Can South of France experts help please?

[Letsgobaby26]

First time driving in France as a family. We are catching early ferry to Calais and want to end up in Antibes. What are good stops along the way to make the journey more doable? Thank you!

Depends on your route and how far you want to drive without a stop over. Orleans is ok. I like Reims and Avignon as stops

We are just deciding our route and dont want to push it too much do we're all tired and miserable. Reims looks nice but maybe bit busy for a first day. Will check out Avignon.

I think when we drove to the south, we stopped overnight around the Dijon area.

We’ve done very similar for the last few years and nice places to stay along the way are Troyes, Beaune, Dijon, Alps wise Embrun is lovely as is Annecy and Grenoble area.
PM if you’d like more recommendations m.

Troyes is a lovely little town for a stop, and about the right distance for a 2 stop strategy. Lyon would be the obvious second stop.

For a 1 stop route, Dijon or Beaune would probably be better, unless you'd rather break the back of the journey on the first day by pushing on to Lyon.

there will be people along to tell you how to et the payable ticket - makes paying for the payable much easier, but its no essential.

Also make sure you have the correct car ticket for entering some French cities - apply before you leave uk and then you'll be fine as it will last on the car for many years.

Driving on the French motorway is far easier than driving on a uk motorway, so maybe think a few more miles than you'd do in the uk.

Make sure you always pull in after overtaking - otherwise you will be flashed and horn use will be used.

I really liked Lyon and drove home from just south of Lyon to Birmingham in one sitting and was the only driver - it was 760 miles. Left at 9am, stopped various times for loo and to home at 1am this included ferry crossing and getting on ferry and leaving off etc dover/ calais

@MikeRafone very impressive!

Probably looking at 2 stops to make it a bit nicer. Any tips for accommodation in Antibes with a pool please?

Épernay,, about half an hour south of Reims, is smaller and easier, a nice town and still lots of lovely champagne houses to visit if that’s what you like.

We did a big road trip to the South once to Antibes. From recollection it was Harfleur, Il-de Re, Narbonne, Arcachon. Carcassonne (you could try Mirepoix instead) and then hit the coast up to Antibes. On the way back I think we went to Uzes (loved), Limoges and then onwards. It wasn't a short journey obviously but I love driving in France as the stops are so much nicer than here.

The hotel in La Garoupe Gardiole is nice, not to expensive and has a pool...you probably need a car. Or the Hotel du Cap of course, if you are feeling extremely rich!!

I’ve stopped in dijon and in Lyon on different trips. Depends on how far you are comfortable with driving and if you are using the tolls roads fdo register for the fast lane thing, saves tapping at each booth, and if going into cities you may need a sticker thing for emissions (it’s not all cities but we needed it for a couple of places)

Thanks will research all of this. On the way back we are going via the alps for a few days.

Ps we take the ferry to Le Havre overnight but for two stops I’d choose south of Paris for the first one eg Auxerre, then maybe Avignon which I recommend actually as a holiday destination (for non beach people)

Whereabouts in the alps? I am thinking of a similar trip next year. On the way down we used to stay in an Ibis in Beaune which had a lovely pool and an amazing wine list. Reims too.

Lovely. Jealous. There's a lovely hotel right on Lake Annecy on the way . Perhaps it was the Hotel la Maison Bleue.

Ps I have stayed in Antibes twice in an apartment block with a pool. No idea where but suspect similar would be in Airbnb now.

We will have a few nights in Interlaken/Grindelwald, and then Chamonix, just to see the mountains. Ive done it a few times in my youth but had a bigger travel window. This is all in 2 weeks, but a week will be in one spot hopefully, with days trips on public transport do having a break from driving and dc can have a bit of a pool holiday.

Sounds amazing. There is a good Sandaya campsite (with good pools) near St Raphael that I have been to which might be on the coastal trainline. Although probably not walkable to the station from the site.

Sorry, I wasn’t meaning it was impressive. It’s far easier driving in France so just trying to give you an idea of distances that can be covered without much effort.

im all for enjoying the journey, id do it and stop at Riems, Dijon, Lyon 😂 but I have the time now.

Any recommendations to break up Antibes to Chamonix for one night?

On the way down I’d pick Orange over Avignon. So Troyes, Orange, Antibes.
You could go via Italy and the Mont Blanc tunnel to Chamonix, maybe stay in Aosta.

Also we are in an EV.

Dijon