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Road trip help welcomed! French coast round to Amalfi coast.

Thanks both. I'll sit down with a cuppa tomorrow and check those out.

Cheers. :thumb:
 
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:
 
Circa 2003 and before all the internet connectivity that is available today, we drove down to Italy in the Morgan and drove the Amalfi coast road, though did it in the early morning before the tourists and natives were out of bed.. thus avoiding the traffic of tour buses mingling with locals and all that can ensue....

All in all it was an adventure in an old open top car, with record Italian temps and where air con would have been very welcome on parts of the trip... Unlike you Marky, we had next to nothing booked, other than a B&B near the tunnel for both outward and return, other than that we just used tourist offices to book the next nights accommodation as we moved down through France and Italy, there was always an English speaker in each of the tourist offices we visited....

The last jaunt towards Sorrento from Pisa my wife phoned her sister in law in Scotland to ask her to find the tel no of the tourist office in Sorrento, which she did and with the number my wife made contact asking the staff for a hotel recommendation that had a pool room with a balcony with a view out over the bay of Naples and secure off road parking.... No problem madam, and when would you want that for... They were somewhat taken aback when my wife said TONIGHT..! But they came up with the goods Settimo Cielo, which I think is Italian for Seventh Heaven... It had all the above and most important in a sweltering Italy in June it had aircon...(-:

Will attach a couple of pics taken on the trip. one with the old Mog parked outside the hotel in Pisa, yeah the streets can be kinda narrow in places, the other pic on the early morning Amalfi run.

Hope you have a great trip and I look forward to you sharing some of the experiences..
 

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Excellent trip mate!

I go down the D1075 rather than Route Napoleon. Much quieter and more fun.
 
I'm doing part of your trip in July ie a week spent driving around the amalfi coast. In total contrast to yours however I have done zero prep other than knowing when I will land and take off (land in Naples, leave from Bari). To be fair we have a really good friend who is from Naples and she has booked us in a few hotels (the ones on the actual Amalfi coast :eek: but they do include breakfast :grin: ). I'm planning on hiring a Fiat 500 to drive around in so should be fun, I enjoy it the most when I don't have a detailed itinary and just go with the flow.
 
The perfect car for that trip Jon. The South of Italy is a gem and the waters of the Ionian Sea is arguably the best in Italy so ensure you make a visit. These are my ancestral lands, Calabria is the undiscovered gem of Italy, as is Pulgia. You'll be fed well, make no mistake and the scenery and history is phenomenal
 
I think we are booked into some form of wigwam in Pulgia :eek: (OK its a trullo but it looks like a solid wigwam to me :grin: )
 
:hand: No wigwam Kimosabe. If you don't have the freshest, tastiest and authentic southern Italian food, I'll eat my hat.
 
Thanks lads

Hi Luddite. That looks a great trip. Good times eh. The Morgan looks right at home there. 8)
I've had to knock the Amalfi coast off my route this time. Going to give it its own holiday in a couple of years.

I bet you got much more of a feeling of escapism back in the days before the internet.
It's great for planning but does take some of the unknown element out of things.
I know exactly where we need to be and exactly what to expect. Luckily though my wife doesn't so she'll get the excitement of a certain mountain range or vista rolling into view.
I've kept some places as a surprise too. I'm hoping our evening meal in San Marino will be pretty awesome given the views etc. :wink:


Cheers Alex, your recommendations proved invaluable as like I say, I couldn't beat them.
I remember you saying that earlier regarding the Route Nap. I will give it some more thought as the trip approaches as it's also a Saturday we travel from Annecy to Nice so the Nap could be even worse than normal.
Whichever I do this time I'll do the other next time. :thumb:

Hi Jon, what you're doing is definitely the best option from what I've heard from the guys on here and that's exactly what we'll do next time.
I totally agree on preferring to not be booked up with a set daily plan. Much bigger feeling of freedom that way.
That's how we did it in our campervan in 2012. Trouble is, the places we are visiting are so popular the best Air BnBs and hotels were filling up back in November when I began planning this trip.
I like to know I won't turn up somewhere and not be happy, but I also like value, hence I've had to plan and book early to get the best places for my budget, which unfortunately is a bit sterile.
The other thing though is time. When I retire (some way off yet unfortunately) I plan on hitting the road for months and months.
When we only have 3 weeks though it means wasting time maybe hitting some dud destinations isn't wise.
Not that there's many duds out there as long as you stay out of city centres etc. You can't go wrong really when off the beaten track.

Off topic - I've had your 993 Journal thread open on another tab in my phone for a week or so. I read a bit whenever I get a minute. Up to page 11 at the moment.
Awesome work. :worship:
You approach things like me but turned up to 11. :grin:

Have a great trip. Enjoy the Trullo. I had to google it as I'd never heard of them. Very cool. 8)


Thanks for the comments chaps. :thumb:

I'm still eager to hear from anyone who has driven from the Portofino area to Rimini and what is the best way for enjoyment and maybe a lunch stop recommendation.

I have a few in mind anyway after sitting on maps and looking for restaurants in quiet areas.

Cheers. :thumb:
 
You've got some big ticket items in the vicinity
Cinque Terre is ace
Maranello
Lamborghini
Florence
Pisa
Imola
San Marino
Rimini-Riccione

Ferrari/Lambo is one path
Pisa/Florence is the other way
Just a couple of ideas
 
Hi FZP,

Yes quite a bit to choose from. The men may do a factory tour or two from lake Garda. I'm not too bothered as it's an hour and a half back down the road from Garda and we'll have driven past on the Sunday when heading north.
Our mate Graham has a 458 and a Huracan Performante so he may well want to visit a factory. I'd like to visit the Pagani factory but whether I'd choose it over a day chilling around lake Garda we'll have to see.

We are hoping to pop into Pisa en route from Portofino to San Marino as my wife wants to see the tower. We'll have to see though as it means heading south instead of east.

I'm mainly interested in the most scenic road across the country that day. Best views, stop offs etc. I'll fathom a route out on the map though I'm sure.

Cheers. :thumb:
 
Marky, thanks for taking the time to respond to my post (-: Yup, seemed all a tad adventurous at the time, no sat nav either, we spent a lot of time getting pleasantly lost and discovering interesting places by accident, we stayed for a couple of nights at a former nunnery near Cortona that had been Converted into an agriturismo by it`s gregarious owner, all very interesting.. (-:

Having no deadlines to meet removed an element of pressure though not entirely as it seemed we perhaps spent too much time driving some days, and looking back it also seemed we would arrive after a long HOT drive, in the rush hour of whatever city we might be near for the evening..Duh! Yup timing is all... We had to wait for Pompeii to open it`s doors to be the first ones in early morning, best visited before the tour buses arrive, we had the place almost to ourselves for quite a while and headed back to our Sorrento hotel pool as the temps rose towards midday.

On our European trips we ever waited till the tour buses filled up taking their hungry passengers back to their hotels cruise ships or whatever, at which time we would then visit the sites and restaurants...which made a huge difference to our experience of any place, have fond memories of enjoying peace quiet and great service in empty restaurants in tourist hot spots Mont Saint Michael springs to mind, which is a fair way out of your route Marky but you get the picture...(-:

Will try to post a few pics from the Italian leg of our trip in the hope they might be of interest. and yeah, the old Morgan acted as a great calling card with loads of smiling faces and warm welcomes in just about every place we visited.... Though for sure it would have been a far more comfortable trip in a 911 with air-con

See if you can spot the Mog in the pic while sitting it`s parking spot on top of the hotel looking out over the bay of Naples
 

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Very nice Luddite. 8)

A nunnery eh. Want to hear my nun joke?

Mother superior instructs two nuns to paint one of the rooms in the nunnery, but warns them if they get any paint at all on their habits they'll be severely punished.
She leaves them to it and the nuns figure since they're the only people there they'll lock the door and paint in the nude.
A few hours in and there's a knock on the door.
'Who is it?" they ask.
'It's the blind man" comes the reply.
They look at each other and say 'Well if he's blind he won't see anything".
So they open the door.
The guy at the door says 'Nice tits! Where do you want these blinds?".


The old ones are the best eh. :D


Good pic of the Morgan. I hadn't read the last sentence, only the title on the pic. 'spot the Mog".
I was looking at the cars down on ground level for a while before I saw it through the ratings on the roof. :grin:


Did you rate Pisa? My wife wants to go on our way from Portofino to San Marino but it seems a bit daft to me to pop in just for a pic of the tower.
It's actually not hugely out of the way to be fair. We can easily head east from Pisa cross country.
Just wondering if it's worth going?
 
Marky911 said:
Did you rate Pisa? My wife wants to go on our way from Portofino to San Marino but it seems a bit daft to me to pop in just for a pic of the tower.
It's actually not hugely out of the way to be fair. We can easily head east from Pisa cross country.
Just wondering if it's worth going?

If you're pushed for time I'd lean against it.

I enjoyed San Marino for one night some years ago on a driving tour, wished I had stayed a little longer, very pleasant place.

Enjoy.
:thumbs:

Lake Garda - Torri del Benaco is a pretty little town, stayed there a couple of times in a rented villa and it was very enjoyable. Further up the east side of the lake is Malcesini, a little larger and a bit more to offer, beautiful around the harbour. The cable car taking you up to Monte Baldo is in Malcesini, top tip though, if intending to make use of it then you really need to get there early to avoid the queues. At the top of the lake you have Garda del Riva, much larger than the villages already mentioned and set against a stunning backdrop.
Word of caution on the roads north to Torri and beyond, they can get busy with few passing places. Oh, and enjoy the cyclists! Having said that Lake Garda is one of my favourite places.
Enjoy, it really does sound like a wonderful road trip.
 
Pisa..? Sorry Marky, have to admit to being the only tourists to visit Pisa and NOT see the leaning tower....!!! Yea, there is a story to that but I type too much as it is... (-:

Apparently our Pisa hotel claimed to be the one time laboratory of Galilao, at least he had the good sense to fit aircon and that was our priority after a long HOT days drive down from a hillside hotel on the outskirts of Niece, having arrived in Pisa at rush hour crossing the river back and forth looking for the hotel with, scooters EVERYWHERE, collisions and arguments all around .... just NUTS. People who have been to visit the tower seem to be unimpressed... Each to their own.

The most important aspect of Pisa was finding a garage that sold grease..!! Ever tried to describe grease to a dumb forecourt attendant more interested in the pretty girl in the queue than anything a stupid foreigner has to say...? I think I bought the most expensive tin of GRASSO in Italy.. Well you expect to get ripped off when buying ice cream in Rome but grease in Pisa...hmm...?
 

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