Looking for ideas/recommendations . Traveling from Bologna to Narbonne France. Will have a car and want to break it up into 4 hours or so each day of driving. Thinking of Alba for an overnight and Arles or Avignon for a couple of nights. Any suggestions on route...where to stay? Open to all input. Thanks for the help.
Posted by
martinez, ca, usa
3061 posts
hey hey oswaltben
you will need to get an IDP (aaa.com/IDP) that is mandatory in italy and maybe in france, (internationaltravelpermits.com)
be very careful about renting in one country and returning to another country, (large drop-off fee) return near border, taxi/train/bus over border to nearest rental car shop and continue into france. read about the laws and rules driving in france, signs/language, do's and dont's, insurance/cancellation, tolls, etc
when is this trip and how many people, where will you be flying out of and returning car? have a great and fun time, enjoy
aloha
Posted by
OP
49 posts
Thank you for your input, but I’ve rented many cars over season aware of the signage, etc., and the international driving permit in the rules. I appreciate your input thank you.
Posted by
Long Beach, Ca, usa
3324 posts
I think one of the important points princess pupule makes is that the cost of dropping a car in a different country is quite large. In the 500 to 1,000 euro range, over and above your renral fee. That is worth considering no matter how much experience one has with driving in Europe.
Re. an overnight in Albi (I take it that is what you are referring to, not Alba), it is a beautiful rose-colored city with a wonderful cathedral and the small but nice mueeum of Toulouse Lautrec works. A great stop-off on your journey. I have been there three times now and it is definitely worth a day!
Between Arles and Avignon I prefer Arles. There is a lot of discussion on this forum re the two. Enter Arles vs Avignon in the search bar above and you will find some interesting discussions which might help you in your planning.
Happy travels!
Posted by
Nice, France & San Francisco
841 posts
I believe the OP does mean Alba, a beautiful town in Piemonte/Barolo wine region, since they are coming from Bologna.
I would pick Arles overr Avignon as well, but you might consider an earlier stop. That is getting over your four hour between destinations, and be sure to allocate time for traffic (there have been some works along the Italian Riviera on that stretch of road, I don't know if they are finished). You could consider stopping in Aix-En-Provence, where you will encounter some traffic anyways. Or perhaps more significantly, ending the route earlier somewhere near Cannes or into the Var. On thing to consider is your route along the autoroute will be generally pretty far off the sea, except at the border and one or two points (like Cagnes sur Mer). After you get past the Esterel, you will being staying pretty deeply inland.