Get out your trusty backpack and take it along the roads that have always inspired 'on the road' travel.
In a van on Lake Taupo, North Island, New Zealand. ©Justin Foulkes/Lonely Planet
ISTANBUL TO CAIRO, MIDDLE EAST
Istanbul straddles two continents, and this itinerary crosses Turkey and then descends into Jordan. Admire the ruins of Petra and take an excursion to the Dead Sea. Regardless of your faith, don't miss a little mystical diversions to Jerusalem, then relax with some snorkelling in the Red Sea. Then get ready for Cairo, where a trip to the pyramids is a must. Ramses Station is Cairo's main train station. The tourist office is open daily from 9am to 7pm.
The Sultanahmet Mosque, Istanbul. ©Samet Guler/Shutterstock
EAST COAST, AUSTRALIA
Many backpackers begin this journey from Sydney, with its beautiful beaches and distinctive bridge. Some then head south to Melbourne with its cosmopolitan culture and typically European climate. The most popular route is north of Sydney, via the hippy paradise of Byron Bay, which boasts extraordinary surfing waves. If you love capital cities, then stop in Brisbane, but generally continue on to tropical Cairns, the starting point for excursions to the Great Barrier Reef, the jewel of Australia's east coast. Book into the Arts Factory Backpackers Lodge in Byron Bay, where you can take didgeridoo lessons and sleep in a tepee.
BANANA PANCAKE TRAIL
Generally, those exploring South-East Asia choose Bangkok as their starting point. But some prefer the beaches of Ko Pha-Ngan or Phuket. Many young travellers go to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to admire the ancient Angkor Wat, before heading to Ho Chi Minh City and heading north along the coast of Vietnam to the rock formations of Halong Bay. Those looking for a less beaten itinerary can head inland to the capital of Laos, Vientiane, or go elephant trekking in Khao Yai National Park. International airports in Bangkok and Singapore offer cheap flights to several Asian destinations.
FROM THE NORTH ISLAND TO THE SOUTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND
We start in Auckland, with its lively atmosphere, and descend to Rotorua, with its volcanic landscapes and hangi (Maori festival). You continue along Lake Taupo, the ideal setting for skydiving and water sports. Then on to windy Wellington with its cafes and the curious Beehive, the seat of the national parliament. From here you set sail for the South Island. Join an organised whalewatching excursion in Kaikoura then head to Queenstown, the starting point for exploring Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier or tackling waterways by speedboat. The best means of transport between the North Island and the South Island is by ferry.
View of the tundra from the mythical Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia. ©Typehistorian/Getty Images
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TRANS-SIBERIAN RUSSIA
Once the route of the tsars, today this railway line is also travelled by backpackers. The classic route goes from Vladivostok to Moscow via the Baikal, or stopping in Ekaterinburg, where the Romanovs were executed. The journey ends in magnificent Moscow, with its golden-domed churches and austere Red Square, but it is possible to continue to St Petersburg. A less popular alternative is the Transmongol route. It starts in Beijing, crosses the steppes of Mongolia and meets the Trans-Siberian Railway near Lake Baikal. Take a dog sled ride on Lake Baikal or a horseback excursion in Mongolia.
ROUTE 66, USA
Few roads are as 'American' as this legendary old highway that many still travel to discover the United States. Start in Chicago, and continue on to St Louis, the home of the blues. You then reach Kansas, the heart of the Great Plains. The road passes through the Lone Star State, or Texas, where the central point of Route 66, marked by car sculptures, is located. From the ranches of New Mexico it goes to Arizona, and finally to California, home to the oasis of Los Angeles, with Hollywood and Rodeo Drive as a fitting end to this journey. Route 66 is also known as 'Mother Road' and 'Main Street of America'.
FROM CAPE TOWN TO CAIRO
Actor Ewan McGregor has travelled most of this route by motorbike from north to south. This adventurous journey can begin or end in Cape Town. If you decide to start at the bottom, head north to Botswana, where you can join a river excursion in the Chobe National Park to spot elephants. Then enter Tanzania, to admire Mount Kilimanjaro and its snow cap (while it still exists) or the rich wildlife of the Serengeti National Park. Now relax because you will have to pass through countries scarred by internal conflicts, Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan. At the end of the journey, the extraordinary pyramids and traffic of Cairo await you. For up-to-date information on the Serengeti check the park's website.
Machu Picchu, Peru. ©Anton_Ivanov/Shutterstock
GRINGO TRAIL, PERU
From the capital, Lima, head south along the coast towards Paracas, from where boat excursions depart for the Islas Ballestas, ideal for spotting penguins and sea lions. Then on to Ica, the Peruvian capital of wine and pisco (a kind of schnapps). Next stops are Nazca with a flight over the mysterious Lines and Arequipa with its colonial architecture. Continue to Puno, the port on Lake Titicaca, take a bus to Cuzco and from there continue on foot or by train along the Inca Trail towards Machu Picchu. From the end of May to the beginning of September a maximum of 2500 people can access the Machu Picchu site each day.
TO EUROPE ON THE HUNT FOR MUSIC FESTIVALS
Europe must be listened to. This is the motto of travellers who visit the old continent in the summer for sunbathing and music. The oldest event is Glastonbury in the UK, which has been hosting rock concerts as well as theatre and circus performances since 1971. Another must-see is Roskilde (Denmark), a hard rock festival. If you are into folk music then Baltika is for you: this annual international folk festival is held in turn in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The Loveparade (Germany) suits techno and house music lovers best, and the Finnish World Air Guitar Championships always offer a stunning show. Country and folk music are the stars of the quiet and intimate End of the Road Festival, also in the UK. Here are the sites of some of the festivals mentioned, Glastonbury, Roskilde, Baltica and End of the Road.
The rising lake in Dunhuang, China. ©Rat007/Shutterstock
THE SILK ROAD
For centuries, merchants shuttled between China and Europe. Each followed a route to bring silk, spices and other products to the various markets as quickly as possible. The modern Silk Road starts in Xī'ān, China, home of the Terracotta Army of the Qin Dynasty, and continues to Ürümqi in Xīnjiāng Province in the far north-west of the country, before crossing the border into Kazakhstan and reaching cosmopolitan Almaty. It then continues into the former Soviet nation of Kyrgyzstan and arrives in Bishkek. Some conclude their journey by heading south towards Fergana in Pakistan, but usually continue to Samarkand and the markets of Ashgabat in Turkmenistan. In north-west China, Dūnhuáng is a must on the Silk Road and is known for the Mogao Caves, which hold one of the world's most extraordinary heritages of Buddhist art.