Local Scenic Drives & Road Trips Near Southampton

With many people choosing to swap the delays of busy airports with the freedom of the open road, there’s a lot to be said for a Great British staycation or day out. While it might not always be top of your list as a destination, the historic port city of Southampton makes an ideal base from which to explore the wonderful counties of Hampshire, Witlshire and Dorset.

Read on to discover how you can enjoy forest, countryside and coast with scenic drives near Southampton.

Southampton to the New Forest

It may be just a 20-minute drive from Southampton via the A33 and A35, but the peace and tranquillity of the New Forest will seem like a whole world away. Covering around 200 square miles, you can escape the bustle of daily life and marvel in the breath-taking landscape and vibrant colours of the changing seasons.

While just 34,000 people call this National Park home, you’ll be sharing this glorious rural idyll with an abundance of wildlife. including wild ponies, donkeys, cattle and deer. As the New Forest has a proud history of commoning, residents are allowed to let their animals graze freely across the Open Forest. With this in mind, if you’re taking a road trip from Southampton to the New Forest, keep an eye out for animals in the road!

No scenic drive from Southampton to the New Forest would be complete without a visit to some of the picturesque towns and villages in this corner of Hampshire and Wiltshire. Particular highlights include the buzzing villages of Lyndhurst and beautiful Brockenhurst. Here, wild ponies roam freely down the main street and have even been known to wander into shops and cafes! Beaulieu is also a must for motor buffs, as it’s the home of the famous motor museum.

Southampton to the Isle of Wight

Situated a mere hop of 2 miles from the mainland, a road trip from Southampton to the Isle of Wight will make you feel like you’re heading off to foreign climes as you cross the Solent! Regular daily vehicle and passenger ferry services run from both Southampton and Portsmouth, making the Isle of Wight an ideal and accessible destination for a day trip or longer break. To get there, take the A3054 south from Southampton and hop on the car ferry to East Cowes. You’ll be there in two hours.

The diamond-shaped Isle covers just 23 miles by 13 miles, so is small enough to explore easily by car. And ranked as one of the top five driving routes in the whole of Europe, it’s a fantastic choice for a scenic trip from Southampton. The 13-mile stretch of Military Road from Freshwater Bay to Chale provides jaw-dropping views of the cliffs from Tennyson Down.

At 700 feet, St Boniface Down is the highest point of the island from where you can see miles and miles of patchwork countryside and chocolate box villages. Some of those must-see villages include Godshill, home of thatched cottages and the famous model village.

Stonehenge

Situated just under an hour’s drive from Southampton, via the A33, M3, A34 and A303, a road trip to Stonehenge takes in the historical landscape of Hampshire and Wiltshire.. As one of the UK’s most treasured sites, Stonehenge is shrouded in mystery, as archaeologists have been unable to agree on why this Neolithic monument was constructed.

But, whatever its purpose, it’s an unmissable visit as you walk in the footsteps of our Neolithic ancestors.. As well as the stones themselves, you can come face to face with a 5,000 year-old man in the museum and step back in time into the Neolithic village experience. For a once-in-a lifetime adventure, why book the Stone Circle experience and step inside the stones themselves?

Bournemouth Beach

If a day at the Great British Seaside is more your thing, then why not make your road trip from Southampton a coastal tour and visit the golden sands of Bournemouth Beach? Situated around 50 minutes from Southampton via the A33, M271, M27, A31 and A338, Bournemouth is just over the county border into Dorset.

As for the journey itself, you won’t be disappointed. Not only will you pass through the glorious scenery of the New Forest en route, but Dorset is one of the country’s prettiest counties too with gently undulating hills, green fields, culminating in its famous Juraissic coastline.

Bournemouth is the jewel in the crown of Dorset’s beaches. With 7 miles of golden sand, and voted Trip Advisor’s Top UK Beach of 2024, you can be assured of a space for your towel! With clear waters, an array of water sports and all the traditional attractions of a seaside resort, you can do as little or as much as you like!

Get your car road trip ready with Kwik Fit

So, there you have it. Some top ideas for a scenic drive from Southampton. Before you start packing, it’s important to get your vehicle road-trip ready too! Getting your car regularly serviced at your local Kwik Fit, as well as booking it for a free Vehicle Safety Check and Brake Check will help ensure your only worry is where to stop for lunch en route! Check out the Kwik Fit blog for more motoring tips and ideas.