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Business News/ Mint-lounge / Indulge/  The dude list: Best roads to drive
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The dude list: Best roads to drive

Srinagar to Leh, Jaipur to Jaisalmer, Munich to Salzburg and Pacific Coast Highway are among best driving roads

The legendary Pacific Coast Highway technically starts near Seattle, but it is the drive from Northern California to Southern California that really defines this road. Photo: BloombergPremium
The legendary Pacific Coast Highway technically starts near Seattle, but it is the drive from Northern California to Southern California that really defines this road. Photo: Bloomberg

Srinagar-Kargil-Leh (National Highway, or NH, 1D)

They are building tunnels on this road; which is a good thing for the military and the people of Ladakh, but these tunnels will take away both the sheer terror and some of the spectacular beauty of this road.

You can only drive here in the summer, at least until the new tunnels get built. This road is also a test for both the man and the machine as the air gets thinner due to the altitude and the passes get narrower with incoming vehicular traffic. ‘‘White-knuckle" driving at its best. This road is best enjoyed in a good sports utility vehicle and is very popular with tourists. One of India’s great ‘‘must drive" roads.

Palolem (Goa)-Mangalore-Kannur-Kozhikode (NH 17)

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Once in Kerala, there is the famous Muzhappilangad drive-in beach where you can (legally) drive your car on the surf.

Heading further south, there are several beaches with spectacular wave action and not a tourist (or a lifeguard for that matter) in sight. Ask the local fishermen before jumping into the Arabian Sea. Drive in light T-shirts and swimming trunks and stop anywhere to enjoy India’s finest undiscovered coastline.

Jaipur-Ajmer-Jodhpur-Jaisalmer (NH 8/116A/14/65/112/114 in that order)

Don’t do this unless you have a navigation system in your car or have complete faith in the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) road signage which, honestly, isn’t bad at all. This route runs through the middle of a desert and is in stark contrast to the other two routes mentioned earlier.

You also get to experience some of the most spectacular forts of the Rajputana, starting with the Amer Fort in Jaipur through to the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhour to the famous Shonal Kella in Jaisalmer.

Once at Jaisalmer, if you have the time and a proper SUV, drive along to the Sam sand dunes. Just don’t do it alone or without a winch.

Edinburgh-Inverness (and beyond)

There are several ways you can do this one. The fun drive cuts through the Cairngorms National Park. The other two routes are also extremely scenic; one through Speyside via Dundee and Aberdeen looking down upon the angry North Sea. The third route is through Stirling, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs through Fort William and then onwards for some Nessie spotting.

Scotland is extremely beautiful and in the Trossachs the desolate landscape is absolutely stunning. All over the country, there are lovely little b&bs to put up in, although the traditional Scottish breakfast of blood sausage can be given a miss.

The other positive about Scotland is that they drive on the same side of the road as Indians. If you like golf and/or visiting whisky distilleries, there are several great courses and distilleries on the way. In fact, go beyond Inverness to Tain where you can see the Glenmorangie distillery.

The best part of such a drive actually are the fantastic B-roads of Scotland. These non-major roads often have little or no traffic and in the highlands, wind through mountainous forests, and are a sheer delight to drive on if you have the right car.

San Francisco–Monterey–Santa Monica–San Diego

This is the legendary Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) that technically starts near Seattle, but it is the drive from Northern California to Southern California that really defines this road. This road is best enjoyed in a big American car, and as you leave San Francisco, you ought to drive over the Golden Gate bridge through Napa and Sonoma. Stop there if you can, particularly in a town called Yountville, and make a reservation at The French Laundry run by celebrated chef Thomas Keller.

Head down to Monterey and then stop at the Pebble Beach golf course, where you can even stay a night or two. Driving south, stop at Santa Monica or Venice Beach. Ideally avoid Los Angeles, but if you love aeroplanes and burgers, stop at the famed In-‘N-Out burger store on Sepulveda Boulevard, order an ‘‘Animal style’’ and watch aircraft from across the world approaching LAX. After that, a visit to the Magic Mountain theme park to try their spectacular collection of roller coasters is a must.

Further south, there are a whole host of lovely small towns you could stop at. You could otherwise continue all the way to San Diego.

Munich–Salzburg (specifically the Alpine Roads)

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Salzburg itself is pretty, but stay near the lakes outside. Several of the restaurants in the region serve deer meat and fresh fish from the river and, of course, excellent schnitzel. Head out of Salzburg and south towards an equally amazing road, the Rossfeldstrasse, overlooking the southern Rossfeld Alps. This alpine road is worth the toll that you pay to enter. Fuel is expensive in Europe, but a couple of runs up and down this road with several hairpin corners is great fun.

On the drive back, take one of Germany’s famed autobahnen if you have the right car and can confidently drive for sustained periods of time at above 240-250 kmph on the left lane. Skip otherwise.

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Published: 27 Jun 2014, 09:18 AM IST
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