Remember that weekend road trip with your parents, popping haw flakes en route to grandma’s? Or how about blasting noughties hits with the top down all through college summer holidays? The journey was as big a deal as the destination back then, and not just because there was no avoiding it. These days, travellers are sleeping, reading, or even medicating to escape the mundane public transportation experience. Planes may be quicker, but they’re a lot less memorable.

In Japan circa 2016, I gained a renewed love of road trips when we drove to Mount Fuji via tiny villages with names I don’t remember. In a country famed for its Shinkansen bullet trains, I found that wheels led us to pastures unbeknown to the overseas visitor. There were no guides (English-speaking) to consult for information: we simply rocked up and connected with locals who shared their delicious broth potatoes with us.

I also had a splash road-tripping through France’s wine country. Every turn was a chance to discover an amazing vineyard, one that isn’t mass-producing Moët for chain hotels. In Bordeaux, I basked in sunshine and had the sips of my life at Chateau Quintus, an ancient vineyard perched up a hill overlooking a medieval Saint-Émilion town. It was wonderful serendipity, leading to the discovery of my new favourite wine. In Champagne though, I knew exactly where I was headed, to the house of Billercart-Salmon. I’d been a fan for years and was finally visiting the historic estate, family-run since the 1800s. In both cases, I took advantage of going off the beaten track to find boutique accommodations at reasonable prices. When you’re going around sampling grape juice, good overnight lodging is essential.

I took these road trips with a partner but I’ve recently been enjoying them as a group too. My friend Francesco is from Italy (famed for rolling hills, small towns and fine gastronomy), and so he knows to follow the wild for life’s bounties. In his Bentayga EWB, Bentley’s snazzy SUV which has a fully reclining airline rear seat, no less, we drove to Dorset this year. When you fly, you fear the worst: missing your flight, delays, uncomfortable seats, and bad plane food, but we had none of that to worry about with Ms Bentayga, as we called her. We waited for Francesco and his girlfriend, Amie, to pick us up at leisure, and any traffic delay was welcome in our eyes. Amie had a long playlist of ’90s hits to get us through, turning the SUV into a karaoke booth for half the four-hour journey. We stopped at a local pub for lunch, and a cafe for snacks and strong coffees, but it wasn’t always for edible reasons. In some cases, we stopped just because the view was nice, and we wanted to get out and have a wander. Road trips help you embrace curiosity, and best of all, aside from taking photos or connecting Ms Bentayga to our cheesy playlist, we barely took out our phones. We remained present in one another’s company. By contrast, it’s completely the norm to glue ourselves to a screen before take off, and throughout a flight, no matter how much you like your companion. Perhaps the communal nature of a journey forces us to retreat, whereas a car, especially if it’s a comfy one, provides a safe space to let loose.

On reaching our destination, an independent farm hotel called Outbuildings Dorset, there was a shift in the usual landing energy. Nobody was exhausted from the journey (not even driver Francesco). Rather, we were a mix of energised but ready for a cosy night in following an adventure. We sat by the fireplace, played cards, and feasted on homemade shepherd’s pie. There may have been some of that French wine hiding in the trunk that made it over to our cabin too. Our evening was quality, unscheduled time together. Equally, while we enjoyed Dorset—hiking to impressive sandstone cliffs and browsing farmers’ markets—there wasn’t a sense of time ticking. We even looked forward to the journey back home. The group made suggestions for the playlist and picked up some lotions from the property gift shop to pamper ourselves on Ms Bentayga’s passenger seats. There was an anticipation like it was the third portion of our trip. I’ve never recalled having that feeling for a flight home, except the times I flew business class. You could argue that this was a fancy car with the legroom of a limousine, but I’ve felt that way in a mini too. Excited about the potential for exploration, the camaraderie, and the music (though not for the confined space).

I still take flights for long-haul trips. After all, I can’t drive to Taiwan. I’m also a loyal Trainline customer and I use it every month. Trains are brilliant because they also come with views so I can easily put my phone down. I’m taking a train from London to Amsterdam next month, choosing it over flying purely because the ride itself is more enjoyable. Plus, the airport wait time is longer than the flight itself.

I believe road trips are serious contenders in the vacation sphere. They’re brilliant ways to adventure no matter the party size, be it a bachelor herd making its way to a huge Airbnb in Macau, or a couple driving to a Thai Anantara resort for a romantic weekend. I’d suggest getting to the airport, and if you can drive, taking the longer, more scenic route. There’s more chance of discovery, whereas a shuttle or small plane will just get you from A to B. From Singapore, there are many easy road trips you can take, including places like Malacca and Kuala Lumpur. If you’re heading to Singapore instead, you’d be happy to know it is ranked number one in Asia for road infrastructure. So let’s bring road-tripping back to the vacation mix. If anything, it’s a perfect excuse to upgrade those wheels.