Routes and places in France and Italy

[irrational]

I was hoping to find some ideas from the forum.

I have been invited by a friend to drive from the UK to Maranello in a Ferrari F40 in a few weeks time.

We are planning to drive via the South of France (missing main cities and the lakes at Switzerland)..

 

Would anyone have ideas on passes, museums, old race tracks and other worthwhile classic car destinations?

For instance the Reims pits/track is on our route. We are skipping Mulhouse museum.

So a rough idea now is Calais-Reims-Dijon-Lyon in France. Not sure where form there.

Italy probably Turin and sticking south of Milan, unlikely to go via coastal routes as they would be too busy.

 

I realise it is off-topic here! But if it helps, I would probably do this some time in future with a TR as well.

 

Dirk

Edited May 28, 2018 by irrational

[iain]

Sounds fun! You’ll feel every bump just like a TR , even the doors open with a cable pull....home sweet home

[Hamish]

Ive done Route napoleon a few years ago on my motorbike.

Worth considering if it works with your other plans.

H

[Guest]

Can't help you with interesting spots. This, however, is a nice motel halfway between Lyon and Dijon: http://village-motel.com/en/home_gb/ Secluded off-street parking (handy with a Ferrari...). In the past they even had garages for rent as well. On the premises is a proper Italian restaurant/pizzaria. Carrefour 5 mins into the city centre. Breakfast is real French: baguette, croissants, Nutella.

 

We go there every February on our annual trip to Bandol (Marseille) for my oldest' Spring training (sailing)

 

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Village+Motel/@46.5732366,2.6706529,7z/data=!4m7!3m6!1s0x0:0x4fec0d31956d1436!5m1!1s2018-06-03!8m2!3d46.5732366!4d4.9031092

Edited May 28, 2018 by Menno van Rij 2

[Don H.]

Reims is terrific. I was there at dawn one quiet morning a few years ago.

 

Mulhouse is superb. For anyone who hasnt seen the Schlumpf collection, I can highly recommend it.

[Charlie D]

Hello Dirk,

 

You mentioned Turin.

 

A couple of years ago my wife and myself stayed at:

 

https://www.nh-hotels.com/hotel/nh-torino-lingotto-congress?gmb=new

 

We never pay more than £100 B and B so I guess it must have been about that price.

 

Even if you don’t need to stay the night, call in for a coffee.

 

Ask at reception if you can borrow the key to go on to the roof.

 

Then be amazed.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D_7tCtspxo

 

(As seen on the original Italian Job.)

 

Charlie D.

[Rem18]

Dirk if you need help Its a run I have made many many times as I live south of Turin near Alba.

Really though I think you are worrying to much.

With trip advisor and International roaming you can google any hotel or place off the map as you go.

The Turin motor museum is worth visiting and I think you can park inside. But It means driving into town.

In the area I live in around Alba there are spectacular roads in the vinyards, but there are just so many places to visit everywhere I think you are worrying too much.

If you fancy a drive instead there is this that our club organises.http://50infive.strikingly.com/

If not I can recommend a whole series of mountain passes coming across.

Tony

Tony

[john.r.davies]

A route worth looking at is Le Route Des Grand Alpes, that traverses the southern alps between Lake Geneva and the Med at Menton. It includes the highest through pass in Europe, the Col de L'Iseran (2770m) and you can divert to the even higher Cime de la Bonette (2860m) that is 'just a trip around the mountain' as there's nowhere else for it to go! Even going right down to the Med wouldn't divert you much if you're heading for Maranello. http://www.losapos.com/great_alpine_road Popular with cyclists and bikers, and justifiably so.

 

If you are going that way, the autostrada north east from Menton, the E80 towards Genoa, is a dramatic drive. The coast line is riven with steep sided valleys that drop from the hinterland to the narrow coastal plain, on which no doubt a motorway was unwelcome. So they built it through the ridges and across the valleys, in a series of tunnels and bridges, so that you emerge from the first straight onto midair, hundreds of feet up! Excellent views and the excitement of driving a sporty car through tunnels! Brrrrrrrm, brrrrrm!

 

But if you have less time then the Mont Blanc Tunnel is an adventure. The entrance from the French side is (was) up a narrow, single lane elevated hundreds of feet above the valley floor - the way down hugs the cliff wall - while on the Italian side you come out onto a two, then three lane autostrada! The Aosta valley down into Italy is a scenic trip in itself.

 

John

[Rem18]

As you will see from my profile pic I have been many times to most passes with my 5.

And dont forget my local pass Agnello, the one where no-one goes except us and unlike the Stelvio where you will not find even mothers pushing prams up.hahaha.

Certainly Bonnet is technically the highest, there are just so many here some lovely some less so.

I have done just about everyone of them over the years in my 5.

T

A route worth looking at is Le Route Des Grand Alpes, that traverses the southern alps between Lake Geneva and the Med at Menton. It includes the highest through pass in Europe, the Col de L'Iseran (2770m) and you can divert to the even higher Cime de la Bonette (2860m) that is 'just a trip around the mountain' as there's nowhere else for it to go! Even going right down to the Med wouldn't divert you much if you're heading for Maranello. http://www.losapos.com/great_alpine_road Popular with cyclists and bikers, and justifiably so.

 

If you are going that way, the autostrada north east from Menton, the E80 towards Genoa, is a dramatic drive. The coast line is riven with steep sided valleys that drop from the hinterland to the narrow coastal plain, on which no doubt a motorway was unwelcome. So they built it through the ridges and across the valleys, in a series of tunnels and bridges, so that you emerge from the first straight onto midair, hundreds of feet up! Excellent views and the excitement of driving a sporty car through tunnels! Brrrrrrrm, brrrrrm!

 

But if you have less time then the Mont Blanc Tunnel is an adventure. The entrance from the French side is (was) up a narrow, single lane elevated hundreds of feet above the valley floor - the way down hugs the cliff wall - while on the Italian side you come out onto a two, then three lane autostrada! The Aosta valley down into Italy is a scenic trip in itself.

 

John

[tim hunt]

+1 for the Col de la Bonette Dirk. This and its neighbour the Col de Restefond (2680m) are on a through route. The Cime to which John refers is simply a loop to take you to the highest point and scenic look out. I last did this pass three years ago and the surface was wonderful, not a nid de poule in sight, with many long sweeping bends mixed with hairpins and generally good open views. We were fortunate enough in September to climb all the way from just past Jausiers without meeting another car on the way up, just magic and well worth a detour. You could then travel to the Turin area via Cuneo crossing into Italy over the Col de la Lombarde, a mere minnow at 2350m.

 

Tim

[Dave Larnder]

Hi Dirk and John

 

As you can see from my avatar, we were at the Col. de L´Iseran when we drove the Route de Grandes Alpes a few years back after we had done Stelvio.

Unlike John we went from Menton to Geneva and then onto Morges for the Swiss classic British Car Meeting on the first Saturday in October every year,and can recommend that route for scenic driving.

We have also driven from Menton into Italy and onto Milan via Genoa, and eventually to Lake Garda and that too has spectacular scenery.

 

Dave

[tim hunt]

I should have mentioned that my avatar depicts the Cime de la Bonette. I hasten to add that the dark stain on the road is not from my car!

 

Tim

[Don H.]

I should have mentioned that my avatar depicts the Cime de la Bonette. I hasten to add that the dark stain on the road is not from my car!

 

Tim

 

 

OK -- so the stain's not from your CAR...

[Don H.]

Reims at dawn:

 

 

 

Edited May 29, 2018 by Don H.

[ChrisR-4A]

Hi Dirk,

The Musee du Henri Malartre on northern outskirts of Lyon is worth a visit, there's a short slideshow on front page of EastSaxons website, www.eastsaxons.com.

Chris

Edited May 29, 2018 by potts4a

[Mick Forey]

The Route de Napoleon from Grenoble down to Nice is superb, some great roads and quite empty.

 

Reims in early May with the Triumph Club de France, a long weekend in Champagne:

 

Edited May 29, 2018 by red6

[Ben Freer]

A route worth looking at is Le Route Des Grand Alpes, that traverses the southern alps between Lake Geneva and the Med at Menton. It includes the highest through pass in Europe, the Col de L'Iseran (2770m) and you can divert to the even higher Cime de la Bonette (2860m) that is 'just a trip around the mountain' as there's nowhere else for it to go! Even going right down to the Med wouldn't divert you much if you're heading for Maranello. http://www.losapos.com/great_alpine_road Popular with cyclists and bikers, and justifiably so.

 

If you are going that way, the autostrada north east from Menton, the E80 towards Genoa, is a dramatic drive. The coast line is riven with steep sided valleys that drop from the hinterland to the narrow coastal plain, on which no doubt a motorway was unwelcome. So they built it through the ridges and across the valleys, in a series of tunnels and bridges, so that you emerge from the first straight onto midair, hundreds of feet up! Excellent views and the excitement of driving a sporty car through tunnels! Brrrrrrrm, brrrrrm!

 

But if you have less time then the Mont Blanc Tunnel is an adventure. The entrance from the French side is (was) up a narrow, single lane elevated hundreds of feet above the valley floor - the way down hugs the cliff wall - while on the Italian side you come out onto a two, then three lane autostrada! The Aosta valley down into Italy is a scenic trip in itself.

 

John

[Ben Freer]

Not sure what happened there!

But I meant to quote this bit of John's post

But if you have less time then the Mont Blanc Tunnel is an adventure. The entrance from the French side is (was) up a narrow, single lane elevated hundreds of feet above the valley floor - the way down hugs the cliff wall - while on the Italian side you come out onto a two, then three lane autostrada!

 

We did this in thick fog in September and had to negotiate roadworks whilst providing headlamps for a TR3 whose lights had failed. Memorable 26 years on! The autostrada was memorable too as it was our first introduction to Italian driving.???? I'm still not convinced that driving bumper to bumper at the national speed limit +20mph is safer than leaving a suitable braking distance but hey we've survived ????

[Guest]

I was amazed when I entered Italy from the Gotthard Tunnel. The first few miles until you're south of Milan, things are hectic. From there on, heading for Rome, the Italian motorists are very well-disciplined: three lanes: 130 on the outer lane, 110 on the middle lane and 90 on the inner lane. No thrills, no frills. The single carriageways are totally different... I have seen more road accidents in three weeks touring Italy than in 3 yrs here in Holland! No kidding.

 

French Autoroutes and Route National are great. German Autobahns are hell. The whole of Germany is one big 'Baustelle' (Excavation site) with 70 = 80 km/hr speed limits for 40, 50 or more kms. And not a single road worker in sight!

 

 

Menno

Edited May 29, 2018 by Menno van Rij 2

[john.r.davies]

Hmmmmmmmmm! Yes, Italian driving.

We were trying to get off the Mway at Milan, stationary traffic in the slip road and lane 1. A gap appeared in front of the car next door, and then it advanced, slowly and with an operatic accompaniment in Italian. The vehicle behind the slowcoach was pushing him forward to close the gap!

 

Also, and better, slightly, another time I was in a very special Spitfire, no roof, full roll cage. Italians would pass us (we were on the limit) brake, let us pass and then do it again, circling us to get an eyeful of the car. Some took photos, not necessarily by benefit of having a passenger. One guy in a Fiat 500 was clearly hammering the engine to keep up, and expired in a cloud of smoke, never to be seen again. Their enthusiasm for il autovettura was unbounded!

 

John

[john.r.davies]

The whole of Germany is one big 'Baustelle' (Excavation site) with 70 = 80 km/hr speed limits for 40, 50 or more kms. And not a single road worker in sight!

 

 

Menno

You not been driving in the UK recently, Menno? ESpecially the M6!

John

[james christie]

Baustelle, baustelle....it's been a baustelle since reunification!

 

James

[Guest]

Italians and cars...

 

I know an elderly couple. Very interesting people to say the least. The lady firmly believes in Fairies and Gnomes (yes...) and is convinced that anything electronic will damage your brain. Their car collection is impressive: two Ferraris, couple of Jags, including an XK120. The 120 is their holiday-car. Tent strapped on the back of the car, heading down south, pref. Italy. They park the car anywhere in any street in Italy and on return, the car is untouched. Apart from once in Tuscany... a small workshop nearby had washed the car for them. "Because is a beautiful car sir, madam!"

 

M

[Dave Larnder]

Menno

 

You would not dare to do that in Spain, I always go for underground or secure parking at hotels.If you take your car to a car show, it will have fingerprints all over it as Spaniards have eyes in their finger tips. I even lock the doors to stop them climbing in and fiddling with the buttons in the centre panel, but they climb over the doors, so I put the tonneau cover up that stops them, but when we take it off to leave we are surrounded by many over curious spectators.

My friend has a restored 1937 Dodge pick up truck and he gets them climbing on the running boards and fingers all over the windows, to say nothing of kids getting into the loading area for photo shoots.

Last weekend we had about three photographers at different times taking close up shots of my wire wheels, I know because we were sitting behind our car on fold away chairs and a table having tea and a free sandwich the organisers give to all participants, we were even honoured with them putting up a huge brolly for shade to the four of us as our one friend has MS and rides his special charriot.

 

Dave

[john.r.davies]

Menno,

You friends don't have the car registered in Corleone do they?

John