Just an update on this, I now have my route planned.
You'll only want to read this if you're bored but it may give people some ideas if they stumble across this thread.
I still need to buy a car by then I'll either cover the trip here once I'm home or on the car thread I have then.
This info is actually what I put in emails to two mates who now want to come with their wives so apologies if it reads a bit strange or the links seem irrelevant. :wink:
It'll be a good mix of time with them and time with just the wife as my mate Paul and his wife are only coming as far as Portofino then going home. Our other mate Graham is doing all the trip plus an extra two weeks in Switzerland/Germany when I come home. So that's 2,3 and 5 weeks we are out there for.
They are stopping at the Fairmont in Monaco while we are in Nice as they have deeper pockets than me.
I was going to pie off my last night in Nice to go to the Fairmont for one night but that is the driving day up the D2202 so we might be out until evening.
If I was paying for the Fairmont I'd want to be there for early checkin to make the most of it so it's pointless really.
I've blanked dates out but plan is identical and days are listed.
France and Italy Trip 2019
Roadtrip dates - ********* depending on whether I want one night or two in Switzerland on way home.
My plans are as follows with most hotels booked.
I've included a good few links to click on.
Thursday -
Home - St Quentin in Northern France.
Leave Northumberland at 7am with train booked for 2pm, with a 2 hour window either side.
Off train in France for 3pm so 4pm local time, then 1.5 hours to St.Quentin.
Check in, then out for a wander and evening meal.
I have this hotel booked.
Hotel -
https://www.hotel-le-florence.fr/en/home/
Cheap no frills but clean, secure parking and it's only a base for the night.
Friday -
St Quentin to Annecy.
5-6 hours drive depending on route etc.
Hotel is just a one night base again with parking -
https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-0340-mercure-annecy-sud-hotel/index.shtml
Saturday - This is the first decent driving day. 6-7 hours maybe more with lunch stops etc.
Annecy to Nice Via route Napoleon. Probably busy but who cares.
See this vid for the Route Nap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB7_YZMqOWw
Stop in Nice for 3 nights until Tuesday * .
We are in an air BnB in a nice area of Nice.
Sunday - lazy day exploring Nice on foot/tram etc.
Monday -
Day out driving up to the D2202 Red rock road. Women can come or have a day at hotels or beach. Back to same hotel for the final night in Nice.
See this vid for D2202 -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=indmPwrKy1Y
Up D2202
Col de Cayolle
Lunch at Jausiers
Col de Bonette
Col de Turini
Back to Nice/Monaco
Tuesday -
Leave Nice for Santa Margherita beside Portofino.
Hotel booked -
Hotel_Review-g187827-d233342-Reviews-Best_Western_Regina_Elena-Santa_Margherita_Ligure_Italian_Riviera_Liguria.html
You can forget the prices that pop up when first looking. It's 4 times that in August.
I'll be booking my car in at a detailer in Nice for a wash and dry as I leave, not a full polish though obviously.
So 9am for car wash then around to Santa M.
Maybe go via Monaco as I've never been but I'm not too bothered to be honest.
3-4 hours driving plus lunch stop, maybe at Monaco?
At Santa M Tues * - Friday *.
Tuesday check in and chill.
Wednesday * -
hike/walk to Portofino for chill out day and wander. Maybe take a boat out.
See this vid from 4 mins in, but not if you don't like Jon Olsson :wink:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pjq3tbVVE88
Evening meal back at Santa or freshen up and go back to Portofino.
Another Portofino video. Only worth checking out if you've not seen Portofino. -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qJaIOnr84Q
Thursday * -
Boat trip out to Cinque Terre, the first of 2 Unesco world heritage sites on this trip.
See here -
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/cinque-terre
Friday * - Sunday * - San Marino
Friday -
Santa Marg to San Marino old town up on the hill. Also staying up in the old town. Only 1000 beds so book early.
The tourists go home at teatime so after that its a tranquil medieval getaway. Dates back to 301AD.
Keeping this one a surprise for my wife.
Again google some images. Views are spectacular.
This hotel booked -
http://www.hotelrosasanmarino.com/
Saturday * -
Wake up and wander round San M. Not very big.
Lunchtime head out to Tavullia in Italy, Valentino Rossi's hometown.
Pizza at his restaurant for lunch.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Resta...lia_Province_of_Pesaro_and_Urbino_Marche.html
Look around the fan club, then pop past the Marco simoncelli museum at his home town Coriano.
Simoncelli was killed during the Malaysian Moto Gp race a few years ago. I was watching live. Horrible.
https://motorvalley.it/en/marco-simoncelli-museum/
Rossi's and Simoncelli's are neighbouring villages 30 mins away from San Marino.
Back to San Marino for evening meal.
Looking to go here -
https://www.ristorantelaterrazza.sm/it/
Sunday * - Friday * Lake Garda
Sunday leave San Marino and head down to Rimini on the coast 30 mins away.
park at Rimini and have a look at coast.
Walk over here -
https://www.visit-rimini.com/general-sightseeing/il-ponte-di-tiberio-the-tiberius-bridge/
Visit here -
https://www.visit-rimini.com/general-sightseeing/borgo-san-giuliano/
Lunch somewhere then up to Lake Garda for mid-late afternoon.
Sunday -
get checked in and evening meal.
Monday - Open to change.
Maybe visit Lamborghini or Zonda Factories for tour.
Annoyingly we pass them at Modena on the way to Garda from Rimini but it's a Sunday so they're closed.
It's a 1.5 hour drive from Garda back down if we want to go on the Monday.
Tuesday -
Explore Lake garda in cars stopping at the various villages etc.
Wednesday -
Drive over to Venice 1 - 1.5 hours away.
Day out then back to garda hotels.
Thursday -
Chill or explore garda again or drive out up to Stelvio pass which is just North of Garda.
Friday -
leave Garda and begin the return leg home over 3/4 days.
I'm staying in Torri del Benaco for my Garda stay. Air BnB with our own pool etc. Views are amazing apparently. -
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/7670955?location=Torri del Benaco&adults=1&guests=1&s=UCPwEPno
This is Torri in general -
https://www.lago-di-garda.org/torri-del-benaco-lake-garda.asp
Friday * - Garda to Switzerland -
Not booked yet. Depends on passes we want to drive to get over alps.
If we haven't done Stelvio during the week at Garda we can go Stelvio then to Brienz in Switzerland.
Or if we have or we don't fancy Stelvio we can go to Como then North and do the Furka, Grimsel and Susten passes or pick and choose, The 3 are basically together.
One or two nights in Switzerland. This will affect home date, Monday or Tuesday.
Say we do one night in Brienz to keep things simple.
Sat * - Swiss to Metz in France.. One night.
Sunday * - Metz to northern French coast near Calais but not Calais. So next day is basically onto train then home through England for Monday night.
Monday * - wake up in france then train then home for teatime, as above.
.
I've got non-cancelable hotels as some hotels wanted 40 Euros per night for the right to cancel.
So I'm going come hell or high water.
The hotel choice is severely limited when you require private on site parking. In Nice in particular most hotels have zero parking and if they do they state 'at a nearby location", hence we went Air BnB for Nice.
So that's about it.
Still Switzerland to book. Maybe Interlaken for two nights.
Thanks for all the help.
I've used both of Alex's suggestions for St Quentin and Santa Marg. I couldn't find better for cost vs reviews. :thumb:
Just need a car to do it in now. Wish I'd kept my 996. :grin:
PS. One bad point about my route is we are missing loads of great places out, for instance blasting across Tuscany from Portofino to San Marino.
But you can't do everything in one trip.
So if anyone thinks there are better things to visit than what I have planned please let me know I can't change the hotels now but I can change daytime activities.
I'm also interested in he best roads from Portofino to San Marino. At the moment we'll just head for the twistiest looking one. :wink: