Behind the wheel with Griff Rhys Jones

Words: Danny Scott 

Where has been your favourite road trip destination? 
A long time ago now – when the kids were very young – we had a family trip to the Florida Keys. My manager at the time rented me this huge, classic Cadillac thing, which was completely impractical for daily use. I could barely manoeuvre it around the supermarket car park! But when we were driving along the Overseas Highway, watching the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico, it made perfect sense. 

What’s on your bucket list?
I’ve been lucky enough to see an awful lot of the world, but I’ve got a hankering for a bit more of South America. I’m not bothered about those far-away-from-it-all places like Patagonia. I like to have a splash of civilisation on my doorstep – a vast road trip through the great cities and towns of Chile.

What’s your ultimate travel song?
You have to be quite careful in the car. Too much Rolling Stones and you could suddenly see flashing blue lights in your rear-view mirror. “Sorry, officer, it was Keith’s guitar wot did it!” You can’t go wrong with a bit of James Taylor... ‘Fire and Rain’, ‘You’ve Got a Friend’. And I love his song ‘Mexico’ because, right in the middle, he admits that he’s never been there!

What are your packing essentials?
Provided I’ve got my passport, I am one of those people who can literally walk out of the door with whatever’s in my pockets, go to an airport and fly halfway around the world. Most of the things we think are essential when we travel never get used. Leave them at home.

Do you have any clever travel hacks?
Be a bad tourist! Don’t overplan your trip. Avoid all guided tours. Travel around on the local buses. If you must buy a guide book, look at its Top 30 sightseeing list and start at number 15. Let serendipity be your travel companion and allow those precious moments to simply just happen. 

What’s your dream car? And where would you most want to drive it?
You’re talking to the wrong man! All these people buying top-of-the-range 4x4 off-roaders? Why? You live in Swindon! What about a 1960s Ferrari? I’d be too scared to drive it in case I had an accident. Give me a modern people carrier on a nice quiet country road in Suffolk.

Do you think you’re a good traveller?
Without a doubt! As I mentioned earlier, I sail... I want to know what’s out there. Even when I’m halfway across the English Channel and the so-called Force 6 has turned into a Force 9, I never regret a journey. 

If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be, and why?
It annoys me that our young people are constantly told they need to go to Bangkok or Croatia or Australia when they haven’t experienced the best of what we’ve got on offer here in this great country of ours. What about the Western Isles of Scotland, Mid Wales or the Peak District? Yes, I like to travel, but this is my home. 

Griff Rhys Jones stars in I’m Sorry, Prime Minister at the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End from 30 January 2026.

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