The three road trips every gentleman should take this summer

Dreaming of lounging on a beach this summer, gentlemen? No, thought not. If we’re honest, beaches are overrated. With sand seeping into your sandwiches and flocks of screaming families, you’re better off investing in a car, gathering some close companions and hitting the open road with a destination in mind. Here are three great road trips every man should strive to complete this summer.

USA – Pacific Coast

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While Route 66 is the typical all-American drive, much of it is spent traveling through desolate landscapes between grotty American burger joints. The true connoisseur drive up the west coast on the Pacific Highway, starting in San Diego in southern California all the way up the coast to Oregon, Washington and on to Seattle, near the Canadian border. The route is littered with wineries, quaint American villages, soaring Redwoods and historic sites, plus the bustling metropolises of San Francisco and Los Angeles.

What to drive, Keep it American and classic (subject to reliability – the last thing you want is a smoldering wreck when you’re hundreds of miles from civilisation). Don your leather jacket, toothpick and pretend you’re Steve McQueen by driving the iconic Ford Mustang. Accept no imitations.

Ford Mustang - USA

Europe – Adriatic Sea

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With so many hotspots just a ferry or ‘Chunnel’ ride away, it’s difficult to turn your back on all that Europe has to offer. For a summer road trip, we’d recommend the sticking tight to the Adriatic Sea. Starting in Puglia, the southern tip or ‘heal’ of Italy, driving up the eastern coast to Venice, round to Croatia and down the beautiful Dalmatian coast to the driving mecca that is Montenegro.

What to drive, Keep it classy, classic and clean, so make sure you’re driving something Italian (and preferably convertible to enjoy the favorable climate). We’d recommend the Alfa Romeo Spider and try and opt for the early, sought-after ‘boat-tail’ model.

Alfa romeo - Europe

Asia – The Golden Route

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We’re talking the full Japanese experience here, gents, as The Golden Route follows the old T?kaid? road from Tokyo to Kyoto, past landmarks like Mount Fuji and the cities of Osaka and Hakone. Think bright, flashing neons, weird and wonderfully dressed people and fast, techy cars – oh, and you’d better like fish.

What to drive, There’s only one option here and that’s the mighty Nissan GTR or ‘Godzilla’ as it’s known in its native country. With XXXbhp and games console looks, the GTR represents the pinnacle of Japanese automotive engineering.

Nissan GTR - Japan
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