Driving from La Spezia to Provence

I have not driven that route or even observed it from a bus.

What do you plan to do along the way? I'd be inclined to take the train or investigate flying from Genoa to Marseille--though I don't know that there are non-stop flights. If your drive would involve a rental car, I hope you plan to loop back to Italy to avoid the heavy international drop-off fee.

Lots of tunnels as you head north.

You planning on returning to Italy, or paying the $500+ one way drop fee?

The driver sees the road and the passenger is on the 'wrong' side of the car for viewing

Happy travels

Denise,

Is there a better route? Thoughts?

I’d suggest you consider taking the train on this route.

Enjoy your trip!

That drive is not so different from any other and there is no better driving route. It is of autostrada standards all the way. There are a few busy metro sections around Genoa and Nice, but also many sections of beautiful landscapes, There are a good number of tunnels, particularly from La Spezia to Genoa, but so what? If you are not trying to set a speed record, they are no particular problem. Presently ( until late spring, 2020) due to the bridge collapse, you must drive through Genoa on local streets for about 20 minutes. The way is now well signed and Google Maps can guide you through.

We drove all around France, including Provence, and "traffic" is nothing compared to US cities (not to mention, people actually know how to drive over there and to get out of the passing lane). The only time we ever ran into it was getting a rental car in or out of a major city. But like the other commenter mentioned, make sure you check the one-day car drop off fee, as it can be steep within countries. It may make more sense to train over to France and then pick up a new rental (which we've also done with the math makes sense).

Thanks, Mike and Becky, that was the info I was wanting. Yes, this is a loop and I have driven all over France but not this particular route. I appreciate the info.