With over 11,000 miles of coast in Britain, much of which is accessed only via a road journey, some rail lines do exist for coastal travel, while bus links for the bigger coastal towns exist within a regular timetable. Then there are the smaller coves that are inaccessible to the coach, the distant clifftops that lack transport connections, the fishing villages in which a coach cannot find parking space, and the particular season in which there are no crowds: they can all be accessed by car along winding coastal routes.
UK Coastal Road Routes
Britain’s best coastal road routes have been selected due to their quality. Starting with the Atlantic Highway of the A39 in the counties of Cornwall and Devon, there is the coastal road route that circles the headlands of Pembrokeshire; the roads of North Antrim including the A977 and B-road networks and the coastal route of Berwick to Alnwick in Northumberland, which offer the visitor a combination of cliffs and hidden beaches bathed in the distinct sea light.
In addition to the best known routes above, there are some less well-known coastal road routes in the UK which give great enjoyment but without the throngs of people. For instance, those of the Yorkshire coast between Whitby and Scarborough, those that run along the East Suffolk coastline and the roads that exist behind the Jurassic Coastline in Dorset.
Hire Car for Coastal Road Trips
Autofusion Hire offers the type of car and hire service that is especially suited for UK coastal road trips. Hiring a car for a coastal road trip does not only provide transportation to the designated points, but it allows the journey to adapt to its environment – that cloud opening up that makes for an impressive point for viewing, the sign for a beach that was not included in the original itinerary, and the desire to go another 20 miles down the road just because it looks interesting.
The choice between the available models, including practical smaller cars that will work well in the narrower coastal roads and off-road-capable cars with enough ground clearance and other necessary features needed to traverse the challenging terrain during an October weekend along the Northumberland coast, makes it possible to choose the car that best matches the destination and the season. The requirements for the right coastal driving will be different in August for Cornwall and in February for Scotland.
Practical Aspects of Traveling on British Coast
There are several aspects worth considering regarding traveling along the British coasts. Roads along the cliffs are much narrower than it is possible to see on any maps. Parking places on the coast tend to get busy in the middle of a day during the weekends of summer days. Stopping on the way and walking along the coast requires appropriate dressing because of the salty air and weather conditions.
Fuel planning gets even more important when driving through areas without big cities and petrol stations one after another. One has to start his journey having a full fuel tank and knowing where the nearest place to buy petrol is located. This can avoid particular nuisance of coastal roads driving for people who do not consider the absence of petrol stations along the route.
British Coastlines in Hire Car
The choice of various coastlines in Britain needs to be made intentionally. The Cornish coast has the chance of enjoying picturesque cliff scenery and turquoise sea water in sunny weather as well as a great number of coastal villages located quite densely. The coast of Suffolk is rather quiet and melancholy and has different atmosphere in comparison with other regions. North Yorkshire coast including Whitby and Runswick Bay has unique combination of Victorian resorts, fishing port and moorland surroundings. Nothing like this can be found in other parts of England.
The Scottish coast has its own unique beauty. Journey along Fort William to Mallaig via Ardnamurchan Peninsula and Wester Ross provides the visitor with landscapes that cannot be met anywhere else in Britain. In case of such journey a hire car with all-wheel drive and good ground clearance becomes the most appropriate choice.
The Opportunity for Coastal Tourism
The Visit England is always stressing the importance of the UK coastal destinations as the best tourism attractions in the country, implying that those who use cars to tour coastal zones of the nation are very important contributors to the economies of these regions and can even maintain the business activities of regions with poor public transportation. Renting a car for traveling through coastal areas is among the ways that allow coastal rural areas to survive economically.
When It Is Time to Come and for How Long One Needs to Hire?
British coastal climate is rather unpredictable in such a way that makes its planning difficult but very exciting. It offers great opportunities to see coastal light just an hour after the storm as well as in late evenings in June-July when the sunset happens rather late than 9 pm. The ability to come and go anytime is possessed by hire car drivers.
A week of hiring is enough for visiting several coastal places and traveling hundreds of miles easily with stopping and relaxing. The advantage of traveling is that one can try some local cuisine.
The most amazing thing about British coastal areas is that one should come back there and visit once again. That which does not impress much during the vacation in July will surprise in October. The beach which is overcrowded during summer season becomes peaceful in March.