Three European road trips that actually work for a group

Route one: the Amalfi Coast loop from Naples

Base in Naples or Sorrento and loop the Amalfi Coast road (SS163) south to Amalfi and Positano, then either return the same way or continue to Salerno and back up via the interior. The coast road itself is only about 50km from Sorrento to Salerno but takes 2.5 to 3.5 hours to drive in season because it is a narrow, cliffside, switchback road built for far less traffic than it now carries.

For a group of six or eight, we would generally recommend hiring a private driver for the coast road itself, typically EUR 350 to EUR 550 for a full day with a Mercedes van, rather than self-driving. The road has blind hairpin turns, tour buses that take up the full width on curves, and essentially no parking in Positano or Amalfi in peak season, meaning a self-driven group spends much of the day circling for parking rather than at the beach.

If your group insists on self-driving, go in shoulder season (April, May, or October), start before 8am to beat tour bus traffic, and know that Positano's public parking fills by 9:30am on a summer day.

Route two: Iceland Ring Road

The Ring Road (Route 1) circles Iceland in about 1,332km and is the single easiest big-group road trip in Europe to plan, precisely because there is only one road: no navigation decisions, no route planning beyond deciding where to stop each night. A full loop takes 7 to 10 days at a comfortable pace with stops for waterfalls, black-sand beaches, and the glacier lagoon at Jokulsarlon.

For a group of eight, two 4x4s or two standard cars (a 4x4 is only strictly necessary if you plan interior F-roads, not the Ring Road itself) work better than one large van: easier parking at trailheads and waterfalls, which often have small gravel lots, and redundancy if one car has an issue on a genuinely remote stretch between towns.

Fuel stations are sparser than groups expect on the east and northeast stretches; fill up whenever you are below half a tank rather than waiting, since some stretches run 100km or more between stations.

• Distance: 1,332km full loop, 7-10 days at a comfortable pace
• Two smaller cars beat one van for parking and redundancy
• Fill fuel below half tank on the east/northeast stretches

Route three: Andalusia, Seville to Granada to Ronda

This is the best one-week route for a group that wants real variety: start in Seville, drive about 2.5 hours to Granada for the Alhambra, then about 2 hours to Ronda's dramatic gorge-top old town, then back to Seville in under 2 hours to close the loop. Total driving across the week is manageable, under 7 hours spread across several days rather than concentrated.

Andalusia's roads are in excellent condition and the driving itself is easy compared to the Amalfi coast road, mostly modern highway with some winding mountain sections approaching Ronda. Book Alhambra tickets weeks in advance regardless of your driving plans, since it sells out even in shoulder season and is timed-entry only.

This route also works well split across two smaller cars for a group of eight, since Granada and Ronda both have limited and expensive old-town parking, and two cars mean the group can park in two separate structures rather than hunting for one large enough spot together.

Car-sharing logistics that actually work

For a group of eight or more, book two mid-size cars rather than one large van or minibus. Vans are harder to park in old European town centers, many of which have narrow entry gates or height restrictions, and a second car gives the group flexibility to split up for a few hours without derailing the whole day.

Whoever books the rental should add all planned drivers to the rental agreement in advance; adding a driver at the counter typically costs EUR 15 to EUR 30 a day extra per additional driver, and undeclared drivers void insurance coverage entirely if something goes wrong.

Splitting costs without it becoming a thing

The simplest system for a road trip group is one person putting fuel and tolls on a card and everyone settling up once at the end via Splitwise or a similar app, rather than trying to divide every individual fill-up in real time at the pump. For tolls specifically, Italy's autostrada and Iceland's (toll-free, notably) and Spain's AP roads all differ enough that it is worth designating one person to handle the toll payment method for the whole trip rather than switching cards between cars.