When we reached Marcel, he had just returned from a special weekend: the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique, where historic race cars race through the streets of Monaco. He had driven the route himself and led his friends in their classic cars all the way to the Mediterranean. And they saw more than just a few kilometers of beautiful scenery.
Fun, but challenging
For years, the ophthalmologist has been planning multi-day road trips for his circle of friends. One thing has always been important to him: it’s not just about stringing together the windiest mountain passes and most scenic country roads. It’s about that certain something behind it all: learning something along the way, taking in the history of a region, and, in the end, truly having been there—rather than just driving through. He wants a genuine experience—a road trip with moments of surprise, playful elements, and a bit of a challenge.
No app could deliver exactly that feeling. Planning routes that aren’t just about driving, but that connect places, stories, and surprises, takes time, patience, and a deep knowledge of the area. Eventually, he was ready: “Since there wasn’t a suitable solution, I thought to myself: Then we’ll just develop this route-experience planner ourselves.”
Driving-focused, yet full of surprises
The result is RoadQuest. The idea is simple yet unusual: At the start, you only know the beginning and end of the route; the rest remains a surprise. Instead of navigating along a predefined line on the map, you unlock each new stage yourself, step by step. The app guides you along scenic roads to cultural highlights, special places, and the stories of a region.
“It’s a bit like a scavenger hunt, which I’ve always loved since I was a kid,” says Marcel. RoadQuest brings the route adventure to your smartphone without anyone having to pore over roadbooks beforehand. A journey of discovery, mind you—not a race on the road.
RoadQuest is the result of about a year and a half of work by a new, passionate team. Currently, there are about 25 tours—most in Switzerland, some in Germany, with Austria coming soon—and new ones are being added all the time. Each one is handpicked—rather than generically cobbled together from the internet—and that’s exactly what makes them interesting.
Marcel describes his motivation this way: “The best memories are rarely made at the destination, but on the journey there. It’s the winding backroads, the surprising discoveries, and the shared experiences that make a trip unforgettable. With RoadQuest, we wanted to capture exactly these moments. When a petrolhead says after a tour like this, ‘That’s exactly why I drive a car or ride a motorcycle,’ we’ve done everything right.”
Video Diary as a Souvenir
What makes RoadQuest special: During the tour, participants can complete photo and video challenges to capture their experiences right away. The app automatically compiles these recordings into a digital roadbook video featuring the best moments of the trip—a personal keepsake to watch, share, and relive.
Premium subscribers to Zwischengas have the exclusive opportunity to try out a RoadQuest tour for free. For more information about the app and to download it, visit roadquest.app. Those who’d like to support the project long-term can find the limited-edition Pole Position Pass there, which includes all current tours as well as access to most future RoadQuest tours.
100 tours to win
The road trip app guides you along the most beautiful roads and tells you the stories of the places you’d otherwise just drive past. For registered readers of Zwischengas , here’s a free trial code to experience a RoadQuest tour for free. Request the code, download the app, choose a tour, enter the code, and hit the road.
For more information about the app and to download it, visit roadquest.app.
