DRIVING • October 2023

Where to go in November

From turtle sanctuaries and glossy lakes to monuments steeped in history, our travel experts share five epic drives that are perfect for the month ahead. Conveniently close to Avis car hire locations all around North America, these stunning stretches will double your Tier Points* and get you excited for autumn (or should we say fall?)…

Chase colour from Boston to Stowe, Vermont

Says who? Travel and music journalist Siobhan Grogan
Leave behind Boston’s handsome townhouses and waterfront restaurants and take the MA-2 west to Wilmington, Vermont before heading to Stowe. The foliage-friendly Route 100 winds north past glossy lakes and the forested Green Mountains that glow red and orange in autumn. Small towns Woodstock, Killington and Waterbury make postcard-perfect rest stops with their traditional stores, galleries, craft breweries and covered bridges.
Top tip: Walk the Quechee Gorge Trail for waterfalls, wild swimming and picnicking in Vermont’s own ‘Little Grand Canyon’.

Take off to Boston

Embark on a foodie adventure in Texas Hill Country

Says who? Food journalist Yvette Thomson
Buckle up for a flavour-packed road trip through Texas Hill Country, a picturesque 128km journey from Austin, sprinkled with foodie gems. Dive into breakfast taco heaven in Austin, indulge in smoky barbecue bliss in Lockhart, and satiate your sweet tooth in Marble Falls. Venture to New Braunfels for German-inspired pastries and embark on the ultimate culinary adventure in San Antonio’s Pearl District.
Top tip: Savour a wine tasting – or three – in charming Fredericksburg, nestled in the heart of Texas Wine Country.

Fly to Austin

Hit family-friendly Florida Keys

Says who? Family travel expert for The Times, Katie Bowman
It’s evocatively called the Overseas Highway – a sunshine-drenched tarmac trail that links the Florida Keys islands to mainland USA and to each other. As road trips go, this is America’s family-friendliest thanks to snorkelling pit stops, mangrove kayaking, turtle sanctuaries and Key lime pie at every turn. Stay in Key West where locals celebrate sunset each night with street performers and candyfloss (or margs for Mum and Dad); start and end in Miami.
Top tip: Rent a soft-top – convertible cars are plentiful and cheaper to rent in Florida.

Fly to Florida

Explore Alabama’s Civil Rights Trail

Says who? Travel writer and broadcaster Natalie Preddie
The US Civil Rights Trail is a collection of sites paramount to the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. From Atlanta, the resting place of Martin Luther King Jr, drive the I-85 south through major cities Montgomery, Birmingham and Selma, AL, where historical events such as Rosa Parks’ arrest, the Children’s Crusade and the crossing of Edmund Pettus Bridge took place.
Top tip: Enjoy juicy BBQ ribs and mac ’n’ cheese at Dreamland BBQ, an Alabama institution since 1958.

Make moves in Atlanta

EC124-Epic Drives-03-Calgary to Vancouver

Wind along the West Coast from Calgary to Vancouver

Says who? British-Canadian travel journalist Caroline Bishop
This 12-hour, 1,000km drive sports extra colour in autumn when the larch trees turn golden. From Calgary, follow the Trans-Canada Highway through the Rockies, past Lake Louise, the furious Kicking Horse River and adventure hub Revelstoke. At Sicamous, head south into the wine and fruit country of the Okanagan, then go west across the Cascade Range and the endless, lonely forests of Manning Provincial Park before rejoining civilisation in Vancouver.
Top tip: For star-strewn dark skies, visit Emerald Lake at nightfall.

Explore Calgary