There's no such thing as a 'travel day' when you take on some of the most extreme, scenic and daring roads on the Earth - erase forever the notion that an entire block of your travel time could be written off as a long and loathsome car ride. For below these very words is evidence that it's often the journey rather than the destination that offers the most lasting memories. From the stunning ancient red sandstone formations of Arizona's Valley of Fire and Patagonian mountains to the man-made marvels of the Florida Keys and Norway, these roads must be driven. +13 Valley of Fire Road: No prizes for guessing why this vibrant stretch got its name - it winds through the Valley of Fire State Park famous for its red sandstone formations +13 Ruta 40: Or National Route 40 in Argentina's Patagonia spans over 3,000 miles the length of Argentina, and goes through 20 national parks, but it's all about the view forward to Monte Fitz Roy here +13 Storseisundet Bridge: Dubbed the road to nowhere, this is the longest of the eight bridges that form the Atlantic Road, or Atlanterhavsveien in Norwegian +13 Troll's Footpath: The intriguingly named Trollstigen is a popular tourism route in Norway. The modern car-worthy road with 11 hairpin turns took the horse and cart path's place, but that old track is still perfectly visible +13 North Yungas Road: This road leading from La Paz to Coroico in Bolivia has lots of names, including Grove's Road, Coroico Road and Camino de las Yungas, but the most memorable is Death Road - guess why... +13 Chapman's Peak Drive: A front row seat to South Africa's southwestern tip is found on the route between Noordhoek and Hout Bay on the Atlantic Coast near Cape Town +13 Karakoram Highway: China likes to do things bigger and roads are o different, but here they share the title of world's highest paved international road with Pakistan. The stretch of asphalt crosses the Karakoram mountain range through the Khunjerab Pass at 15,397 feet above sea level +13 Linn Cove Viaduct: Thanks to this concrete bridge we get glimpses of the Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina like this - it's park of the Blue Ridge Parkway and winds through an earthy-coloured rainbow in autumn +13 Interstate 70: Utah at its finest from here as the highway cut through the San Rafael Reef (right) and the San Rafael River turns its immediate vicinity green (bottom left) - that's the Henry Mountains in the background on the left +13 Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road: This road leads to the Jebel Hafeet Mountain, the UAE's second-tallest mountain +13 Florida Keys: The Overseas Highway is mainland Florida's connection to the Florida Keys - 42 bridges making up 113 miles over overseas road make it a sight to behold, especially as sunrise or sunset +13 On foot: Runners cross the water during the Seven Mile Bridge Run in Marathon, Florida, which has been conducted since 1982 +13 The Cabot Trail: The super scenic highway around the northern tip of Canada's Nova Scotia has to be seen to be appreciated There can't be many people who haven't dreamed of hitting the open road for the adventure of a lifetime. In Epic Drives of the World, a new book by Lonely Planet, some of the world's most extraordinary road trips are laid bare.  From fairy tale scenery in Germany's Black Forest to vintage motels on Route 66 or waterfall spotting on Hawaii - the journeys detailed in the book will make you want to pack your bags and hit the gas without further ado. Here, MailOnline Travel reveals some of the most breathtaking journeys featured in the book.   Panorama Route – South Africa +16 Driving through South Africa's Drakensburg Escarpment offers a landscape filled with fruit fields, formidable waterfalls and gold-rush sites  This 130 mile journey through South Africa’s Drakensburg Escarpment is, according to Lonely Planet's Epic Drives of the World, punctuated every couple of miles by 'another view to wonder at'.  Starting at Hoedspruit, Limpopo province, drivers will pass through a landscape filled with fruitfields, formidable waterfalls and gold-rush sites. The final part of the journey, which ends at Pilgrim's Rest, is perhaps the most exciting given that it 'passes a spot that changed the region’s – and South Africa’s – fortunes forever. One day in 1873, Alec "Wheelbarrow" Patterson struck gold at Lone Peach Tree Creek. Within months, a gold rush had started'. Canada’s Icefield Parkway +16 This 143 mile trip through the mountains and dense forestry of Canada between Lake Louise and Jasper, is likely to be unforgettable Based along the route of an old packhorse trail, this 143 mile trip through the mountains and dense forestry of Canada between Lake Louise and Jasper, is likely to be unforgettable.  'Snowcapped peaks, glinting glaciers, azure lakes and more wildlife than your average safari – the road from Lake Louise to Jasper is hard to top for scenic splendour,' says the book. Admire the plentiful glaciers on the mountainsides and keep your eyes peeled for bears. Iceland’s Ring Road +16 Iceland's Ring Road is described as an 'engineering marvel' at 830 miles long and built on a rugged terrain Iceland's weather is notoriously dramatic and so a journey around its 830 mile ring road - Route 1 - is likely to be a wild affair.  The book details haunting lava fields, wild coastline, powerful waterfalls and majestic ice caps as all par for the course on the road often described as an 'engineering marvel' and national emblem.  Starting and ending in Reykjavik, allocate 10 to 14 days for this trip, which is best taken in the summer months, when daylight is literally endless - although prices will be higher.  Black Forest, Germany +16 The Black Forest in Germany offers drivers a picturesque jaunt through boundless greenery and castle-crowned hillsides reminiscent of a fairy tale It's not hard to see why the scenery in the Black Forest is described in the book as being straight from a Grimm's fairy tale.  Bucolic and brooding, a steep 37-mile jaunt on the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse from Baden-Baden to Freudenstadt, showcases the best of the region. The book says: 'Every gear-crunching bend reveals glorious spruce forest on repeat and landscapes plucked from a bedtime story: a gingerbread village, a castle-crowned hillside or a cuckoo clock that’s the size of a house. On clear days, the views stretch to the Upper Rhine Plain and the Vosges Mountains over in neighbouring France.'  Southern Alps, New Zealand +16 The approach to Mount Cook, where the trip through the Southern Alps of New Zealand concludes, is nothing short of magnificent Starting in Christchurch, this 851 mile journey takes in New Zealand's sub-alpine rainforest, glacial valleys and lush farmland. The adventurer who had made the trip for Lonely planet describes being accosted by cheeky alpine parrots at Arthur's Pass village, traversing long bridges across braided rivers and taking in old gold diggings. The approach to Mount Cook, where the trip concludes, is nothing short of magnificent.  Hana Highway, Hawaii +16 The Hana Highway in Hawaii offers drivers views of waterfalls, crashing waves and even a volcano This journey might only be 32 miles long, but given that this includes more than 600 curves in the road and 54 (mostly one-lane) bridges, the stretch between Twin Falls and Hana in Hawaii is something of an adventure.  The book describes some of the most dramatic sights road trippers can expect to see including the vast Haleakala volcano, raging rainstorms and crashing waves. 'The waterfalls along the highway are far from shy and retiring,' it states.    Route 66 (various states) +16 Two motorbikes head into the sunset on Route 66, arguably one of the most famous road trips ever  Surely one of the most famous road trips ever, the Route 66 highway covers eight American states and more than 2,400 miles.  The book details some of Route 66's history, how the road which connects Chicago to Los Angeles was used by soldiers, dreamers and now nostalgia-seekers.  Would-be travellers are warned to book lodgings in advance as many of the vintage models sell out.   Pacific Coast Highway +16 The 1,050 mile west-coast route from Seattle to San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway takes in cities, fishing ports and beach resorts Seattle to San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway is a journey that has traditionally attracted rebels and adventurers, says the book and 'somehow for all the RVs and visitor centres, the 101 still retains that sense of wilderness and opportunity'. This 1,050 mile west-coast route takes in cities, fishing ports and beach resorts. If you're lucky you'll catch a glimpse of grey whales or sea lions barking as you head south. The end of the drive is marked by the sight of San Francisco's spectacular Golden Gate Bridge.    Portland, Maine +16 The drive from Portland to Bar Harbor, both in Maine, boasts  lighthouses, Atlantic vistas and plenty of opportunities to feast on lobster rolls Heading northeast from Portland in Maine, road trippers can expect to enjoy one or two lobster rolls over the next 156 miles to Bar Harbor.  'The drive is best undertaken during the summer months when the constellation of villages bursts to life with festivals, boat tours and seasonal eateries run by a coterie of noted chefs who are escaping the big smoke,' says the book.  This is a journey for those enthralled by quaint fishing villages, lighthouses and huge Atlantic vistas.    Grande Strada Delle Dolomiti, Italy +16 Both Austrian and Italian influences are found in this mountain range - which spans the South Tyrol, Alto Adige and Veneto - as well as the local Ladin culture There isn't a point on this 121-mile drive through the Dolomites that isn't honoured by breathtaking alpine vistas. Both Austrian and Italian influences are found in this mountain range - which spans the South Tyrol, Alto Adige and Veneto - as well as the local Ladin culture.  'On this magnificent road trip your hosts may wear Lederhosen, cure ham in their chimneys and use sleighs to travel from village to village,' says the book, before explaining how the area has seen a smattering of chic hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants but still maintains an authentic atmosphere.     Great Glen, Scotland +16 Gateway to the Highlands: Glen Coe boasts majestic scenery and some of the most dramatic, changeable weather imaginable It's no secret that the Scottish Highlands offer some brilliant driving opportunities, but none more so than the 174 mile road that joins Glasgow to Inverness, and passes through the Great Glen. The book lists all of the iconic scenery the journey will offer up: Loch Lomond, Ben Nevis, Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness.  Passing through Glen Coe is certain to be a dramatic experience - it's the gateway to the Highlands and boasts some of the most remarkable scenery in the world. Alaskan Highway, Canada and USA +16 Stretching 1,400 miles, the Alaskan Highway is one of the longest roads in North America. With no motels and only a few gas stations along the way, this journey offers true adventure  One of the longest roads in North America, the Alaskan Highway runs for 1,400 miles from Dawson Creek in British Colombia to Delta Junction in Alaska. 'If it’s true wilderness you want, head north – way north,' says the book, before explaining that travelling along the Alaskan Highway offers a different experience to other American road-trips.  There are no motels and few gas stations and this remoteness makes it a true adventure. Milford Sound, New Zealand +16 New Zealand's Fiordland gives travellers the chance to become immersed in a remote, magnificent landscape that can only be accessed via one road As its name suggests, Fiordland in New Zealand is a landscape rich in fjords, with slithers of water nestling between mountains.  This 74.5 mile drive drive between Te Anau and Milford Sound is the only way to access the mountains in this formidable national park.  The Lonely Planet book suggests stopping to reflect at the Mirror Lakes and describes the perfect ending to the journey, when cars descend into Milford Sound and passengers can take in the 'mountain-rimmed' landscape.   Ruta 40, Argentina +16 Ruta 40 is Argentina's longest highway but parts of it are so remote that the road becomes little more than a gravel track At approximately 3,100 miles Ruta 40 is Argentina's longest highway and passes through 20 national parks, crosses 18 major rivers and climbs 27 mountains. The book suggests starting in Punta Loyola, Santa Cruz, and enjoying a 'relatively civilised' stretch before embarking on the southern leg through the Patagonian mountains where 'the road surface frequently deteriorates to gravel, with barren stretches of hundreds of miles between outposts of civilisation'. The drive ends in La Quiaca, Jujuy. Crossing the Khardung La +16 The 79 mile journey from Leh to Hunder in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir offers stunning vistas punctuated by Buddhist monasteries and the occasional camel Epic Drives describes a highway seemingly built from rock and ice which 'struggles north across the 5,359m Khardung La – said to be the world’s highest motorable pass – perched at a similar elevation to Everest Base Camp'. The 79 mile journey from Leh to Hunder in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir offers stunning vistas punctuated by Buddhist monasteries and the occasional camel. The trip requires a Protected Area Permit, but these are easy to get hold of from travel agents in Leh.  Blue Ridge Mountains, USA +16 The 574-mile route through the Blue Ridge Mountains is one of America’s legendary road trips and thanks to the foliage, autumn is the best time to visit   Winding through America's Blue Ridge Mountains during the autumn months is surely one of the most dramatic experiences a road tripper can have.  The foliage makes for a visual feast: reds, yellows and oranges cloak the surrounding landscape as you travel the 574 miles down through Virginia and North Carolina. The book explains that the road is slow - 45mph speed limit - and closed to commercial vehicles, and that there are no neon signs or roadside diners, meaning that getting lost in the Appalachian backroads is practically a certainty.