6 WINTER ROAD TRIP IDEAS
And the cosiest places to stay along the way

Arundel to Brighton, for Sussex sceneryStart with a walk round Arundel – all cobbled streets and views of the rolling South Downs. This medieval town and its indie coffee shops are even more appealing dressed in fairy lights. Wind your way by car for forty minutes to Horsham’s Leonardslee Gardens, a 240-acre estate with frosty ancient woodland, mist-topped lakes and a sparkling light trail. Then shift scenery from countryside to coast as you head towards Brighton. Check in to seafront property No. 124, Brighton by GuestHouse. Cosseting rooms with burnished-orange accents and a games room with chessboard-topped tables make hunkering down even cosier. 

Ideal for: one or two nights
 

Oxford to Charlbury, for Cotswold charmStart in Oxford for Baroque-style architecture, cloistered colleges and archeological wonder at the Ashmolean Museum. From here, drive forty minutes to Charlbury, a Cotswold town peppered with stone houses in the Evenlode Valley. Bed down at The Bull, a historic pub that pairs 1500s charm (ivy-covered facade, roaring fires and timber-beamed ceilings) with farm-to-table dining and contemporary bedroom design. There are heaps of walking routes on the doorstep; hike to Wychwood Forest, or drive to explore nearby Chipping Norton, Burford and Kingham.

Ideal for: a long weekend

Seahouses to Slaggyford, for rugged and rural viewsBegin by parking up at Seahouses, a beautifully-named Northumberland village where cruising around the rugged Farne Islands (on the lookout for seabirds and seals) is the name of the game. Drive on to Alnwick before heading two hours’ south to Slaggyford, a hamlet in the North Pennines. Here, you’ll find The Kirkstyle Inn, a glorious four-room gastropub on the South Tyne River. A cosy ambience, flagstone-floored dining room, field-to-fork fare, and whimsical bedrooms will make it hard to leave, but it’s worth venturing out for cycling and stargazing.

Ideal for: 3–5 nights
 

Portmeirion to Aberaeron, for breathtaking seascapesThe Welsh Coastal Way is a beauty, and this stretch is one of its prettiest. Admire Italianate-style pastel domes and cupolas in Portmeirion, passing Castle Harlech, perched atop a rocky crag on the drive south. Drink in the breathtaking sea views en route, stopping in regency town Aberaeron, known for its picturesque harbour and rainbow-coloured houses. Continue on the coastal road to the fishing village Aberteifi and the Albion Aberteifi. These former warehouses-turned riverside digs have cosy bedrooms, walls clad in reclaimed timber and beds strewn with snuggly throws. Sip winter warmer cocktails in the bar, or head to The Castle Inn for roaring fires and wood-fired pizza.

Ideal for: 4–5 nights 
 

Aviemore to Edinburgh, for Scottish heritageWhat better way to celebrate winter than with a glimpse of a free-roaming Cairngorm reindeer herd? Start at the visitor centre (tip: use what3words grabs.noodle.nutty, not your sat nav) in Glenmore to join a booked-ahead Hill Trip walk; hiking boots are a must. Then drive past brooding mountains and moorlands, stopping in at Pitlochry to walk across the Killiecrankie Gorge, or explore Dunkeld’s Hermitage Forest. Continue the drive to Edinburgh for a swish stay at Gleneagles Townhouse. Expect fully-stoked fires, festive decoration, mulled wine and rooms rich in Georgian glamour.

Ideal for: 4 nights
 

Guildford to Leatherhead, for villages and vinesFor villages, vines and Gatsby-esque countryside grandeur this Surrey trip ticks all the boxes. Start in Guildford with a walk along the cobbled High Street, or along the River Wey. Drive through the Surrey Hills, pit stopping at Newlands Corner for rolling patchwork vistas. Make a hot chocolate stop in nearby Shere (its quaint cottages featured in The Holiday) before making the half-an-hour journey to Leatherhead, to settle in at boutique hotel The Village’s Victorian-style cottages on the Beaverbrook estate. Spend the night in sumptuous rooms (designed by Nicola Harding) after days spent rambling at Box Hill or wandering vineyards at Denbie’s in Dorking.

Ideal for: an overnighter