How did it come to this road trip?
Uschi, my wife wanted to go to the sea. I wanted to go into the mountains and passes. So the idea was born for this trip.
At the start a few days near the sea. Cinque Terre should be beautiful and the Cote d'Azur as well. The great mountain passes are also in France. So was already the rough route completed.
From Vienna with a stopover in South Tyrol to the Cinque Terre. Our lodging we found near Levanto. By boat we drove the next day from Levanto to Riomaggiore and we could see all beautiful places in the Cinque Terre. In Riomaggiore, we boarded the train and headed back towards Levanto. There is a railway ticket, with which you ride all day in one direction and off at every station and can enter again. The fun costs € 7,50.
It's nice to have seen the places from the sea, and then to do a little exploring on foot.
The next day we were on our way to the French Riviera. In Aspremont, near Nice, we had booked at a small hotel.
On our way along the coast, we drove over the Passo del Bracco and later, just before Genoa, on the Monte Fasce. Here you should definitely stop at the car park at the peak height. On the one hand a wonderful view of the coast and on the other side a breathtaking view of Genoa.
The road to Monte Fasce is fully paved, but traveled anyway little.
The next day we spent in Nice. Again, there is an insider's tip - Nice-Nord, there is a large car park and the terminal tram (https://goo.gl/maps/uGLWJCgxkXm). Aimed at customers on a day pass for the tram and thus can park for free.
Since it was almost unbearably hot that day, we decided not to visit the city on foot and climbed on the Promande des Anglais the "Petit Train de Nice" and took this train 2 hours through the old town and Mont Boron.
The night brought little cool so we were glad to get into the mountains the next day.
The next stop was the perfume capital Grasse. You can smell this city formally and so we did it then also took a walk through the old town. For every shop it smells and the products of the town are offered everywhere. Unfortunately, our time is not enough to visit one of the major perfumeries and there to see the production. But we will be back!
On this day our group was complete - at the start we were with 3 cars on the road (1x MX-5, 1x Chrysler Crossfire and 1x BMW Z4) and at the city exit of Grasse we met the last couple also with a MX-5 NC.
Then we visited the Grand Canyon du Verdon.
This grandiose gorge can be almost completely circumnavigate and the way pays off. The canyon is well worth a visit. Also again here's a tip - do not go in August to the Grand Canyon. In July is very little traffic, in August, however much.
Our night camp we had in Castellane, from where we took the next day in attack. It was the day of the passes.
Right at the beginning we drove the Col de Toutes Aures, then the Gorges de Daluis. Go from south to north - A tip to Gorges de Daluis. Here you always have beautiful views and does not have to go through all the tunnels.
Then we drove over the Col de la Cayolle and were the first time above 2.000m and enjoyed the slightly cooler air. The Col de Vars was the next and then the Col d'Izoard, with its lunar landscape.
After that we should only have 35km to the hotel, but a rockfall had blocked a tunnel on the track and we had to take a long detour. It went through several passes - the Col du Galibier, Col du Telegraphe and the Col de la Croix de Fer.
It is very important in our tours that I plan always enough time to deal with such things. The detour took at least 2 ½ hours.
After a short night in Les 2 Alpes, we drove on Route de la Roche d'Auris and then on to the Col de Sarenne. Then on Alpe d'Huez, to Col du Glandon and on to Col de la Croix de Fer.
The Route de la Roche d'Auris is an insider tip. The road is very narrow and partly worked into the vertical rocks and always offers breathtaking views of the valley.
After spending the night in Lanslevillard we drove to the highest pass in the Alps, the Col d'Iseran.
Then over the Little St. Bernard and the Colle San Carlo to Gignod where our hotel was waiting.
A real highlight, we experienced the next day. First we drove through the Great St. Bernard and then on the Croix de Coeur. On the Croix de Coeur there is less traffic and the reason is that a few kilometers are not paved. The road surface is a natural road which is very firm. In dry conditions there is not a problem and the route is easily driven with any normal road vehicle. The view from the summit ist awesom.
About the Simplon Pass we arrived in Domodossola.
The next day was a day of farewell. Marie and Ernst left us in Chur, Jeannette and Thomas in Rankweil in Austria. But first we drove over the San Bernardino Pass and via Lenzerheide a casual and relaxed tour.
On the next day, in Rankweil was the end of the tour, because Maria and Manfred drove straight home, but we wanted to use the day for a little mountain driving.
We drove over the Furkajoch, the Hochtannbergpass and Hahntennjoch. After that, the fastest way back to Vienna.
There were terrific days and a road trip that will remain in our memories for a long time.
If someone wants to drive the route, wants to have more information or wants to see a lot more pictures please check on my website http://www.bluestream.at/Wordpress/11-7-22-7-2015-berge-und-meer-tour/
