Euro Road Trip Advice...

Trev5 · Apr 12, 2015

Hello,

From My “Ride of the Month” pictures, You may have guessed that We’ve visited the Alps the last two years running – And are looking to visit again this Summer.. But We can only get time off in July :|

Would seem the French schools break up on the 4th July.

So My question is, having always visited the Alps in mid June & first week of July, how much busier do the roads & mountain passes get in the second & third weeks of July?
Looking at exploring more of Provence and working our way around to Lake Como/Switzerland, before the dash back across Germany to home in the UK...

Many thanks for any advice,

Trev' & Carole.
(Few pic's to get other owners in the mood for a Road Trip Adventure)

cliveandstella · Apr 13, 2015

Hi there... have a look at the link below.. it is in french, but easy to understand...

http://www.bison-fute.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/Calendrier_2015_Bison_Fute_A5_DEFV2.pdf

:smile::smile::smile:

Stella

Simon cliffe · Apr 13, 2015

Good luck have been there twice excellent driving

)

BCoolidge · Apr 13, 2015

Hello,

French people are no longer taking 5 weeks off in summer with all roads grid locked on the last week-end of July. This used to be the case up to the early 90's
That said the busiest periods is mid July (Bastille day) to mid-August (Assumption Ste Marie) with heavy traffic expected every week-end on all highways.

People tend still to take their vacations in August as it is the time of year when blue collars companies are closing. For instance this is when car factories will change their tooling.

So July is less busy than August.

I have done a round trip Nice -> Torino -> Como -> Lichtenstein -> Stuttgart -> Geneva -> Gap -> Nice in July and it was OK as long as you keep clear of obvious tourist traps and main highways.

I remember the highway of East Swizerland (I wanted to avoid the St Gotthard tunnel at all cost) being pretty busy.
The small roads were clear.

Before traveling have a look at the Tour de France schedule as it will definitely impact your journey and the cost of hotels.

Last point if you want to have the road trip of your life try the East coast of Corsica in June... After it is too hot and too busy.

I hope you will enjoy your vacations.

cliveandstella · Apr 14, 2015

BCoolidge said:
Hello,

Last point if you want to have the road trip of your life try the East coast of Corsica in June... After it is too hot and too busy.

I hope you will enjoy your vacations.

We toured round Corsica one year.... 17 cars..all various TR's (us in our TR4A)... and I heartily agree..roads, scenery.. everything was great.. we plan to go back in our little SLK...

We went early May...and the weather was perfect....but getting hotter even then !

:smile::smile:

55russamg · Apr 13, 2015

Alps

We went in August to Tignes, Chamonix etc.
we drove down from Belgium and Luxembourg after getting off the train staying in the Belgium forest after visiting Brussels. Then the Dijon wine areas on the way to the Alps. I only did 4 hours of driving per day so I could enjoy each stop and have a tipple.
The roads were generally free and easy, we did mostly toll roads to burn the middle of France.
there was a small choke point at one point beyond Lyon but it was the weekend. Not planning to do too many miles and enjoying the middle of the journey made it a very nice holiday.

Dull Witch · Jun 11, 2015

Don't forget Swiss national Day is August 1 so the days around that are very very busy as well

Just did the Route Napoleon in the Pagoda and loved it - although I did the bit north of Gap at dawn to avoid ALL traffic on the blast up to Grenoble

We also did Nice - Como - Stelvio - Merano - Innsbruck - Landshut in the Pagoda which was epic
Nice - Rome - London was epic but a lot less fun (highway all the way)

Trev5 · Jun 21, 2015

Euro Road Trip Finally all Booked...

Thanks for everyone's input on this one:
Finally managed to book all the Hotels for our 16 nights & 17 days away...

First night in Troyes, then Alpe d'Huez, across the Alps to Gap, then just out side Cannes for 3 x nights, Gréoux-les-Bains (Provence Area), then on Lake Maggiore, Italy (Having already stayed at Lake Como, Lake Iseo, plus drove around Lake Garda), then work our way back via Soelden in Austria.
Return leg via France again, as not so keen on the German motorways..

Dull Witch said:
Don't forget Swiss national Day is August 1 so the days around that are very very busy as well

Just did the Route Napoleon in the Pagoda and loved it - although I did the bit north of Gap at dawn to avoid ALL traffic on the blast up to Grenoble
QUOTE]

Thanks "Dull Witch" We will be back before 1st August & not visiting Switzerland this year, as the Swiss Vignetta is about ~30 Pounds, which is not worth it for half a days driving..!! (OK, We might sneak over a pass..)

Hopefully should return with some good pictures for the coming years ROTM.....

Trev5 · Jun 21, 2015

Re: Advice on where to stay in South of France.

SLK-Boz said:
nice one! this is my 1st time taking the SLK out of the UK.

Plan is to blitz it down to Lyon, stop there over night then down to the coast and spend 5 days down there. still looking into where to go exactly, so if you have any suggestions I am all ears

For a trip to the South of France, staying just outside Monaco is one option.
This is about 5 hours direct drive from Lyon, but cutting across the Alps & Provence is a SLK Top Down scenic route...

Having stayed here two years running and doneMonaco by day & by evening.
As a Petrol Head, good watching all the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Merc SL’s, Audi R8’sect, just everywhere...!!
Plus have the Gin Palaces parked up in the harbour to look at....
Safe underground parking is fairly cheap as well.

We use www.booking.com to find our hotels & found this place in Eze, which fitted our price bracket:
Eze Hermitage Hôtel, Éze, France - Booking.com
Though rooms can be small, so get one with a balcony if possible.
Or having selected Your dates on this booking.com web site, click on the map and You can see other hotel options in the area – depends on Your budget..!!
Easy drive into Monaco (with sat-nav) and also to other places.

Also close to Eze/Monaco is Nice, was good to visit for the evening & watch the sun go down, but not sure I’d like to stay there – Kind of an up market British Tourist Resort....!!

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat area was a good afternoon out + Cannes is only a hour’s drive away.

We are staying just outside Cannes for 3 nights this year, to explore that area:
http://www.ultimatedrives.net/top-10-roads/details.php?route_ID=11
(Plenty of nice roads to explore in land.. R) )

Pictures from out last two visits to that area:

SLK-Boz · Jun 21, 2015

Trev5 said:
For a trip to the South of France, staying just outside Monaco is one option.
This is about 5 hours direct drive from Lyon, but cutting across the Alps & Provence is a SLK Top Down scenic route...

Having stayed here two years running and doneMonaco by day & by evening.
As a Petrol Head, good watching all the Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Merc SL’s, Audi R8’sect, just everywhere...!!
Plus have the Gin Palaces parked up in the harbour to look at....
Safe underground parking is fairly cheap as well.

We use www.booking.com to find our hotels & found this place in Eze, which fitted our price bracket:
Eze Hermitage Hôtel, Éze, France - Booking.com
Though rooms can be small, so get one with a balcony if possible.
Or having selected Your dates on this booking.com web site, click on the map and You can see other hotel options in the area – depends on Your budget..!!
Easy drive into Monaco (with sat-nav) and also to other places.

Also close to Eze/Monaco is Nice, was good to visit for the evening & watch the sun go down, but not sure I’d like to stay there – Kind of an up market British Tourist Resort....!!

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat area was a good afternoon out + Cannes is only a hour’s drive away.

We are staying just outside Cannes for 3 nights this year, to explore that area:
http://www.ultimatedrives.net/top-10-roads/details.php?route_ID=11
(Plenty of nice roads to explore in land.. R) )

Pictures from out last two visits to that area:

I have been looking on that ultimate drives, and yes we have seen the great roads around cannes. we are going to get an early ferry/euro tunnel (like 3am) on the 1st Sept. blitz it down to Lyon to get there before lunch. spend the day and night there. then the next morning after breakfast head down the Nepoleon Route to the coast. still working on the rest, checking the areas and hotels and such

thanks for the advice

Berliner Heckflosse · Jun 21, 2015

Boy there sure is no room in that trunk for some Swiss cheese to bring home you might have to strap the Cheese wheel on the roof.

Thanks for the Pictures

Euro Road Trip Advice...

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