London to Cannes via D85 (route napoleon)
Discussion
I am planning on travelling in my S2000 with a together with a mate in his C4S to Cannes for 5 days in late June down to the South of France. I am really up for trying out (for the first time) some of the roads I hear so much about in the South of France, including the RN. For various reasons, including taking a friend who is only in the UK for a limited time, we have 5 days inclusive. Was planning this:
Monday: London to Dijon/Beaune in one big hit (motorway)
Tuesday: Dijon/Beaune to Grenoble (motorway) and then onto the RN into Sth of France
Wed: Cannes/Monaco etc
Thurs: Cannes/Monaco
Fri: San Remo to Annecy (motorway)
Sat: Blat up to Chunnel and back to London.
I don't mind driving 6-8 hours a day just to get to the RN but the female companion of the C4S has a legitmate issue with this. So it seems that the other car is leaning towards a shorter trip (distance wise) and concentrating on Reims and Dijon/Beaune region for the 5 days. Is this an overkill?
Now, if it was me I would ditch the complaining passenger but hypothetically speaking, assuming that was not an option, I was planning on taking a day out and doing some of the stages of the RN. It is not in July/Aug so the traffic should be managable and I'll probably aim to get to Gap / Dignes le Bains before I turn back.
Just wanted to canvas the PH'ers on their views. Are there any recommended hotels around Beaune (around EUR 200 per night) or places worth visiting in Burgundy and the surrounding area? I am looking for scenic places such as the Cols or gorges that form so much of the backdrop on EVO tests and Top Gear reports...I hear there is nothing special in Grenoble. Is it worth doing the RN both ways in one day or is that a bit ambitious?
Will have my trusty TomTom 700 with me so obscure places/roads welcome !
Thanks in advance !
Monday: London to Dijon/Beaune in one big hit (motorway)
Tuesday: Dijon/Beaune to Grenoble (motorway) and then onto the RN into Sth of France
Wed: Cannes/Monaco etc
Thurs: Cannes/Monaco
Fri: San Remo to Annecy (motorway)
Sat: Blat up to Chunnel and back to London.
I don't mind driving 6-8 hours a day just to get to the RN but the female companion of the C4S has a legitmate issue with this. So it seems that the other car is leaning towards a shorter trip (distance wise) and concentrating on Reims and Dijon/Beaune region for the 5 days. Is this an overkill?
Now, if it was me I would ditch the complaining passenger but hypothetically speaking, assuming that was not an option, I was planning on taking a day out and doing some of the stages of the RN. It is not in July/Aug so the traffic should be managable and I'll probably aim to get to Gap / Dignes le Bains before I turn back.
Just wanted to canvas the PH'ers on their views. Are there any recommended hotels around Beaune (around EUR 200 per night) or places worth visiting in Burgundy and the surrounding area? I am looking for scenic places such as the Cols or gorges that form so much of the backdrop on EVO tests and Top Gear reports...I hear there is nothing special in Grenoble. Is it worth doing the RN both ways in one day or is that a bit ambitious?
Will have my trusty TomTom 700 with me so obscure places/roads welcome !
Thanks in advance !
Ah right, it is possible to drive from London to Menton in one day, as my sister and I did this in my Z1 for Christmas. Long way though.
However, if you want to do it scenically, then I can offer experience of doing a very similar trip to the one you are suggesting with my girlfriend last August in my old Audi S3.
We took an early ferry, stopped for lunch in Epernay and to stock up at some Champagne houses and then took a 1/2 RN, 1/2 motorway route from Epernay to Beaune, getting there around 7ish I think. This was travelling on a Friday though, thereby avoiding the usual holiday traffic. We stayed in the Tulip hotel. Nothing fancy but very central and very good value. We were saving our money for the very excellent restaurant in the square nextdoor.
The following day we again headed south and peeled off the motorway near Valence towards Gap (thus avoiding the bumper-bumper Belgian campers on the autoroute to Orange). Beware though - I was caught doing 135kph by the Gendarmes on the RN to Gap although they unaccountably let us off with a warning. Prior to Gap you can peel off to Digne-les-Bains along some fantastic roads. We encountered heavy traffic on the main route so ended up going over a tiny pass called the Col du Fay which was amazingly wild and beautiful. As you know from D-l-B, the Route Napoleon then takes you over to Grasse but be warned that it takes for ever and you should stock up with fuel before tackling it if it is the evening. We didn't and ended up coasting through Grasse on the last fumes in the tank looking for an open petrol station that accepted anything other than French credit cards (in desperation, go to Nice airport - there's a late-opening place there). It is fantastic though and really worth the effort.
We were then staying in Roquebrune but took a day trip out to do the Col de Turini. This starts behind Menton/Sospel and is really amazing. There are several decent-enough restarants at the top of the Col. From there, you can head down some tiny wiggly and very dramatic passes which take you to the back of Antibes via several stops to pick wild raspberries which the gf's eagle eye had spotted.
If you do go down to the Riviera, watch that they've installed speed cameras (90kph limit) in the tunnels on the motorway as it passes behind Nice.
However, if you want to do it scenically, then I can offer experience of doing a very similar trip to the one you are suggesting with my girlfriend last August in my old Audi S3.
We took an early ferry, stopped for lunch in Epernay and to stock up at some Champagne houses and then took a 1/2 RN, 1/2 motorway route from Epernay to Beaune, getting there around 7ish I think. This was travelling on a Friday though, thereby avoiding the usual holiday traffic. We stayed in the Tulip hotel. Nothing fancy but very central and very good value. We were saving our money for the very excellent restaurant in the square nextdoor.
The following day we again headed south and peeled off the motorway near Valence towards Gap (thus avoiding the bumper-bumper Belgian campers on the autoroute to Orange). Beware though - I was caught doing 135kph by the Gendarmes on the RN to Gap although they unaccountably let us off with a warning. Prior to Gap you can peel off to Digne-les-Bains along some fantastic roads. We encountered heavy traffic on the main route so ended up going over a tiny pass called the Col du Fay which was amazingly wild and beautiful. As you know from D-l-B, the Route Napoleon then takes you over to Grasse but be warned that it takes for ever and you should stock up with fuel before tackling it if it is the evening. We didn't and ended up coasting through Grasse on the last fumes in the tank looking for an open petrol station that accepted anything other than French credit cards (in desperation, go to Nice airport - there's a late-opening place there). It is fantastic though and really worth the effort.
We were then staying in Roquebrune but took a day trip out to do the Col de Turini. This starts behind Menton/Sospel and is really amazing. There are several decent-enough restarants at the top of the Col. From there, you can head down some tiny wiggly and very dramatic passes which take you to the back of Antibes via several stops to pick wild raspberries which the gf's eagle eye had spotted.
If you do go down to the Riviera, watch that they've installed speed cameras (90kph limit) in the tunnels on the motorway as it passes behind Nice.
- thanks for the heads up RT especially about refueling! It has occurred to me but I havent checked how far the petrol stations are separated on the TomTom! No worries - have fun.
BTW, it's not so much the seperation of the petrol stations, more that they either (i) seemed to shut surprisingly early in the evening or (ii) only took French credit cards (especially where there was an automated payment system on the pump itself). I must have pulled into every service station between Dignes and Grasse without any luck. And in every one I met the same progressively more desperate-looking Spanish Alfa 156. You really wouldn't want to run out of fuel on the Route Napoleon with night setting in. There's not much by way of civilisation up there!
>> Edited by RacingTeatray on Wednesday 26th April 07:52
BTW, it's not so much the seperation of the petrol stations, more that they either (i) seemed to shut surprisingly early in the evening or (ii) only took French credit cards (especially where there was an automated payment system on the pump itself). I must have pulled into every service station between Dignes and Grasse without any luck. And in every one I met the same progressively more desperate-looking Spanish Alfa 156. You really wouldn't want to run out of fuel on the Route Napoleon with night setting in. There's not much by way of civilisation up there!
>> Edited by RacingTeatray on Wednesday 26th April 07:52
Old thread, but I'm new here, and who could get tired of the Route Napoleon. Did it again last week from the South of France up to Val d'Isere/Tignes - awesome road, absolutely love it.
Anyway, if you're driving down from the UK I'd recommend getting the rest of France out of the way with a blast down the autoroute. If you want to stay precisely half way to the Cote d'Azur I've stayed here several times - fantastic food, very comfortable rooms, great value, incredibly peaceful after a days driving and hardly any kms out of your way:
www.jeandesaone.com/
And once your down in the South check out our place - it's in the heart of the area where you see Top Gear, 5th Gear, Evo Mag and all the others doing their thing - seems like every week there's a new car being launched round here - most recently was the Subaru Coupe thing, one journo nearly took me out, and prior to that was the new Porsche Boxter:
www.le-foulon.com/route-napoleon.asp/
Anyway, if you're driving down from the UK I'd recommend getting the rest of France out of the way with a blast down the autoroute. If you want to stay precisely half way to the Cote d'Azur I've stayed here several times - fantastic food, very comfortable rooms, great value, incredibly peaceful after a days driving and hardly any kms out of your way:
www.jeandesaone.com/
And once your down in the South check out our place - it's in the heart of the area where you see Top Gear, 5th Gear, Evo Mag and all the others doing their thing - seems like every week there's a new car being launched round here - most recently was the Subaru Coupe thing, one journo nearly took me out, and prior to that was the new Porsche Boxter:
www.le-foulon.com/route-napoleon.asp/
Having driven the RN several times, staying close to the start of it is a must! It is such an awesome journey to Monaco.
I stay Here. Less than eight hours from Calais. Drive for four hours, lunch, drive another four hours!
Lovely hotel with a great restaurant, and right at the start of the RN!
I stay Here. Less than eight hours from Calais. Drive for four hours, lunch, drive another four hours!
Lovely hotel with a great restaurant, and right at the start of the RN!
Resurrecting this thread - planning to drive to Monaco next week and want to take in the D85.
Anyone stopped in any Hotels en route or just before N85 recently - any journey tips or recomendations are most welcome....plus looking for a Hotel with secure carpark either in near Monaco, probably Nice if bidget prohibits......Thanks
Anyone stopped in any Hotels en route or just before N85 recently - any journey tips or recomendations are most welcome....plus looking for a Hotel with secure carpark either in near Monaco, probably Nice if bidget prohibits......Thanks
Yil said:
Resurrecting this thread - planning to drive to Monaco next week and want to take in the D85.
Anyone stopped in any Hotels en route or just before N85 recently - any journey tips or recommendations are most welcome....plus looking for a Hotel with secure car park either in near Monaco, probably Nice if budget prohibits......Thanks
Not sure on your budget but if you're looking for something cheap and cheerful for an overnight stop I can recommend the Logis Hotel at Pont-de-Claix (just south of Grenoble). Harry Metcalfe recommended the Logis chain in one of his Euro trip videos and it does the job for less than £100 a night - this one does have a pool if that is of interest. Then the following morning you can fill up at the Carrefour round the corner and you're pretty much straight onto the N85 towards Gap or you can take the D1075 to Sisteron and join the N85 at Digne when the good bits start.Anyone stopped in any Hotels en route or just before N85 recently - any journey tips or recommendations are most welcome....plus looking for a Hotel with secure car park either in near Monaco, probably Nice if budget prohibits......Thanks
A little off your route, but for secure car parking and a lovely little hotel on the way, can I recommend "La Gabetiére" near Vienne. A very reasonably priced country house hotel, with access by a code controlled gate to the estate and thus secure parking.
A very good breakfast, but no restaurant. A well stocked honesty bar and tables and cutlery provided if you want an al fresco dining experience/quiet drink in their garden to recover from the drive. I've stayed there on my own and with Mrs on way to South/Route Napoleon. It does really feel like you're a guest at someone's country pile.
A very good breakfast, but no restaurant. A well stocked honesty bar and tables and cutlery provided if you want an al fresco dining experience/quiet drink in their garden to recover from the drive. I've stayed there on my own and with Mrs on way to South/Route Napoleon. It does really feel like you're a guest at someone's country pile.
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