South of France Road trip recommendations

[MattMF1]

Trying to plan a road trip with my parter this summer in the south of France. Looking for recommendations on where to go as it’s my first time. We have 9 days in total including travel days to get there.

Since I’m driving I’m happy to avoid busy cities with less parking in favour of villages and towns with a nice atmosphere / restaurants and points of interest.

So far (but not much of a plan)
- 1st destination potentially Annecy as it looks like a great place to explore with lake / scenery nearby and quaint buildings
- Route Napoleon from Digne to Antibes as it looks like a great driving road! Not sure where best to stay over.
- potentially travel west towards Carcassonne / Avignon

Because the car gives us so much freedom it’s been difficult to find the hidden gems over such a large area. Any help hugely appreciated!

We essentially need an itinerary that means we don’t spend the holiday driving around, but also hit some nice scenic roads and great areas for exploring.

Thanks in advance

[littleredrooster]

Can't comment on Annecy as I haven't been (yet...), but the area is generally very nice.

Good choice to do the Route Napoleon while you're in the area - I've done almost the entire length (in bits) on both two wheels and four and it is fabulous.

Both Avignon and Carcassonne are superb cities - probably my two favourites in France - but I would suggest Carcassonne may just be a bit too far West for a 9-day jaunt.

I would perhaps look at Avignon then move North towards the Massif Central; we frequently stay in either Chatelguyon or at Le Relais des Puys at Orcines which has strong petrolhead connections and is in an area of fabulous roads and views. A trip up the Puy de Dome is well worth it for the view from the top.

[mikef]

How about Arles, the Camargue and a stay in medieval Aigues Mortes before heading inland? Done that for the last couple of years. It all depends on what you’re interested in seeing

[NDA]

It's a huge area - and one I go to most years for a few weeks.

A few towns you could Google/Street View to whet the appetite and see if they coincide with where you might be.

Cotignac
Seillans
Villecroze
Tourtour
Saint Paul de Vence
Barjols
Hyères
Frejus
Gordes
St Remy de Provence
L'isle sur la Sorgue
Nimes
Arles

[Vsix and Vtec]

The last time I saw Annecy Lake was back in 1994 on a French Language school trip. I rented a pedalo and spent most of the day enjoying the great many ice cream flavours of the vendors and the great scenery. It seemed that the custom was for women to only wear the bottom half of thier bikini, too, which to my schoolboy eyes was quite a spectacular event.

I can't promise it's unchanged since then, but I do recall it being rather pretty.

[Metric Max]

I have driven the Route Napoleon and enjoyed it although toward the end I wondered if I would ever come to a straight bit of road.
Is your partner OK with travelling around endless sharp bends because if not it could lead to disharmony?

[gazza5]

Depending how far south you are going - would you consider going to monaco?

You could park in Menton and get the train if you want to avoid any high parking fees.

This does depend how far south you are going and which part.

I'm glad I have done Monaco, I wouldn't rush back, but glad I have ticked it off the list.

On our way down to monaco we went the alpine route - although Cote D'iseran closed the one day we were going to do it due to a avalanche, it was open the following day, but we were driving to menton that day.

[havoc]

Metric Max said:

I have driven the Route Napoleon and enjoyed it although toward the end I wondered if I would ever come to a straight bit of road.
Is your partner OK with travelling around endless sharp bends because if not it could lead to disharmony?

This.

Although if you've a compliant passenger, we went the long way, cutting off east at Grenoble (traffic, but quietens down quick out of town) along the D1091 to pass Col d'Huez (hairpin detour), meet the N94 at Briancon, then south to the D900. SOME really nice roads, but also a LOT of really nice scenery before you get to the best bit of the Route Napoleon from Digne towards the coast.

gazza5 said:

I'm glad I have done Monaco, I wouldn't rush back, but glad I have ticked it off the list.

Also this.

NDA said:

Saint Paul de Vence

Really pretty place, and of course on the doorstep of the Col de Vence, if you want to / are allowed to indulge your inner rally driver.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

I've done a couple of write ups

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Boxster5]

We’ve been to and stayed in Annecy a few times and it is lovely but gets extremely busy in Summer (June/July even). Lake Annecy is lovely and worth taking one of the boat trips.
Worth a day trip from there is Yvoire on the shores of Lac Leman - described as one of the prettiest villages (Ville Fleurie), it’s stunning.
We’ve also done Route Napoleon from Grenoble to Grasse and it is a great driving road (not exceptional apart from a few sections) but we broke the journey up and stayed in Gap (have to say we were disappointed with Gap - just wasn’t what we expected and quite anonymous) so would avoid stopping over there. At the end of Route Napoleon we stayed in Mougins near Grasse and that is a pretty little village with a few decent restaurants and bars.

[Boxster5]

We’ve been to and stayed in Annecy a few times and it is lovely but gets extremely busy in Summer (June/July even). Lake Annecy is lovely and worth taking one of the boat trips.
Worth a day trip from there is Yvoire on the shores of Lac Leman - described as one of the prettiest villages (Ville Fleurie), it’s stunning.
We’ve also done Route Napoleon from Grenoble to Grasse and it is a great driving road (not exceptional apart from a few sections) but we broke the journey up and stayed in Gap (have to say we were disappointed with Gap - just wasn’t what we expected and quite anonymous) so would avoid stopping over there. At the end of Route Napoleon we stayed in Mougins near Grasse and that is a pretty little village with a few decent restaurants and bars.

[thepritch]

There’s a few suggestions above which I remember fondly.

First Annecy. I’d move there in a heartbeat if I could. Beautiful setting, calm, peaceful….. until the crowds roll in but don’t ignore it, it’s very much worth going. But if you can, get out to head up the Forclaz or the Semnoz, two mountains that lie right beside the place and create the setting.

We loved Provence, and did a 3wk trip from the west across to the Alps. Orange, Arles, Nimes etc which were the places most have heard of anre worth going. The atea around the Gorge du Verdon is just stunning and I recall a beautiful village called Moustier St Marie which we loved as you heard north towards higher ground.

We based ourselves nr Salernes for one of the weeks so can also recommend tourtour, villecroze as a poster above said. Plenty of small, quaint villages to discover, that for us was the experience, just finding places not knowing was around.

Monaco was ok for a day of people watching and just wondering why some people can be so rude. Prob wouldn’t bother going back.

Nice is nice, but not quite the village experience you’re after.

I know I haven’t helped but already quite jealous of your trip there!

[pattyg]

I really want to do a trip from Scotland taking in Arras, maybe Stuttgart then Interlaken and down to the lavender fields in Provence.

Probably 10 to 12 days with 3 single night stays down to Interlaken then 3 days there and 3 days in Provence before heading back staying up to 3 nights.

Any thoughts on routes places to stay more than welcome. TIA.

[fourstardan]

gazza5 said:

Depending how far south you are going - would you consider going to monaco?

You could park in Menton and get the train if you want to avoid any high parking fees.

This does depend how far south you are going and which part.

I'm glad I have done Monaco, I wouldn't rush back, but glad I have ticked it off the list.

On our way down to monaco we went the alpine route - although Cote D'iseran closed the one day we were going to do it due to a avalanche, it was open the following day, but we were driving to menton that day.

I parked just outside the border in Monaco.

The roads to Monaco from Nice past Eze are brilliant.

Nimes and Beziers are recommended if going west.

[RONV]

And you can have a visit to the casino and we did 2 laps of the circuit but at 6.30 in the morning before the roads were busy.

Edited by RONV on Monday 24th February 16:15

[NDA]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I've done a couple of write ups

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Are you doing a road trip this year? I am heading towards Cotignac mid June for a few weeks and have booked a variety of places on the way down and back.... because of slightly itchy feet I have been reading a few old PH road trip threads... you and I have stayed at the same or very similar locations over the years.

[2 sMoKiN bArReLs]

NDA said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I've done a couple of write ups

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Are you doing a road trip this year? I am heading towards Cotignac mid June for a few weeks and have booked a variety of places on the way down and back.... because of slightly itchy feet I have been reading a few old PH road trip threads... you and I have stayed at the same or very similar locations over the years.

We are! This year we swing out west to the Ile de Re first.

[NDA]

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

NDA said:

2 sMoKiN bArReLs said:

I've done a couple of write ups

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Are you doing a road trip this year? I am heading towards Cotignac mid June for a few weeks and have booked a variety of places on the way down and back.... because of slightly itchy feet I have been reading a few old PH road trip threads... you and I have stayed at the same or very similar locations over the years.

We are! This year we swing out west to the Ile de Re first.

Very nice - I have never been, so hopefully you'll post up some tour pictures?

I should do the same (as I enjoy the exploits of others in France) - but I always forget to take pictures.