Planning a driving trip across Europe this year? A new study from Hagerty UK has scored 20 European countries across eight metrics to determine which offer the best experience for car enthusiasts, and the results may reshape your route planning.
According to Hagerty UK, the index weighed average hours of sunshine, road quality, fuel cost, number of toll roads and bridges, emission zones, race tracks, FIA racing events, and total road network size. Sunshine hours carried the heaviest weighting at 25 percent, followed by road quality and fuel cost at 20 percent each.
Topping the list is Spain, which pairs 7.5 hours of average daily sunshine with fuel priced at just €1.45 per litre, among the cheapest on the continent. Hagerty UK notes that Spain's 538,577 km road network stretches from Pyrenean mountain passes to the coastal roads of Andalusia, and the country will host more FIA events than any other in Europe in 2026, 12 in total, spread across 15 circuits.
Portugal finished second, buoyed by the best road quality score in the top 10 (8.64 out of 10) and just five emission zones nationwide, while Sweden claimed third place with fuel costs matching Spain's and only four toll roads across the entire country. France, Austria, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Finland rounded out the rest of the top 10, each standing out for different reasons, from France's enormous 1.1 million km road network to Austria's Alpine scenery and four FIA events in 2026, including the Austrian Grand Prix.
Interestingly, the UK itself lands at 16th overall despite boasting more race circuits (33) than any other country Hagerty UK analyzed. Per Hagerty UK, the UK's ranking is held back largely by sunshine hours, averaging just 4.2 per day, the lowest figure in the entire dataset. Germany and Switzerland, home to the Nürburgring Nordschleife and the Alps respectively, also narrowly missed the top 10, finishing 13th and 12th.
Mark Roper, Managing Director at Hagerty UK, framed the findings as inspiration rather than a strict verdict. As he put it:
"At Hagerty we always encourage our members to drive, and have designed a range of events, tours and experiences to help inspire them to do just that."
Roper also pointed out that enthusiasts don't necessarily need to leave home to find a great drive, adding: "let's not forget the great driving roads on offer in England too - venture North and you will be treated to some of the finest roads in the world."
Hagerty UK compiled the index using a weighted scoring system across all eight metrics, drawing on data from sources including Racing Circuits, the FIA, and Global Petrol Prices, among others. For the complete ranking, full country-by-country breakdowns, and Hagerty UK's detailed methodology, head over to Hagerty UK's original report.
