dennohue

As mikey k says avoid Belgium it's very boring! In fact the route you have shown will be very bland until you reach Switzerland.

I have usually avoided that side of Europe as there are very few attractive (demanding) roads to follow. Also, bear in mind, if you enter Switzerland you will need to purchase a Vignette (local road tax!), which you can purchase on-line before you leave.

I would certainly recommend the type of route I took in 2010 using the Poole/St Malo crossing as IMO the west of France offers better driving routes and more interesting places to visit.

This may help: Monte-Carlo or Bust!

In case you are not aware, the French police are targeting British cars driving from the port of Calais, which includes confiscation of the vehicle for excessive speeding!!

Whatever you plan in the end I hope it all goes smoothly.

frenchy

Id get straight to italy via Frejus and concentrate on the drive back. Personally, in france I'd go Beziers, Carcassonne up through the Dordogne (Bergerac, Beynac, Perigueux, Brantome) then maybe up to Paris if you must. The Dordogne is the best region on the eye in France by a long way (as well as the area around Most Blanc) and the road from Beziers to Carcassonne is great, long tree lined and nice villages. Apart from the sea and beaches the coast in most of France is quite dull, Toulon isn't bad, am sure Monte Carlo is nice (never been).
Can recommend Asti from Milan down to Genoa, great drive to Provence then up to the Milau bridge then back down and over to Beziers. Take a while tho. I've done Italy, Swiss via lakes, Corsica and france in a motorhome, be mint in the S2000 and stay in cheap n cheerful Formule1/ibis. Jealous

frenchy

I doubt they are 'targetting' uk cars but always be aware that if you are stopped for speeding you will probably have to pay there and then.
They tend to stop and speed trap on slip roads coming onto the motorway or A road equivalent watching for cars that are already on that stretch.

They often do random stops in big towns/cities but I've found they wave on UK plates.

Unless you stop and stay in Paris I'd avoid, it's not a place I'd drive around.

Welshman

Near Mont Blanc Have you looked at a map lately?

Welshman

A few points:

1. Belgium is OK once you get South of the Motorway that runs East/West from Valenciennes through Mons, Charleroi, Namur to Liege.

2. You only need purchase a Vignette in Switzerland if you intend using their motorway network. If you enter via a motorway e.g. at Basle you will almost certainly get stopped and told to cough up. Enter other than on a motorway and you may get asked if you intend using their motorways. Up to you what answer you give. Also many of the non motorway entry points are only manned on a part time basis.

3. French Police don't target British cars. It's just that they find that on the toll motorway from Calais to Reims/Paris most of the speeders are British. They wait just over the brow of a rise and zap you with a radar gun. It's at least a 90 Euro fine and if you have insufficient cash you will be escorted to the nearest cash point. Since their motorway limit is 81mph (130 kmh) just keep it at 85 and you won't be bothered.
You will tend to find them near larger towns so en route to Reims for example watch for them near Cambrai and St Quentin.

soupdragon

There are some amazing roads in Belgium and Luxembourg, in the Ardennes (also cheap fuel in Luxembourg). Also the massif central and volcans areas of France around Claremont ferrand are great and relatively quiet. The Alps are great (we're going to austria in a couple of weeks) but can be very busy. We are staying for a week at the base of the timmelsjoch, so we can go driving at 6am when the roads are quiet and walk up mountains later on.

If you need to do such a direct route, look at the map and plan to duck off the motorway every so often for a couple of hours. It wakes you up, doesn't cost much time and there are some brilliant roads out there.

BVE

Don't spend too much time in Monaco... spot some cars and get out... Don't drive the motorway to Marseille... crowded and too many idiots... go land inwards towards Grenoble and take a lot of scenic routes to the Georges du Verdon, drive the route Napoleon etc. Use the roads in WHITE on Google maps

jml

Forget about speeding in France. As we have a house in France - Dordogne region - i often drive on French roads. They're out to get you in a big way.

frenchy

Why?

As I said on the eye and as you might drive through the HOT Frejus tunnel you go 'near' Mont Blanc and the area around there is quite nice.

frenchy

Where's your place jml?
I used to live near Brantome.