Whether it’s a 2 167 km drive from Canada to Alaska, or tackling a twisting 116 km on the Transfagarasan Road in Romania, CNN’s list of epic road trips from around the world will take you on adventures of beauty and magic – if only in your mind, for now.

Of course, whether your escapade sees you riding on a Vespa or in a MINI Cooper, the open road is one of life’s greatest joys.

But, with 64 million kilometres of road in the world, which is the best stretch to open the throttle?

Well, you would never guess, but the stretch between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth is, in fact, first on CNN’s list. I’m going to give it to you the way they gave it to us all:

Route 62, South Africa

Distance: 748 kilometres.

Approximate route time: Nine-and-a-half hours (nonstop).

Over 65 wineries along the way will have you wishing you were a passenger rather than the driver.

Shift driving works best along this long tourist route stretching between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, with stops at dozens of non-boozy attractions splintering off the main path, such as cliffs, fauna, rivers, valleys and plains.

Chapman’s Peak Drive is a recommended diversion at the start of your journey, a spectacular nine-kilometer marine drive winding its way around the mountainside between Hout Bay and Noordhoek.

Highlights: The hot mineral springs and private Roman baths at the Warmwaterberg Spa are a godsend for shoulder muscles after hours of driving.

Alternatively, a two-day hike on the famed Donkey Trail over the Swartberg Mountains will get the blood pumping again before the next stretch of road.

The Klaasvoogds Game Reserve further along Route 62 is speckled with black wildebeest, leopard tortoise and Burchell’s zebra.

Stop for a bite at: Ronnie’s Sex Shop. Initially, the sign was “Ronnie’s Shop” but when “Sex” was graffitied as a prank Ronnie decided to leave it up and run with the theme. It’s now a bizarre sex-themed popular pub hangout for bikers, local farmers and regulars along the road.

Of course, Route 62 was featured on our list of the coolest road trips within a few hours of Cape Town – HERE – but the full haul? I guess you might have a reason to go to PE now (although I would just go check out the horse-riding locals in JBay or mission up to Kenton-on-Sea.)

So, now that that’s over, are you ready to hear about some of the other top trip? Cool, check:

NC500, Scotland

Distance: 830 kilometres(500 miles)
Approximate route time: Three to seven days.

Ticlio Pass, Peru

Distance: 132 kilometres.
Approximate route time: Three hours (nonstop).

The Atlantic Road, Norway

Distance: 8 kilometres.
Approximate route time: Less than 30 minutes (nonstop).

The Alcan Highway, Canada to Alaska

Distance: 2 167 kilometres.
Approximate route time: One day and seven hours (nonstop).

Transfagarasan Road, Romania

Distance: 116 kilometres.
Approximate route time: 100 minutes.

Pretty sweet, hey? Well, you can pop over HERE to read the full scoop on each.

Happy tripping, friends.

[source:cnn]