Xbox Itinerary: the Great British Road Trip

Lapped by the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other, the southeastern US state of Florida is best known for its Disney parks and glittering cities. But go beyond the big hitters and you’ll find a world of natural attractions — from wetland-filled parks stitched with boardwalk trails to bays shining with nighttime bioluminescence that beg to be explored by kayak. Discover the best of them on this four-part round trip.

As I bowled along the roads linking Herefordshire’s ‘Black and White Villages’ (named in honour of their two-tone buildings), I believed, for a second, in time travel. Here, in one of England’s least populated counties, little appeared to have changed for decades, centuries even.

Perched on the shoulder of South America, Ecuador is a patchwork of dramatic landscapes, from white sandy beaches and rolling grasslands to dense rainforests and majestic mountains. Despite its modest size, the country packs a mighty punch thanks to its breathtaking terrain, which takes in the Amazon, the Andes and the awesome archipelago of the Galápagos.

For at least two millennia, Uzbekistan has been the setting for some of Asia’s most important road trips, following the network of Silk Roads that once formed the major highway between east and west.

I usually travel with just a backpack. 

The Great Ocean Road is one of Australia’s most iconic tourist routes, stretching along the south-eastern coast of Victoria from Torquay to Allansford. Stretching for 151 miles, it offers spectacular ocean views and some breathtaking scenery. Along the way, visitors can explore a range of attractions including beaches, surfing spots, wildlife viewing areas, and stunning rainforest walks. There are also numerous great restaurants and cafes, galleries and museums to discover in the small towns along the route.

The key to a successful road trip wardrobe is comfort and versatility — you want to be ready for hiking in the morning and dining out in the evening. Well, fall is here, and Matador Network is ready to keep you cozy and kitted out with road trip essentials during your leaf peeping adventures. Instagram can make road trips look glamorous, but it’s no secret that traveling for hours may not be all it’s cracked up to be. That’s why grabbing the road trip essentials is just that, essential! Whether you don flannels or fleece, this fall road trip gear guide contains Matador Network’s recommendations for what to wear when on the road during golden season.

Endless miles of scenic highways that wind coast to coast and meander around breathtaking natural wonders and ever-changing landscapes make hitting the open road second nature in the US. When it comes to the Midwest there’s often a misconception that it’s all about flyover states and repetitive countryside. But away from the big cities, industrial centers, and sprawling farmland, you can stumble upon some of the most European cities in America.

Berlin is surrounded by the forest-filled, lake-spotted state of Brandenburg, which offers year-round respite from the streets of the capital. Forest walks, cycling routes, dips in the lake, historic sites and much more are all within easy reach, sometimes still within the city’s boundaries.

Once a low-key underrated city, Copenhagen has recently been showered with superlatives, with polls claiming it to have the best quality of life and rating its citizens the happiest people on the planet.

The Great American West is as great as its name implies. The region – covering North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho – is big-sky country, characterized by epic landscapes from the towering Rocky Mountains to the tumbleweed Great Plains. You’ll find fifteen national parks and monuments here, ripe for exploring. But how has the area experienced coronavirus, and how is it opening up? We chatted with The Great American West PR and Communications Manager Kim Paulson to learn more.

We left the trees far behind as we climbed up to Bolivia’s Altiplano, but this was no place for them anyway. The dryness would be fatal, and even if they could find water, the ferocious winds wouldn’t allow them to stand. On this high-altitude plateau, life has had to make some extreme adaptations to survive, finding ways to eke out water and nutrition over 4,250 metres above sea level. Trees are yet to find a solution.