What's the most exciting 2 day drive to the South of France?
Discussion
900 miles and 15 hours by motorway but with 2 days, waking up one morning in London, a stop on the way, and going to sleep the following night in Monaco, what is the most exciting way to do it?
To clarify, I drive to Paris 3-4 times a year and have done the Monaco drive each of the last 3 summers so quite familiar with the drill. And of course, the Route Napoleon is a firm favourite, perhaps day 1 is into Paris before heading 3 hours south later and staying towards Grenoble for day 2 down to Cannes and across to Monaco.
But we're looking to do something different, are there any good driving roads in Northern France that can be included? Are there any good museums or venues we could stop at? Does anybody have any interesting ideas? If we made it 3 days are there other things we should be doing?
All thoughts appreciated!
To clarify, I drive to Paris 3-4 times a year and have done the Monaco drive each of the last 3 summers so quite familiar with the drill. And of course, the Route Napoleon is a firm favourite, perhaps day 1 is into Paris before heading 3 hours south later and staying towards Grenoble for day 2 down to Cannes and across to Monaco.
But we're looking to do something different, are there any good driving roads in Northern France that can be included? Are there any good museums or venues we could stop at? Does anybody have any interesting ideas? If we made it 3 days are there other things we should be doing?
All thoughts appreciated!
An idea I'm coming up with is 3 days, first day just a drive to Stuttgart, the next morning go around Porsche then head 90 mins South for a visit to Autosalon-Singen; which is almost like a museum with so much awesomeness on display. Then head down to Modena-ish that night before a whistlestop tour of Lambo, Pagani and Ferrari on day 3 before the 4hrs back across to Monaco.
Hmm I wonder!
Hmm I wonder!
We popped down to the Ardeche (200km from marseille) this year from Calais but going the west side of Paris. Mix of free motorways and fast nationales. Took in the top corner of the Massif Central. Then headed to the aurverg sand then back up via Normandy. 2700 miles in 3 weeks, in a 205GTI!
Consider taking the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to Le Havre, this delivers you at early breakfast time much further south, if a little west, but it does avoid that awful tronk across northern France, which is flat and boring, and it allows you to avoid Paris too, which is a bonus in my book.
Thanks for the suggestions. For the way down I think we will go the Stuttgart followed by Modena route.
The way back looks like a Route Napoleon blast, where I'm stuck is if there's a more exciting way to get home from there than the Autoroute des Anglais to Calais. An option is to kick off heading West and across the Milau viaduct, then up to the West side of Paris in some form.
The way back looks like a Route Napoleon blast, where I'm stuck is if there's a more exciting way to get home from there than the Autoroute des Anglais to Calais. An option is to kick off heading West and across the Milau viaduct, then up to the West side of Paris in some form.
Did a high speed one ten years or so ago with a buddy who was going to collect his new £2mill boat. Left the tunnel at calais at 01:00 and arrived in Nice dead on 08:00. Seven hours dead. And 770 miles. So we averaged 110mph inc fuel stops, and there were a lot of them. He had a 3.0litre AMG Merc estate that went like sh7rt, or it might have been a Beemer, can't remember exactly, but it did go rather well. Middle of the night and not much on the road, he managed to keep it above 150 for nearly an hour before the fuel gauge started crying. Had a first class refuelling procedure that any of the F1 teams would have been proud of too. He filled the tank while I got two coffees and paid for the fuel, minimum time stationary. Fuel consumption just about made double figures and I'd hate to say how many fuel stops we had. Last couple of hours were fraught when we started aiming for the seven hour trip. Last fifty miles round the windy Cote D'Azure motorway was hmm err, interesting.
Re another way back from SoF, I've done across to Genoa, up to Milan, through the lakes (Como) into Switzerland. Then Lucerne, Basel and either nip into France at Mulhouse or up through Germany to Kehl then Strasbourg, Metz, Luxembourg, Namur, Bruxelles, Gent and finish up at Calais or whichever one takes your fancy. Personally I always preferred coming back via The Hague (nice kip on the overnight boat) but not done it for a few years.
Re another way back from SoF, I've done across to Genoa, up to Milan, through the lakes (Como) into Switzerland. Then Lucerne, Basel and either nip into France at Mulhouse or up through Germany to Kehl then Strasbourg, Metz, Luxembourg, Namur, Bruxelles, Gent and finish up at Calais or whichever one takes your fancy. Personally I always preferred coming back via The Hague (nice kip on the overnight boat) but not done it for a few years.
ColinM50 said:
Did a high speed one ten years or so ago with a buddy who was going to collect his new £2mill boat. Left the tunnel at calais at 01:00 and arrived in Nice dead on 08:00. Seven hours dead. And 770 miles. So we averaged 110mph inc fuel stops, and there were a lot of them. He had a 3.0litre AMG Merc estate that went like sh7rt, or it might have been a Beemer, can't remember exactly, but it did go rather well. Middle of the night and not much on the road, he managed to keep it above 150 for nearly an hour before the fuel gauge started crying. Had a first class refuelling procedure that any of the F1 teams would have been proud of too. He filled the tank while I got two coffees and paid for the fuel, minimum time stationary. Fuel consumption just about made double figures and I'd hate to say how many fuel stops we had. Last couple of hours were fraught when we started aiming for the seven hour trip. Last fifty miles round the windy Cote D'Azure motorway was hmm err, interesting.
Re another way back from SoF, I've done across to Genoa, up to Milan, through the lakes (Como) into Switzerland. Then Lucerne, Basel and either nip into France at Mulhouse or up through Germany to Kehl then Strasbourg, Metz, Luxembourg, Namur, Bruxelles, Gent and finish up at Calais or whichever one takes your fancy. Personally I always preferred coming back via The Hague (nice kip on the overnight boat) but not done it for a few years.
So he was why the French clamped down on Brits speeding, thanks!!Re another way back from SoF, I've done across to Genoa, up to Milan, through the lakes (Como) into Switzerland. Then Lucerne, Basel and either nip into France at Mulhouse or up through Germany to Kehl then Strasbourg, Metz, Luxembourg, Namur, Bruxelles, Gent and finish up at Calais or whichever one takes your fancy. Personally I always preferred coming back via The Hague (nice kip on the overnight boat) but not done it for a few years.
gruffalo said:
Course, best if you have lots of Euros in your pocket just in case I'm talking bollix
ColinM50 said:
Still can, just got to pick your times. Mid August saturday afternoon's not going to be the best time, late March middle of the week and in the small hours of the morning and there's not a lot of chance of Monsieur le gendarme being awake.
Course, best if you have lots of Euros in your pocket just in case I'm talking bollix
You would have no chance of doing this for that length of journey in France now and no matter how many Euros you have in your wallet you would be needing a lift as your car would be confiscated!Course, best if you have lots of Euros in your pocket just in case I'm talking bollix
neil-f said:
ColinM50 said:
Still can, just got to pick your times. Mid August saturday afternoon's not going to be the best time, late March middle of the week and in the small hours of the morning and there's not a lot of chance of Monsieur le gendarme being awake.
Course, best if you have lots of Euros in your pocket just in case I'm talking bollix
You would have no chance of doing this for that length of journey in France now and no matter how many Euros you have in your wallet you would be needing a lift as your car would be confiscated!Course, best if you have lots of Euros in your pocket just in case I'm talking bollix
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