Self-drive routes, campervans and the open road — from Iceland's Ring Road to Patagonia's end of the world.
The Routes We Actually Drove
No theoretical itineraries. Every guide here comes from behind the wheel — rental cars, campervans, a Defender with a rooftop tent — across single track roads, mountain passes and everything in between. Real routes, real timing, real interactive maps you can follow.
Routes & Road Trip Guides
road-trips
by Stace · Jul 11, 2026
Left-hand drive, one-lane bridges, deceptively long distances between towns — here is everything you need to know before you get behind the wheel in New Zealand.
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road-trips
by Stace · Jul 11, 2026
Freedom camping is one of the best ways to see New Zealand — and one of the most misunderstood by first-time visitors. Here is what it actually means, where it is legal, and how to do it properly.
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road-trips
by Stace · Jul 11, 2026
A road trip around Scotland's North Coast 500 and on to the Isle of Skye in a Defender with a rooftop tent — John o' Groats fish and chips, whisky distilleries, Smoo Cave, the Old Man of Storr and Dunvegan Castle.
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road-trips
by Stace · Mar 25, 2026
Most people take the bus to Torres del Paine. We drove — with a three year old, a grandmother and a boot full of camping gear — and the drive itself turned out to be part of the experience.
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road-trips
by Stace · Sep 8, 2025
A week through the deep South Island — Milford Sound, Mount Cook, the Nevis Bungy, Dunedin and the wild, largely undiscovered Catlins coastline. The best week of my New Zealand trip.
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road-trips
by Stace · Aug 8, 2019
Planning a trip to Scotland? We are sharing our Scottish highlands road trip itinerary with you! Scotland was such a mystery to us. When our New Zealand trip fell through we really wanted to go on a…
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The Wandering Bajans trip planner lets you build your full itinerary, packing list and budget in one place — free, no sign-up required. Open it alongside any guide and plan as you go.
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Affiliate Links
Everything here has been on a real road trip. Some links are affiliate links — if you book or buy through them I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Filters directly from rivers and streams — used it on road trips through Iceland and Scotland where fuel stops are scarce but clean water sources aren't. No batteries, no fuss, and it eliminates the need to carry heavy bottled water across long driving days.
We use this before every single road trip. It compares rates across companies in one search and consistently finds better prices than booking direct with a single rental company — particularly useful for one-way rentals where fees can vary enormously by direction.
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Everything to sort before, during and on the road.
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