My husband and I will be based in Avignon for several days at the end of September, and then we plan to drive to Nice. It’s the drive to Nice that we need help with. We wish to take a scenic route that includes both some smaller villages and coastal views. I should mention that it will be out first time driving in the south of France. I’ve read that we need a really good map. Any suggestions for route choices, must see sites, etc. will be appreciated!
-Camilla
Posted by
Portland OR
65 posts
@Camilia, I've the following road trip planned in August from Aix to Nice. Aix is on the way from Avignon to Nice.
I will update my thread immediately after my trip.
Posted by
Paris
7304 posts
As a variation from my suggestion from the thread referenced above, I suggest :
Avignon - Lourmarin (via A7 highway to Sénas)
Lourmarin - St Maximin via Pertuis, Jouques and Rians (no need to stop in these three, but it's pretty scenery-wise)
Then A8 to Frejus and coastal road to Mandelieu.
Posted by
Nice, France & San Francisco
713 posts
How much exploring are you going to be doing away from Avignon? That can slightly influence the route. As you've learned from other threads, the main highway, while fast, can be a bit boring. And one suggestion -- get a GPS with your car (or standalone unit) or a data plan for your smart phone. Maps are helpful but I've found with rapid turns and missed routes the GPS to be superior once you leave the main roads.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
We will only have one day to make the trip from Avignon to Nice, so our exploration will be a bit limited. From reading your comments and those on a couple of other blogs, I think we’d love to see more of the towns because we’ll be training to the Cinque Terre from Nice. Lunch and walking through a village or two while driving to Nice would be wonderful!
We appreciate the suggestions each of you offers— You’re giving us many “points to ponder”!😊
Posted by
11570 posts
Use your phone with Google Maps as GPS. Get a SIM card for your phone traffic and construction delays noted.. We didn't even use the car GPS system as we found easier to use our phones.