Britain's countryside is extraordinary — and much of it is best seen from the window of a well-appointed coach, with someone else navigating the single-track roads. Here are five routes worth building a day trip or multi-day tour around.

1. The Scottish Highlands: Inverness to Glencoe

This is one of the great drives in Europe. The route south from Inverness through the Cairngorms, past Loch Ness and into the dramatic valley of Glencoe covers some of the most arresting landscape on the continent. Allow a full day, with stops at Loch Ness, the Glencoe Visitor Centre and — if time permits — the Jacobite steam train crossing at Glenfinnan.

2. The Cotswolds: Oxford to Cheltenham

The Cotswolds is quintessential England — honey-stone villages, rolling hills, market towns that look unchanged since the 17th century. A coach tour from Oxford through Burford, Bourton-on-the-Water and Chipping Campden to Cheltenham covers the highlights without the parking nightmare that plagues this region in summer.

3. The Yorkshire Dales: Harrogate to Hawes

The Dales are less visited than the Lakes but no less beautiful. The route from Harrogate through Skipton, Grassington and up into Wensleydale to the market town of Hawes passes through some of the finest upland scenery in England. Stop at Bolton Abbey and Aysgarth Falls along the way.

4. The Pembrokeshire Coast: Tenby to St Davids

Wales's only coastal national park is spectacular, and the road from Tenby along the south Pembrokeshire coast to St Davids — Britain's smallest city — is one of the most scenic in the country. The cathedral at St Davids alone justifies the journey.

5. The Lake District: Windermere to Keswick

The Lakes are Britain's most visited national park, and for good reason. The route from Windermere north through Ambleside, past Grasmere and over Dunmail Raise to Keswick takes in the heart of the park. A coach removes the stress of the notoriously congested roads and lets you focus on the view.