French Road-trip Routes

[ejs4]

Hello,

We are planning a roadtrip early September to southern France. I was wondering if anyone had any routes that have done in the past, or would like to give some advice.

Want to do on a budget, and have 8 days.

- Which Routes to do and avoid?
- Airbnb, hotels, camping?
- Sights to see

 

[Obs-Com]

I guess it depends which part of the SoF you’re going to. If going to the South East Riviera, France has some nice A roads across to the French Alps then drive down the Route Napoleon. If going towards the South East, again some nice A roads down through the Dordogne and Lot. Always worth a trip over the Millau Bridge (Toll charge) but lots of free motorway either side that’s saves money going south. Whichever way you go, France is a great place for a road trip.

 

[bigwinn]

I guess it depends which part of the SoF you’re going to. If going to the South East Riviera, France has some nice A roads across to the French Alps then drive down the Route Napoleon. If going towards the South East, again some nice A roads down through the Dordogne and Lot. Always worth a trip over the Millau Bridge (Toll charge) but lots of free motorway either side that’s saves money going south. Whichever way you go, France is a great place for a road trip.

100% endorse a trip over the Millau bridge

 

[ejs4]

Currently thinking along the lines of:

Calais - Lyon
Lyon - St Tropez (along N85)
St Tropez - Manaco
Monaco - Alpe D'Huez
Alpe D'Huez - Beanue
Beanue - Calais

(Not staying in those exact locations, just the rough areas)

 

[Argyll Andy]

Currently thinking along the lines of:

Calais - Lyon
Lyon - St Tropez (along N85)
St Tropez - Manaco
Monaco - Alpe D'Huez
Alpe D'Huez - Beanue
Beanue - Calais

(Not staying in those exact locations, just the rough areas)

We’re looking at very similar but pulling across earlier to do the Route de Grande Alpes (Around Geneva) rather than just Route Napoleon. The RdGA joins the RN further down I think

 

[Greg 01]

Hi ejs4 .
If you have a look for the ardeche region , pont d,ark
Also look for the verdon gorge stunning roads .
Comb lavel ,etc .

 

[tiglon]

From experience...

There are some cheap places to stay in Lyon, just not in the nicer part of the city. Burgundy is a great halfway stopover, particularly if you like wine - some lovely little guesthouses in the villages of Puligny Montrachet, Chassagne Montrachet and Meursault. There's not a lot worth stopping for in North-East France, but the WWI & II cemeteries would be on my list.

Monaco is fun but I wouldn't recommend staying long if you're on a budget! Nimes is a lovely town if you're into Roman history - Colosseum and aquaduct (which you can kayak under).

The Vosges mountains are worth a detour, Alsace is absolutely beautiful and if you have time the Schwarzwald Hochstrasse through the black forest over the border into Germany is spectacular.

The northern Italian lakes are stunning and can lead onto the Stelvio Pass, but that might be stretching it in only 8 days!

It all depends on what kind of roadtrip you want - some twisty roads to attack, glorious scenery to take in, or just nice places to amble through and explore?

 

[ejs4]

Thanks for some suggestions on places to visit.

We would like a mixture of twisty picturesque roads, but also with some character-full french towns with some exciting things to see and do in them.

We would love to do into Italy for the lakes, but I think covid restrictions do not allow at the moment.

The difficulty at the moment is choosing which towns to stay in. For example do we stay in Lyon or rather choose a small town on the area.

 

[Lance]

Large cities can be a PITA with traffic and finding your way about whilst driving, you also need to consider the pollution toll ticket thingy. Small to medium towns usually have a selection of hotels, along with bars and restaurants.

On an 8 day trip, try not to squeeze too much in, you’ll just be chasing time, all the time. Do a bit less, see and enjoy more.

Vosge, Vecours and Route Napoleon down is a cracking route. Gerardmer in the Vosges is nice for a stopover, the Hotel Des Bains is nice and the Grand Balloon pass is en route the following day. In the Vercors there are some spectacular balcony roads and the Chateau d’herbelon in Treffort is a beautiful stopover. Then south to the RN.

 

[Lance]

Vercors