euro-jolly routes p2
Cote d'Azure, toward Monaco
the return journey
Our return journey was meant to be a
fairly laid-back affair. We were to take three days
this time, but in the end decided on another two-day journey.
It was a bit of a marathon on the second day (19 hours from
start to finish!) from just north of Castellane (which is about
an hour north of Cannes) along the Route Napoleon, and then
finishing the trip with an Autoroute blast to the ferry port
at Boulogne and then on to London.
The Route Napoleon is easily the most enjoyable
road I have ever driven. It's lightly trafficked, with absolutely
stunning scenery; open valley stretches, twisty bits that hug
the sheer rock faces, and dramatic hairpin climbs (and descents)
with mountain top views that stretch for endless miles. If you're
on a charge, the whole Grasse–Grenoble run can be done
in around five hours.
Rare air up here
Just a few bits wisdom I'd like to pass along:
- Fill up your tank before
you go play. Petrol stations are few and far between,
and they close early along the entire route. N85 is utterly
desolate for most of the route, so get a full tank
of petrol and you should be fine.
- Respect this road;
between the barrierless hairpins, oncoming vehicles and the
occasional dodgy surface, reckless judgement could easily
lead to disaster.
- If you've never done mountain
passes before, be aware that your brakes will be severely
tested. Brake fade can be a serious issue on this route,
so don't abuse them too much on twisty descents. When a downhill
corner suddenly tightens halfway through, and you are instantly
staring at the edge of a precipice, you just might need the
extra stopping power.
After Grenoble, we simply wanted to make good
time, so we hit the toll motorways. I drove a
drama-free, 90mph cruise all
the way through France to the Channel (except for the I-can't-see-15-feet-in-front-of-me
fog at the very end; that was interesting) and cost us something
approaching 70 Euros (or about £50—sheesh).
Even the motorway stints offer up grand views
If you love driving and you live in Europe,
you have no excuse not to do something like this. It is great
in so many different ways. The cost?
Petrol for 10 days' worth of hooning through France and Italy
in our 1800cc BMW set us back just under £400. Tolls came
in close to £100. Lodging was about £300, and a
holiday's worth of food totalled roughly £300 again.
Essential things like travel insurance and European
breakdown cost £130 (combined; 90 quid of that was the
breakdown cover, which was tacked onto our existing insurance
policy) and it was well worth the peace of mind.
So, without factoring in the shopping trips
in Italy (I'd rather not discuss that) our 10-day,
driving holiday bill was about £1,200 for two adults and
one toddler. Worth every penny, and we will definitely do this
again and again.
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