Alternative route to Italian Riviera

[Harleyboy]

Hi all, i'm leaving on the family holiday in a couple of weeks, heading to a small place near Ventimiglia on the Italian Riviera. It's literally just over the french/italian border.

I'm not sure whether to follow the sat nav and viamichelin suggestions and autoroute it all the way to Aix and then the A8 across past Monaco, or to divert towards Chamonix and drop down via Turin. This Turin route looks slightly shorter but is suggesting another couple of hours.

I'm also thinking of doing the journey in one hit with an 0630 tunnel crossing. It's over 800 miles from Calais and although we did Calais to Garmisch en route to Garda in one hit last year, it's punchy for the family.

Any comments or suggestions would be good. Can't get too much of the twisty stuff as the kids won't enjoy it so a simple but scenic if possible route would be good. Happy to consider a stopover if we were within a couple hundred miles of destination

Thanks

[blueST]

I drove to Menton a couple of weeks ago. That's one hell of trek in one hit, especially if you hit traffic at the toll booths or going through Lyon. We broke it up into three chunks, stayed at Reims and at Lyon, but we weren't in a rush, and I wanted to do the Route Naploeon.

I'd say, go down through France, A6, A7, A8, but look at least spending the night somewhere between Lyon and Aix depending on how far you'll think you'll get. Also, consider getting a toll tag so if you do hit traffic at the tolls you can slash the queuing time by using the dedicated tag lanes.

[Harleyboy]

Thanks for the advice. Have decided not to do one hit...bit much i think so stopping in a ski resortin the Alps to break the journey

[Scottish16M]

blueST said:

I drove to Menton a couple of weeks ago. That's one hell of trek in one hit, especially if you hit traffic at the toll booths or going through Lyon. We broke it up into three chunks, stayed at Reims and at Lyon, but we weren't in a rush, and I wanted to do the Route Naploeon.

I'd say, go down through France, A6, A7, A8, but look at least spending the night somewhere between Lyon and Aix depending on how far you'll think you'll get. Also, consider getting a toll tag so if you do hit traffic at the tolls you can slash the queuing time by using the dedicated tag lanes.

Could you share the route you used and also advise where you can buy the Toll Tags as tehy sound an excellent idea.

Many thanks

[blueST]

Scottish16M said:

Could you share the route you used and also advise where you can buy the Toll Tags as tehy sound an excellent idea.

Many thanks

No problem. If you need more detail just ask. We split it into three 1 day chunks.

We went Autoroute direct from Calais to Reims, with a nice stop for lunch in Laon old town.

Then Autoroute from Reims to Lyon via Dijon. Can't remember where we had lunch.

From Lyon, we headed to Grenoble to pick up the Route Napoleon. The easiest way to follow the Route Napoleon is to use your Sat Nav and use these towns as waypoints. Grenoble, La Mure, Corps, Gap, Sisteron, Digne, Castellane, St Valliere de Thiey and Grasse. Once you pass Grenoble you need to set you Sat Nav to avoid motorways. From Grasse we just got back on the Autoroute to Menton.

Toll tag can be had at saneftolling.co.uk , payment by direct debit from a UK bank account.

[Scottish16M]

Thank you!