Driving holiday route: London - Italian Lakes

[youngsyr]

Just about to start researching a summer driving holiday (in an MX-5 )to the Italian Lakes, but I'm not sure on the route, especially through France.

The OH and I have spent a lot of time in France, so aren't fussed about visiting anywhere in particular or spending much time there, but we would like a picturesque route down to northern Italy, avoiding any autoroute or busy roads, possibly taking in the Cote D'Azur.

If anyone has any suggestions or tips, I'd love to hear them!

[ianash]

On my last journey to Lake Como, I went Dijon, Annecy then Como. This route can take you over the Petite San Bernardo Pass, a spectacular drive.

[Stephanie Plum]

We went to Como last year via the Vosges, the Black Forest, Switzerland via about eight passes, before dropping down via Lake Lugano. Took us about five days but we weren't hurrying

[kiteless]

Last time we drove to Verona:

Calais, turn left.
Turn right to Liege
Through Belgium
A bit of Lux
Overnight stop near Nancy
Through the Vosges mountains
Through Freiburg
Past Lake Konstanz (Bodensee)
Overnight in Austria (Langenfeld)
Back to Landeck
Through the Dolomites
Through Merano then Bolzano
Stop for ice cream in Malcesine
Verona (well, Villafranca, but near enough)

Much more enjoyable than our first trip there:

Calais
Reims
Overnight in Saverne
Basle
Milan
Villafranca

[youngsyr]

Thanks for the suggestions, some food for thought there. We're tending towards the following route as suggested in a Times article:

Calais to Aras (71 miles), stop for lunch
Arras to Beaune (318 miles), stop overnight
Beaune to Orange (219 miles), stop for lunch
Orange to Menton (189 miles, via Cote d'Azur) stop overnight
Menton to Genova (108 miles on coastal roads) stop for lunch
Genova to Lake Garda (160 miles)

Anyone visited those places?