We drive the roads before we write about them
DriveTheAtlas is an independent travel publication focused on self-drive travel — the destinations where a rental car isn’t a convenience, it’s the trip itself. We cover Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Thailand, the UAE and the USA: places where the best beaches, viewpoints and villages sit far beyond the last bus stop.
Why we exist
Renting a car abroad is full of small traps: deposit blocks, insurance upsells, gravel damage, ZTL fines in Italy, toll transponders in Portugal, left-hand traffic in Thailand. Most travel sites gloss over these details. We built DriveTheAtlas to answer the questions we wished someone had answered for us — with real prices, real paperwork and photos from the actual rental desk.
How we work
Every destination guide is based on rentals we booked and drove ourselves. We pay for our own trips, keep our receipts, and update guides when rules change. You can read exactly how we test and how we make money in our editorial policy.
Who we are
Alex Hartley — Founder & Editor of DriveTheAtlas. Every guide starts with a simple rule: drive the road before writing about it
Get in touch
Questions, corrections or partnership ideas? Visit our contact page or email hello@drivetheatlas.com. We read everything.
