A road trip in Southern Europe

If you are fed up with having your travel arrangements and entertainment arranged for you on a package holiday and are looking for a bit of independence take a road trip in Southern Europe. With a little forward planning and a detailed map, the open road will take you through some undiscovered beauty spots. You will have the freedom to stop wherever the mood takes you. Start your driving trip in Albufeira in the Algarve. It is served by Faro Airport, where you can pick up a hire car. There are regular cheap flights from airports throughout the UK. A great way to start your holiday is to relax for a day or two in a hotel in Albufeira before setting out towards your destination of Napoli in Italy. Decide how many miles you wish to cover each day and book accommodation along the way in various places of interest. You may wish to take an indirect coastal route and stop off at some of Europe`s finest resorts. Heading east from Albufeira and along the coast, you can reach the Gulf of Cadiz and stop off at Huelva before continuing to Jerez de la Frontera and Cadiz itself. Further along the Spanish southern coast you can spend a couple of days exploring the beautiful streets of Gibraltar before setting off once more to Marbella, Malaga or Alicante, so visit chic St Tropez and admire the expensive yachts moored in the marinas. Continue up to Cannes, where the Hollywood stars flock to enjoy the annual film festival, and head along the coast to Monaco. Across the border in Italy you will reach the city of Genova where you can enjoy some cultural entertainment. Head north from here to Milan, the heart of Italian fashion design for a day of shopping in the elegant boutiques, or continue along the coast towards Pisa, to wonder at the famous leaning tower. Coming to the final leg of your road trip in Southern Europe, you can not drive this far without paying a visit to Italy`s capital city, Rome. You may wish to rest here for a few days. There is so much  to see in this fascinating city that you can not see all the sights on your list in a short visit. But you can get a feel for this lovely city and its chic inhabitants. From Rome drive south east towards Napoli and reward yourself with a chilled glass of white wine. You can fly home from Naples Airport, so arrange to drop your hire car off here. When hiring your car, ensure that you are adequately insured. You will be given the option to take out extra cover with the rental company. Rent a car on all your trips to get the most out of your stay with car hire Tenerife airport