How To Plan A Road Trip On The Riviera
France might not be the first country that springs to mind when it comes to road trip holidays but the truth is that France is perfect for a driving break, especially the scenic French Riviera. There’s much to think about when planning a road trip in this part of the world, so take a look at this guide to make sure you cover all your bases.
Route
The joy of the French Riviera – or Cote d’Azur, as the locals call it – is the fact you can travel along as much or as little of the coast as you like. The general consensus is that the Riviera begins at Menton near the Italian border and finishes at Hyeres in the central section of the southern French coast, although some argue it finishes further west than that, while others say it actually ends in Cannes!
Wherever it ends, there are countless itineraries you can create for your road trip. You could go the whole hog and drive from Menton to Hyeres or vice versa, or you could opt for a shorter journey – between Nice and Cannes, say, or from Cannes to St Tropez, depending on how much time you have. You could even cross over the border into Italy. Thanks to EU rules regarding cross-border travel within the region, you’re unlikely to have to spend much time faffing at customs if you decide to do so!
Transport
There are two ways to go about travelling to and along the French Riviera: you could take your own car and drive through France to the south coast, or you could fly there and pick up a hire car in Nice. The former option might seem attractive if you have lots of time to spare, but don’t forget that you’ll be travelling a long way and spending a significant amount of money on fuel; there’s a distance of 1,250 km between Calais and Menton!
In this light, the car hire route might seem more convenient, although it’s worth bearing in mind that the only major airports on the Cote d’Azur are in Nice and Toulon at either end of the Riviera, so you’ll have to plan your itinerary based on where you land at the beginning of your holiday and where you take off from when it’s time to go home.
Accommodation
Whatever route you choose, it’s a good idea to plan your stops in advance so you can book accommodation well ahead of time, especially if you’re travelling to the French Riviera during the peak spring/summer season. Also be mindful of any major events taking place during your trip that could impact on the availability of beds – e.g. the Cannes Festival will make it extremely difficult (and expensive) to find a room in the area during the latter half of May.
It’s an obvious point, but there are many more hotels and bed and breakfasts in large towns and cities along the Riviera than in the smaller villages that are perhaps less frequented by tourists. This doesn’t mean you should exclude the latter from your itinerary, though; you can just explore them during the day before driving to your accommodation in the next town along at night.
Despite this, you’ll find a surprisingly wide array of accommodation in the south of France, from standard hotels and B&Bs to youth hostels and campsites, so there should be something to suit all budgets at most times of the year.
