waterfalls, Port Douglas, Daintree, and Kuranda — a hire-car week from a Cairns base.
• 5-day Vietnam self-drive itinerary — Ninh Binh by hire car, then fly to Da Nang for Hai Van Pass and Hue — two regional car segments.