Highway SS1 travel along the coastline from France to Italy.

As I recall, the part around Genoa is not so easy. There is heavy traffic, lots of trucks, and many tunnels. Doable (I was in my late 70’s when I did it), but not easy.

I've driven only as far as San Remo on the coastal road. It was easy enough between towns, but the towns are very congested.

It is like a Venetian Blind. In a tunnel, in the glaring sun, in a tunnel, in the glaring sun.

Repeat ad infinitum.

the tunnels are short, the open air bits are short.

That's the nearby autostrada.

The coast road has many fewer tunnels but hugs the coast pretty tightly. Very slow and busy, with plenty of turns.

Thank you for all your prompt replies. Somehow I thought the highway SS1 is just like PCH 1 or highway 99 in California :). My plan is to drive from Nice/Monaco to Genoa then head north to Milan, but now I have to reconsider this plan. I really appreciate it if there any suggestions.

I've only been as far as Savona, having purposely avoided going through Genoa. The SS1 road that runs along the coast is at times reminiscent of Highway 1, but, in the sense that the road hugs the sea and the small tunnels. But there are fewer stretches of uninterrupted coast and cliffs. You'll hit towns and villages along the way, where there will be congestion and stop lights. It is very easy but takes patience. But, the towns are way more charming than most along Highway 1, as long as you exit the road and hit the historic centers. And it's not nearly as nausea-inducing, compared to the turns, twists and swells of Highway 1. The most memorable stretch of scenery is between Finale Ligure and Noli, along the stretch we rambled through. There are bigger hills and sharper turns, and nice vistas as your round the bends, with a longer distance between towns and cliffs/hills that start from the edge of the road.

You can drop down from the upper highway at several points along the way, and then return at the next entry point, if you want a taste of the Via Aurelia (you can search on that name to get some descriptions, or try google maps along the section I mentioned to get a flavor). The most typical punch through the coast range is through E25 to Milan, but many people take A7 instead because of the large factory outlet center along the way.

Keep in mind that if you rent the car in France and return it in Italy, you will pay a big fee for the country change. Most people avoid that by returning the France rented car on the French side, taking the train across the border and renting a car in Italy on the Italian side. Of course, renting a car in Italy has it's own set of issues.

If you haven't done so already, I recommend that you contact the guys at Gemut.com. They are actually in Oregon and are very helpful. For basic information, go to their free download about renting a car in Europe called What You Need to Know about Renting & Driving a Car in Europe.