One of the most scenic drives in the world is in the South of France. I knew my husband would love this drive but I wasn’t so sure if it was a good idea since I know what it can be like to drive in a foreign country without knowing the local roads and traffic. So, I didn’t bother to book a car nor book any tours in advance. This recent trip we took was with just me and my husband; the first time we’ve spend time away from the kids in their lives. My idea was to be spontaneous; aside from being busy the past months before the trip, I was also thinking to take this vacation slow – no schedules, no planned itinerary, and no tours.
We spent the first 3 days of our trip in Cannes for the Film Festival and see a little bit of Nice. We then decided to take a drive through the Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur region. It has a lot of similarity with the scenery in Madeira, Portugal and Cape Town, South Africa where my husband is from. He enjoyed cruising around in a convertible with the top down 🙂 Indeed, a must-do if you visit this corner of the world.
Here are few of the photos we took along the way. Hope this will inspire you to visit the French Riviera. Buzz me to help you plan your adventure. xoxo
The Cote d’Azur’s Corniches are some of the most driven and beloved roads in the world. Most especially to those who love the thrill of driving in narrow and crooked paths. There are three roads carved into the mountainside running between Nice and Monaco and on to Menton which is the city near the border with Italy. These are Grande Corniche at the top, the Moyenne Corniche in the middle and the Basse Corniche (or Corniche Inferieure) along the coast. Each has their own charm that brings you to wonderland.
FYI: A ‘corniche’ means a cliff road or “road on a ledge”
Corniche Road Map
We decided to drive the middle road which is Moyenne corniche. There are not many overlooks that we can stop by for pictures but here are some of the few that I managed to snap. To see the real beauty of it all is to go and visit this beautiful place.
Tip: Corniche Moyenne is best driven in the direction from Nice to Menton and not the other way around. This is because the overlooks are always on the seaside and it is hard to cross the opposing traffic in order to park. Cote d Azur Tourism
From Moyenne Corniche, we drove down to the Basse corniche which runs along the water, 50 meters above the Mediterranean. The seaside drive is so refreshing and it wasn’t during rush-hour so, we had a really quiet drive (aside from hearing loud Ferrari engines once in awhile) and saw breathtaking vistas. I took few snapshots while driving.
Monaco. I love this dramatic coastal view… beautiful!!!
I’ve always dreamt of Monaco!!! It has always been one of my dream destinations. Being here with my husband is happiness and we are already thinking of going back with the kids.
Fact: Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly died on Sep 14, 1982 after a tragic car crash on the windy roads of Moyenne corniche on her way home to Monaco.
Menton seaside… love the flowers, tables and chairs setting right along the blue sea; it’s perfect for chatting over drinks 🙂
Fact: The Basse corniche was laid out in the 18th century by the Prince of Monaco
Trying to take it all in:)
The French Riviera is definitely bucket list worthy. Hope you can get to visit this place one day and enjoy it as much as we did.
What scenic drives have you experienced? Share with us and give us some inspiration…
xoxo
Hi!
Could you pls share the details on this tour.rinki
Hello there, the link is on my blog. It’s with Dive.is
That looks a fantastic drive. Feel my burning envy! 🙂 Motoring along the Amalfi coast was a real treat and I want to take the kids there one day, though some of the streets are not too buggy-friendly, so I suppose I’ll have to add the Riviera to the list.
Bucket list worthy, indeed:) Planning to bring kids there too, when they’are a bit older hehehe It’s a different world out there:)
I am a huge fan of road trips! How beautiful! How long was your trip for? It reminded me of highway one in California, but with a lot more castles and history!
Road trips can be fun especially driving with the view:) We stayed for 2 weeks… went for 5days cruise and attended the GrandPrix Monaco race. Have to write a blog about it:) hehe Thanks for dropping by… xoxo
Aww I haven’t been to france in nearly 10 years. I love the map you have provided! i think it’s definitely time for mihir and me to go and follow in your footsteps. your pictures make it look so romantic <3
Oooooh… it’s time to go back. Buzz me if you some help for accommodation and some other suggestions. Neighboring towns are sooooo gorgeous:) MAde some contacts as well to get “local inputs”. Happy travels… xoxo
YOUR scenic drive reminded me of the four-week campervanning trip my boyfriend and i did in east coast, australia. French riviera is one of the many european places i want to visit someday.
Oh wow… I’m sure that was beautiful. Did you do Melbourne to Cairns? Such a great Australian adventure… Happy travels and thanks for dropping by. xoxo
Your roadtrip looks like a perfect scenic trip and I absolutely love the car you’ve done it in. A perfect car to explore the beauty of France. it’s great that you even had a chance to drive on the road used at the monaco grand prix!
This looks like a dream! I would love to burn rubber on those roads. Thanks for including a map of the routes, that was very helpful and gave depth to this post. Hope you had a great time!
So beautiful. Monaco is on my list of what I plan to see one day, you gave great advice!! Thank you for sharing.
My husband would drool to drive those roads. The scenery is spectacular. I guess i better add this to our list of amazing places to visit!
That drive is just simply scenic! I loved Monaco when I visited as well; it reeks of luxury at every turn.
This is how I dream about experiencing the french riviera. Thank you for the beautiful pictures, they definitely capture the essence of the area.
Thank you!!! Hope you get to visit this place one day:) We can’t wait to go back with our kids… hopefully soon:)
Spectacular! i was planning almost this exact trip last fall before I found a super cheap flight to Paris and changed my plans. I’ll have to find a way to make this itinerary happen in the future.
Yup, it’s such a beautiful place to visit. Yu can easily fly to Nice and make your way to Monaco and all the neighboring towns:) One of the best views in the world…
Wow what a Beautiful drive, we were there last summer and drove from AIX-En-Provence to Nice but didnt drive on the Corniche, we took the trains instead. we might have to go back to do the drive!
YES, a great reason to go back:) Thansk for dropping by… xoxo
I love the tip of not trying to cross the traffic to get to the view points- that would be frustrating! I’d love to drive the coastal road but I’d be nervous driving there! Sounds like you had a great well deserved break from the kids- a must now and then:)
Thank you Cathy:) YES, we had a blast and the route is not for timid drivers… especially there are Ferraris and Mclaren around hahaha…
i agree about being a scenic drive. I’m quite envious actually, those sights are incredible! your photos of the sights were impressive!
Thank you:) Scenery is beautiful… time to plan for the next adventure:)
that car, though. Beautiful destination but that car really enhanced the road trip, i bet.
Yeah… it was a good choice:) We had fun!!! Thanks for dropping by…