marianto

Hi, we are traveling from Italy to France, we'll do different towns as Nice, Marseille, St Tropez... The idea is to rent a car in Menton (as soon as we pass the border). Then we want to drive up to Lyon but we are not sure which Route is better if the one which goes to Gap or the one in the Centre which goes through or close Avignon.
Someone did it? Some help and suggestions??
Thanksss ��

PalenQ

Try to take the route that goes by the Grand Canyon of the Verdun and Moustiers and Catellane - I took this route from Avignon to Cannes and it is easy driving - no busy autoroutes and lovely old town - lavender fields if in season. The Gap route it seems would involves some hills or mountains but this route is sweet

from Cannes go via Grasse (stop for perfume factories in the perfune capital of France perhaps) then the Route Napoleon - built by Napoleon thru the hills for military reasons into the hinterlands of Provence - but driving along the Verdun Canyon can be a bit unnerving for Nervous Nellies - at least the side I took. We stopped and did a canoe trip thru the Canyon:

https://www.google.com/search?q=gran...HfOpB5cQsAQIHg

Check Stu Dudley for one of his wonderful itineraries in France that probably cover this and other routes. Hopefully he will see this post if not check his postings under his name.

The fastest way would probably be all on autoroutes but BORING and lots of traffic say around big cities like Toulon and they cost an arm and a leg too.

Personally I love Avignon - if not in a hurry stopover there for a day - actually if in a hurry take a TGV train from Menton/Nice to Lyon - with discounted ticket could be cheaper than a car with rental, fuel and tolls and certainly a lot faster - www.voyages-sncf.com for discounted tickets as low as around 30 euros if you book far in advance. Or TGVs to Avignon then pick up the car after staying the day and night there.

for info on French trains if inclined check www.seat61.com - great info on discounted tickets and for general info www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

Aix-en-Provence would make a good pit stop too - lovely student city.

neckervd

What do you call "best way"?
shortest, fastest, cheapest, most culinary, most scenic, most cultural itinerary?

PalenQ

fastest would be the autoroutes the whole way - but they only mention two possible routes, both inland so I assume they want to most invigorating scenery - though non-autoroute routes can be very slow going compared to the autoroutes.