Francehoon - any recommendations?
Discussion
Right, well I'm off to France in June / July for 2 weeks. Spending one week in the Loire with friends, then have the next week free to hoon about france.
Now several must do things are on the list :
1. Drive down to Monaco via the Route Napoleon. Been meaning to do this for ages, and this is the perfect opportunity.
2. Millau - to check out the ridiculous new bridge good old Norman Foster designed.
3. Err some coast road from Monaco to Cannes.
4. Drive home via Champagne to pick up some beverages.
Anyone got any other must see / do things/roads on their list close by to this area?
Now several must do things are on the list :
1. Drive down to Monaco via the Route Napoleon. Been meaning to do this for ages, and this is the perfect opportunity.
2. Millau - to check out the ridiculous new bridge good old Norman Foster designed.
3. Err some coast road from Monaco to Cannes.
4. Drive home via Champagne to pick up some beverages.
Anyone got any other must see / do things/roads on their list close by to this area?
sounds ideal Daz!
Mmmmm quite fancy attacking that stage - I've 'driven' it on the PS2 enough times, somehow I think for real the eye popping drop off the side of the cliff would temper my right foot somewhat!
Current thinking it to head to Monaco / Nice via route Napoleon, then work way down the coast via cannes etc, then head back north again via the Foster bridge back up to champagne country...
Mmmmm quite fancy attacking that stage - I've 'driven' it on the PS2 enough times, somehow I think for real the eye popping drop off the side of the cliff would temper my right foot somewhat!
Current thinking it to head to Monaco / Nice via route Napoleon, then work way down the coast via cannes etc, then head back north again via the Foster bridge back up to champagne country...
Mr T
A couple of additional ideas;
> Le Mans Classic 24 hours on the weekend of the 8/9th July
> Hoon around the French Alps - hairpins always good for a laugh.
> Mont Blanc Tunnel - I'm going out on the 2nd July going to Luxembourg, Paris, Beaune and into the Alps and will be doing the Tunnel at some stage if you want some company.
> Slightly off scope for a "piston head" but the Tour De France starts on the 1st July and is a spectacle to behold.
A couple of additional ideas;
> Le Mans Classic 24 hours on the weekend of the 8/9th July
> Hoon around the French Alps - hairpins always good for a laugh.
> Mont Blanc Tunnel - I'm going out on the 2nd July going to Luxembourg, Paris, Beaune and into the Alps and will be doing the Tunnel at some stage if you want some company.
> Slightly off scope for a "piston head" but the Tour De France starts on the 1st July and is a spectacle to behold.
Sounds good. CAn't hit the lemans classic, as intending to be home that weekend - however mgiht be fun to drop by on Sunday - if I'm still in the Mog then I'm sure it would be appreciated by the punters 
(that or the 3 wheeler mob will throw rotten eggs at me for being a heretic!!!).
Alps - route napoleon is a definite, probably a rumble from Monte Carlo - Nice and back round the south coast - then back thorugh france taking in a bit of Burgandy, then up into the Liore and home - generally will be a good plan I think.
(that or the 3 wheeler mob will throw rotten eggs at me for being a heretic!!!). Alps - route napoleon is a definite, probably a rumble from Monte Carlo - Nice and back round the south coast - then back thorugh france taking in a bit of Burgandy, then up into the Liore and home - generally will be a good plan I think.
If you have time visit Phillipe Charbonneaux' museum in Reims - see.. www.itv-motoring.com/features/classichistoric/972.asp Charbonneaux designed the original Corvette, amongst others.This is a little gem of a museum run by enthusiasts, very informal, and when I was there I had the place to myself.
Obviously whilst in Reims you cannot miss the Cathedrale and although it will be too early for the vendange when you are there if you follow the Champagne Route (well signposted ) you will pass the Grandstand and Pits of the old Reims Grand Prix circuit. The main road is the old pit straight.
Bon Voyage
Obviously whilst in Reims you cannot miss the Cathedrale and although it will be too early for the vendange when you are there if you follow the Champagne Route (well signposted ) you will pass the Grandstand and Pits of the old Reims Grand Prix circuit. The main road is the old pit straight.
Bon Voyage
pardon ? 
The road from Nice to Monaco is beautiful. There are 2 capes there (cap feret? and another).
Have a nosy around some of the roads in the cape towns, some beautiful old houses and views. There is great Castle there as well somewhere. Oh yes and try and stop of at their shoreside restaurants, the seafood is fantastic.
Cheers,
Brendon
Have a nosy around some of the roads in the cape towns, some beautiful old houses and views. There is great Castle there as well somewhere. Oh yes and try and stop of at their shoreside restaurants, the seafood is fantastic.
Cheers,
Brendon
mr_tony said:
Right, well I'm off to France in June / July for 2 weeks. Spending one week in the Loire with friends, then have the next week free to hoon about france.
Now several must do things are on the list :
1. Drive down to Monaco via the Route Napoleon. Been meaning to do this for ages, and this is the perfect opportunity.
2. Millau - to check out the ridiculous new bridge good old Norman Foster designed.
3. Err some coast road from Monaco to Cannes.
4. Drive home via Champagne to pick up some beverages.
Anyone got any other must see / do things/roads on their list close by to this area?
Champagne basically equals Epernay, maybe book in advance for the tours of somewhere like Moet et Chandon, they get very busy.
Coast road from Monaco to Cannes is very nice, especially the view of Nice from the hills above. Traffic can be murder though so pick a sensible time to do it, if there is such a thing - whatever don't do it anywhere near rush hour.
Obviously drive around the GP route in Monaco. Film it. Speed the film up on your video for comedy value. The route on the road isn't exact especially through the Casino and along the front but it is well worth doing. You don't need a map! You'll be there just after the GP so lots of the GP furniture will still be out I would guess.
Obviously take time to have a gander at some of the boats on the front.
I hear the Millau bridge is best observed from surrounding roads rather than going over it, guess it depends how much time you have and how interested you really are in the view/engineering.
The Carmague which is between the Riviera and the pyranees is great for getting lost in and doing some serious speed on the empty A roads. But that is quite a detour. You can also do some serious speeds on the Autoroutes between though!
Errr, on your way back you could stop in to see some of the WW1 sites. You drive though some of the main battlefields in France. Well worth spending some sobering time here.
Not sure how much driving you have done of the continent, my main tip would be to really slow down on the way into the payage toll booths. Like about a mile out. The French Police seem to consider these as a real hot spot for nabbing mugs who approach at silly speeds. Besides, the whacky races on the way out is still more fun 10 lanes down to 2 or 3 in a few hundred metres. The French are more restrained than the Italians but good fun anyway.
French speed cameras warnings are good. They show you a sign showing the camera and the camera follows shortly after, so pay attention to the signs.
I love driving over there. It really makes having a nice car the joy it should be when you are away from our over congested roads.
Have fun!
Cheers olf
Done a fair bit of continental driving (italy, france, germany, austria, luxemboug,switzerland,spain etc) - but jsut don't know much about southern france - used to doing le mans trips etc though.
Excellent advice on the monaco Nice road - thats exactly the sort of info I'm after - thats the area I've never been to so I'm at a loss to understand what roads / sights are worth it and which are overhyped etc.
Camargue sounds pretty good for ablast on the way back - and the wildlife is supposed to be pretty special I seem to remember - will ahve to see about slotting that in somehow.
Route wil be this :
Starting about 100 miles south of Le Mans - travel down Rooute Napoleon to Monaco.
Need an overnight stop along the Route somewhere. Any recommendations for car friendly places to to an overnight stop?
The obviously a night or two needs to be spent in Monaco - it will be early July so should be plenty to see - should get noticed in the Mog here too! (Note to self must get sports pipes fitted ASAP for the tunnels!)...
Then it gets hazy - want to ehad west along the coast, then up vial the milau bridge area to Epernay.
I've got a week to do the whole thing, though would prefer to spend more time in the South then do one night along the cost to the west, then a night in Epernay to break the homeward journey up a bit...
Any suggestions of hotels that look after PHers gladly welcome
Done a fair bit of continental driving (italy, france, germany, austria, luxemboug,switzerland,spain etc) - but jsut don't know much about southern france - used to doing le mans trips etc though.
Excellent advice on the monaco Nice road - thats exactly the sort of info I'm after - thats the area I've never been to so I'm at a loss to understand what roads / sights are worth it and which are overhyped etc.
Camargue sounds pretty good for ablast on the way back - and the wildlife is supposed to be pretty special I seem to remember - will ahve to see about slotting that in somehow.
Route wil be this :
Starting about 100 miles south of Le Mans - travel down Rooute Napoleon to Monaco.
Need an overnight stop along the Route somewhere. Any recommendations for car friendly places to to an overnight stop?
The obviously a night or two needs to be spent in Monaco - it will be early July so should be plenty to see - should get noticed in the Mog here too! (Note to self must get sports pipes fitted ASAP for the tunnels!)...
Then it gets hazy - want to ehad west along the coast, then up vial the milau bridge area to Epernay.
I've got a week to do the whole thing, though would prefer to spend more time in the South then do one night along the cost to the west, then a night in Epernay to break the homeward journey up a bit...
Any suggestions of hotels that look after PHers gladly welcome
Aha just checked your profile. See what you mean by the Mog now.
Funny I did a management course a few years back and we were mentored by a lovely lady who was the wife of the Engineering Director of Morgan. I think he was at the end of his career at that point. She told me that they had annual runs down to the south of France in his company car which up to that year had been the +8. However, that year she had gone in a Aero 8 prototype and she was over the moon with it. Said that she would actually start looking forward to the Holiday now instead of dreading the +8 journey!
I'll have a proper concentrate on a map later and look at our route to see if I can make any further suggestions.
If you stay in Epernay the night you will need to book up well in advance. I stayed in a Chateau run by a young couple about 20 minutes out of town in the right direction for the final leg home could be worth a look. I'll dig out a ref.
Funny I did a management course a few years back and we were mentored by a lovely lady who was the wife of the Engineering Director of Morgan. I think he was at the end of his career at that point. She told me that they had annual runs down to the south of France in his company car which up to that year had been the +8. However, that year she had gone in a Aero 8 prototype and she was over the moon with it. Said that she would actually start looking forward to the Holiday now instead of dreading the +8 journey!
I'll have a proper concentrate on a map later and look at our route to see if I can make any further suggestions.
If you stay in Epernay the night you will need to book up well in advance. I stayed in a Chateau run by a young couple about 20 minutes out of town in the right direction for the final leg home could be worth a look. I'll dig out a ref.
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