Holidays by car

The highlights arrive thick and fast on our hotel-to-hotel walking holiday in Northumberland. First you have the opportunity to walk right beside the sea, along the sweeping sands of Druridge Bay, before heading inland to Alnwick where there is a magnificent medieval castle, superb gardens and beautiful, landscaped parkland to explore. Later in the week, you’ll be wowed by the castles of Dunstanburgh and Bamburgh, and if you’ve driven to the holiday, you can easily visit the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, located a short distance from your final hotel.

One of the most popular destinations for those who travel by car is, of course, France. In the country’s north-east, our hotel-to-hotel cycling holiday in Alsace explores a hugely charming region: where flower-bedecked villages lie amid rolling vineyards; where the distinctive cuisine is a delightful fusion of Franco-German influences; and whose delicious wines enjoy – deserved – global renown. Although the terrain is gentle, as with all our cycling holidays you can opt for an e-bike for an even more relaxed two-wheeled break.

Another French region easy to reach by car is the Loire Valley, famous for its châteaux. Our cycling holiday gives you the opportunity to visit up to five of the best-known ones – 'moated' Azay-le-Rideau, Villandry with its splendid gardens, Sleeping Beauty's Ussé, Saumur and formidable Chinon – while our walking holiday visits three. If you're taking your car on holiday, there's nothing to stop you from adding an extra night or two at your first or last hotel, so that you can visit even more. You could also take the opportunity to call in at one of the many vineyards and take a few bottles home with you!

Make the journey a memorable part of your holiday and travel by car and boat from the UK to Spain. There are crossings from England’s south coast to both Santander and Bilbao, with most journeys taking just 24 hours. Once arrived, we highly recommend Three Faces of Green Spain, our northern Spain driving tour, which showcases three starkly contrasting landscapes: in the west, Asturias impresses with its jagged peaks, dramatic coastline and lush alpine pastures; the hidden valleys and villages of Burgos Province, meanwhile, are astonishingly tranquil; while the vibrant lands of the Basques are defined by their unique culture and glorious food.