Five Unmissable Road Trips from Bristol — Best Enjoyed in a Luxury Car

Bristol is quietly one of the best cities in England to hire a car from. Within two hours, you can be deep in the Cotswolds, crossing the Brecon Beacons, climbing through Exmoor, or cruising the Wye Valley. The south-west's roads are varied: long moorland straights, tight limestone gorge passes, rolling Wiltshire switchbacks, and coastal cliff roads that reward a car with genuine suspension composure. These five routes are our pick — each one a genuine reason to book something with more character than a rental supermini.

1. The Cotswolds Loop (~120 miles)

Head north-east on the A46 towards Bath, then cut through Chipping Sodbury and pick up the B4040 into the Cotswolds proper. Tetbury, Cirencester, Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford — the route takes you through the heart of England's most photographed countryside, past dry-stone walls, honey-coloured limestone villages, and roads that were laid out long before speed limits were invented.

The round trip is around 120 miles and comfortably done in a day, with lunch in Burford or Chipping Campden. The Cotswolds rewards a higher-riding car — our Range Rover Velar D300 sits the driver at just the right height to appreciate the rolling views while soaking up the cattle-grid bumps that litter the back lanes.

2. Mendip Hills and Cheddar Gorge (~60 miles)

South on the A38 takes you past Bristol Airport and up into the Mendip Hills within 30 minutes of the city centre. Cheddar Gorge — Britain's largest gorge — cuts dramatically through the limestone escarpment, with 140-metre cliffs closing in on either side. The B3135 through the gorge itself is tight and twisting, with a gradient that puts any car's brakes and throttle response to proper use.

From Cheddar, Wells is just 15 minutes further — England's smallest city, with a cathedral that genuinely stops you mid-stride. Add Glastonbury Tor on the return leg (another 20 minutes south) for a route that packs a remarkable variety of scenery into a modest mileage. Any car in our fleet works here; the Audi S4 Avant's low centre of gravity makes short work of the tight bends.

3. Exmoor and the Somerset Coast (~110 miles)

West from Bristol on the M5, then up through Weston-super-Mare and onto the A39 — the coastal road that hugs the Bristol Channel before climbing into the Exmoor National Park. Porlock Hill is the highlight: a 1-in-4 gradient with hairpin bends that drops to the coast at Porlock Weir. It's the kind of road that car journalists travel from London to drive, and you can be on it in under an hour from Bristol.

Carry on to Lynmouth and Lynton — two cliff-perched villages connected by a Victorian water-powered funicular railway — and return via the A39 through Dunster (one of the best-preserved medieval villages in England). Around 110 miles total. The BMW 520i M Sport rewards drivers who want the long-legged motorway run and the precise handling on the twisty stuff.

4. Wye Valley and the Welsh Borders (~140 miles)

Cross the Severn Bridge (toll-free since 2018) into Wales and you're immediately in a different country — not just politically, but scenically. The A466 follows the Wye Valley south to north: a wooded gorge route that passes Tintern Abbey, one of the most romantic ruins in Britain, before opening out towards Monmouth and Abergavenny. From there, the A40 climbs into the Brecon Beacons — vast moorland with long, smooth, near-empty roads and the kind of views that make the effort worthwhile.

Around 140 miles for the full loop. Our Volvo S90 Diesel Hybrid excels here — its motorway refinement on the M4 approach, combined with the Pilot Assist semi-autonomous driving, makes the less scenic sections effortless, leaving you fresh for the dramatic bits.

5. Bath and Stonehenge via Wiltshire (~90 miles)

East on the A4 — the old coaching road to London — reaches Bath in 12 minutes. A UNESCO World Heritage city, Bath rewards a slow morning: the Roman Baths, the sweep of Pulteney Bridge, the Royal Crescent. From there, head south through Bradford-on-Avon and Lacock (the most unchanged medieval village in England, and a BBC filming location) before crossing Salisbury Plain to Stonehenge.

The Plain itself is remarkable driving — wide, open, largely unpopulated, with the ancient monument appearing on the horizon from several miles away. Around 90 miles, easily done in an afternoon. The Maserati Ghibli S was made for exactly this kind of grand tourer run — effortless at speed, unmistakable at every stop along the way.

Book Your Car for the Road

All five routes start from Bristol — where you can collect your car for free, or have it delivered nationwide to wherever you're beginning your journey. Our fleet runs from £120 per day for self-drive, and every car is available for chauffeur hire too if you'd rather focus on the view. Browse the fleet or find out more about how it works.