Credit: Michael Dunlea/Rex Features
Fed up with this view out of your windscreen? Join me for a bit of escapism as I take you on a whistle-stop tour of some of the world's greatest roads.
What exactly makes a great road? This is an incredibly personal thing, and one man's dream road is another man's nightmare. For instance, to your average Ferrari driver, the Stelvio Pass in Switzerland is about as good as it gets. But those hairpins wouldn't be quite as much fun in a 40-tonner!
Likewise, the M1 isn't every supercar driver's idea of heaven, but if there's no traffic and you're heading home after a week of tramping, it could well be one of your favourites.
In compiling this list I've gone for a complete mix, choosing roads for their scenery, originality, and pure excitement. If you think you could have done a better job, I'd love to hear your choices.
And in no particular order:
No1
US Route 163
Length: 64 miles
Speed limit: 75mph
Year built: 1910
Credit: Chad Ehlers/Stock Connection/Rex Features
You've probably never heard of US Route 163 before, but I'm confident that you'll be familiar with the spectacular scenery it passes through. This 64-mile stretch of two-lane road crosses the Arizona/Utah border, and takes in some of the craziest rock formations on the planet.
The highlight of any journey down this road has to be Monument Valley. This cluster of iconic sandstone buttes is instantly recognisable thanks to its starring role in countless movies, including The Eiger Sanction, Easy Rider, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Stagecoach.
It was also the backdrop for the 1950s Marlboro Man (who incidentally died from lung cancer) marketing campaign. Motorists are allowed to take their own vehicles into the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, where there is mile upon mile of poorly maintained dirt tracks. The going is incredibly rough - which is just what rental cars were made for!
No2
Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road
Length: 353 miles
Speed limit: 16mph fully-laden, 37mph unladen (strictly enforced by radar)
Year built: 1982
Credit: Canadian Press/Rex Features
In Canada's Northwest Territories, ice roads are a vital link to the remote mines. And during the winter months, convoys of trucks carry essential supplies to the remote mining communities on these temporary roads.
The most famous ice road is the Tibbitt to Contwoyto Winter Road, which is normally operational throughout February and March (weather permitting). Nearly 90% of the 353-mile road travels directly over frozen lakes. In 2007, some 10,922 truck loads were carried on the road, carrying 331,000 tonnes of goods.
In 2007 the road was featured on The History Channel series called Ice Road Truckers,
but the mining company felt that the road was portrayed in a negative fashion, so soon introduced a ban on commercial, media, video or rolling film cameras either inside or attached to the outside of vehicle. The show moved to the Tuktoyaktuk Winter Road.
No3
The Great Silk Road
Length: 4000 miles
Speed limit: various
Year built: 1000BC
Credit: Andrew Aiken/Rex Features
The Silk Road (or Silk Routes) is an extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent, connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe.
The 4000-mile route was originally set up not only for the transportation of silk and other fine fabrics, but also to move spices, medicines jewels and slaves. Because of the vast distances, few people actually travelled along the entire route, instead carrying goods from one market town to the next in a relay fashion.
The most famous westerner to do the entire route was Marco Polo. If you want to follow in his footsteps, but don't have time to do the entire 4000-mile journey, I'm told the section through Morocco's High Atlas Mountains (pictured) is particularly beautiful.
No4
Pan-American Highway
Length: 29,800 miles
Speed limit: various
Year built: 1928 to date
Credit: Eye Ubiquitous/Rex Features
The Pan-American Highway links the mainland nations of the Americas, and at 29,800 miles, is officially the world's longest road. But it isn't actually complete yet, thanks to a 54-mile section of swamp and rain forest between Panama and Columbia (Darien Gap).
There are plans to tear down the forest and build a road, but until such time, it's a long and very difficult walk/swim.
The road kicks off in Alaska, and finishes at the most southerly part of Argentina. Not surprisingly it takes in many diverse climates and ecological types, from dense jungles to cold mountain passes.
No5
Trans-Amazonian Highway (BR320)
Length: 3293 miles
Speed limit: Up to 75mph
Year built: 1972 to date
Credit: Focus/Teles/Rex Features
The Trans-Amazonian Highway (BR-230) is Brazil's third longest highway, and runs through the states of Piaui, Maranhão, Tocantins, Pará and Amazonas. It was supposed to be paved from day one, but higher than expected construction costs ruined that plan.
Today vast sections are still no more than dirt tracks, meaning plenty of dust in the summer months and a quagmire in the winter. Basically you take your life in your hands whenever you drive on the Trans-Amazonian Highway.
Unfortunately the road has indirectly caused a great deal of deforestation, because you can't transport timber without roads.
No6
The Yungas Road (Highway of Death)
Length: 43 miles
Speed limit: as fast as you dare
Year built: 1932
Credit: Crispin Rodwell/Rex Features
The Yungas Road, which links the Amazon rainforest region of Bolivia with the capital La Paz, has quite literally been carved into a cliff face. Because of the extreme drop-offs, single-lane width, frequent fog, unpaved surface and lack of guardrails, the road is extremely dangerous.
In fact it is estimated that between 200-300 people lose their lives on this road every year, many of them lorry drivers. For this reason it has been christened 'El Camino de la Muerte' or 'Highway of Death'.
The scenery is supposed to be stunning, but how many drivers are brave enough to take their eyes off the road to appreciate it?
For some incredible truck pictures check out the Travel-Bolivia website.
No7
The Sani Pass
Length: 5 miles
Speed limit: 50mph
Year built: 1955 (first motorised vehicles)
Credit: Richard Crampton/Rex Features
You need a top-notch 4x4 with a whole host of three-letter safety acronyms to navigate the treacherous Sani Pass in South Africa. Alternatively you can climb into the back of a clapped out old Mercedes-Benz truck and pray!
The dirt road, which connects South Africa's Kwazulu-Natal and the Kingdom of Lesotho, is notoriously dangerous and is littered with the remains of the vehicles that failed to make it. Not only is the surface poor, but the inclines are ridiculously steep too as you climb up to the 2874m summit. Add to this the unpredictable weather conditions and it's easy to see why accidents are commonplace.
Although the South African authorities at the bottom of the road insist that you climb in a competent 4x4, the Lesotho border control at the top are happy for you to make the descent in anything.
No8
Nevada State Route 375 aka Extraterrestrial Highway
Length: 98 miles
Speed limit: warp 7
Year built: 1932
Credit: Larry MacDougal/Rex Features
If you are into your UFOs, you probably know all about Nevada State Route 375. There have been so many unexplained sightings on this 98-mile stretch of blacktop that it has been christened Extraterrestrial Highway.
Of course this has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that NSR375 passes within a few miles of Area 51 - the top-secret military base and testing ground that supposedly doesn't exist (although you can have a pretty good look at it on Google Earth!). Any trip down this road must include a stop at Rachel, home of the A'Le'Inn bar.
This desolate piece of blacktop links the ghost towns of Crystal Springs with Warm Springs, and has a lower traffic volume than any major road in the US.
No9
Grossglockner High Alpine Road
Length: 30 miles
Speed limit: 50mph
Year built: 1935
Credit: WestEnd61/Rex Features
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road (named after Austria's highest mountain), which links Salzburg with the state of Carinthia, consists of 30 miles of hairpins. It climbs to 2500m above sea level, and as you'd expect, the views are something else. Dare I say it's even worth the £16 toll?
If somebody lends you a supercar, this is where to take it! But before you head off to Austria, you'll need to check the forecast first. It usually opens in early May (after a fleet of snow-ploughs have removed 800,000m³ of snow in April).
No10
The A82 Road to the Isles
Length: 99 miles
Speed limit: 40mph (in a truck)
Year built: Unknown
Credit: Brian Harris/Rex Features
Although the UK has some of the dullest stretches of tarmac in the world, it also has its fair share of gems. Three that immediately spring to mind are North Yorkshire's Buttertubs Pass, The Llanberis Pass in North Wales (A4086) and Snake Pass (A57) in the Peak District.
But the winner has to be Scotland's mighty A82, a wonderful 100-mile stretch of road that runs west from Invergarry to Uig on the west coast of the Isle of Skye. Scenery really doesn't get much better than this, does it?
What a great set of roads you have chosen, Will! The only one of those 10 I have been on is the A82, which my wife and I drove the length of when we were in the UK in July, we actually stayed for a night in Uig. The A82 well deserves its place in the list, a great road with fantastic scenery.