Please critique my planned route for Monaco road trip

[A900ss]

Hi,

I have a 7 day pass to do a road trip to Monaco, something that I've always wanted to do since I can remember.

I don't know southern France at all well so can you please critique my route and suggest roads to get from the start points and end points each day.

The only thing I need to add is that I'll be on regular summer UK tyres, not winters, although I do have snow socks in case of emergencies. I travel on the last Sunday in February.

Any advice given is greatly appreciated that avoids motorways as much as possible.

Day 1 Gloucestershire to Dijon
Boring motorway from Calais A26 then jump off at Troyes onto D671/D971 to Dijon just to get through northern France quickly.

Day 2 Dijon to Grenoble

Day 3 Grenoble to Cannes
Route Napoleon

Day 4 Cannes to Monaco for a half day look around and then ending up in Marseille

Day 5 Marseille to Clermont Ferrand via Millau Viaduct

Day 6 Clermont Ferrand to Paris

Day 7 Paris to Gloucestershire

[A900ss]

Zed 44 said:

Depends on the time of the year you're going.

I'm booked on the Eurotunnel for 28th February so I am a littl concerned about snow if I go too high in the Alps. My car will be on regular summer tyres (snow socks in boot for emergencies).

Thanks for the input, really appreciated.

[A900ss]

Does anybody know of a website that I can check which roads are open and which are closed?

Thanks.

[A900ss]

Geekman said:

With regards to winter tyres, you'll probably be OK without. The main routes tend to be clear at that time of year. I actually decided to drive to a little town in the alps last winter in a RWD car on summer tyres, and even then we managed - you just had to take things slowly. There are occasionally police checkpoints where they won't let people through without winter tyres, but I never saw any.

Personally, if you want to experience the alps, I'd drive up from Nice and just see how far you can get - it'll probably be fine. If it isn't, just go back the way you came. There's some beautiful scenery on the way which is worth seeing in any case.

It's certainly not worth buying winter tyres for - if you're not comfortable risking it (which I can totally understand) I'd just not bother with going through the alps.

I do have some photos of the roads I took at the time which I'm happy to post up if you want to get a rough idea of what to expect.

Looking on EBay it looks like I can get the correct size steel wheels fitted with nearly new winters for £175 - £200 (the benefit of skinny tyres and end of season) so that might be an option anyway as we'll have the car for at least another two winters.

It's not an option going north from Nice and turning around if necessary as I'll be coming from the north and traveling south at this point of the route.

I'll ping you my e-mail address so you can can send me some photos of he road at this time of year if that's ok?

Thanks.

[A900ss]

Sod it. I've wanted to do this trip since I can ever remember and I'm not going to let any snow spoil it.

4 new steel wheels and a set of Nokian winter D4's on order.

My wife works shifts for the emergency services so they'll be useful for the next winter when she's driving home at 2am in the morning.

Edited by A900ss on Wednesday 10th February 13:40

[A900ss]

I leave on Sunday and can't wait!!! IT's like Christmas as a child.

Just a quick thought.....

When I get to Monaco, I was planning coming back via the West (Millau Bridge, Orleans and Paris) but I'm thinking if I extend another day I could go back via the East (Milan, Lake Garda, cut through Austria then Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium to Calais).

Comments very welcome if I should return via East or West.

[A900ss]

I'm sure weather will play a part on some of the high roads. I'll be running with winter tyres but they won't be infallible.

It looks like the Eastern route has the recommendation though.

Thanks

[A900ss]

Google maps won't let me put enough points in to get my exact journey but here is my rough route with a return via the East. Motorway and toll free where possible.

I leave on Sunday so any last minute tips most welcome.

[A900ss]

PS - this is a journey for one so if I do long driving days, nobody will be arguing with me.

Also, the company 5 series has gone back, the TVR is staying in its heated garage so I'll be doing the trip in a mighty 1.2 75hp triple cylinder diesel!!!! A Seat Ibiza Ecomotive ST (think of a Polo Bluemotion just in estate form). I'm not going to drive eco style, I'll go with the flow and hope to get north on 60MPG average over the total trip.

I've got the car, my camera and lenses and a credit card. Happy days.

[A900ss]

omariqy said:

Sorry to jump on this thread but 6 of us are doing a road trip over 5 days from Thursday to Monday. We really want to go to Monaco but we also want to do Amsterdam and (anywhere in) Switzerland. We don't mind having one big long drive to get somewhere or back from somewhere but I was planning on doing a maximum of 4 hours driving a day. Does anyone recommend a good route given the time of the year? A combination of scenic routes and fast routes would be ideal.

For 5 days choose Monaco and Switzerland OR Amsterdam only. I don’t think you’ll realistically get both. Personally, I’d drop Amsterdam and drive done to Dijon quickly, Route Napoleon to Monaco, over to Milan, Italian lakes, up to St Moritz for passes that are open then home.

Good luck.