France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium in 10 days
Our 10 day, 5 country road trip started in the South of France. The first part was a >1000 km nonstop drive. We spend 5 days in the Provence and Côte d’Azur. Before departure I made a plan of must-see places, but we traveled without anything scheduled, just seeing how the day goes and book hotels on the go.
Montélimar
Arriving in Montélimar, the “Gateway to Provence” and the capital of Nougat. The city center is small and quaint, perfect to spend the late afternoon and evening after a long drive.
Pont du Gard
A 30 minute drive West from Avignon is Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct bridge. An impressive structure across the Gardon river. Entrance fee is €9 per vehicle, regardless of the number of passengers.
Avignon
After spending the morning in Pont du Gard, we drove to Avignon for the rest of the day. The moment we walked out of the parking garage we felt the good vibes this city has to offer; small streets full of hustle and bustle and plenty of sights to see. Visiting the Pailais des Papes, Pont d’Avignon, Rue des Tenturiers and simply losing track of time and eating good food.
Gordes, Roussillon, Valensole
Now it was time to explore the heart and smaller towns of the Provence. What I love about France are the many small picturesque places this country has to offer. First stop of the day was Gordes. When approaching the place you immediately get a stunning view of the town. In the town we got a map at the tourist information and walked the short walking tour, seeing the medieval alleys, the arcades and of course the castle up close.
Only a 15 minute drive further is Roussillon, with “Le Sentier des Ocres” as main attraction. A walk through the ocher mine with its reddish color is surely a unique sight.
Driving through the area of Valensole is a real treat during July and August, as the many lavender fields are in bloom. In September not so much, but still an interesting sight.
Gorges du Verdon
On top of my list in the Provence was the Gorges du Verdon. I wanted to see the azure blue water streaming into the lake of Sainte-Croix and rent a canoe to experience the gorge up close. Well, I surely experienced it up close as the water in the river was almost dried up. Instead of canoeing, I could walk this part, which is also a unique experience. I didn’t let the drought ruin the fun, we still drove the mountain roads along the gorge and had plenty of photo stops.
Cannes
A quick stop in Cannes is always fun, checking out the fancy yachts in the harbour and walking along the boulevard.
Nice
This trip to France was originally to visit Nice. Since we drove instead of flying, a whole bunch of places were added to the list. Nice is definitely a highlight in the Côte d’Azur. We walked the famous Avenue Jean Médicin towards the boulevard. In September it’s still 30 degrees and the beach was full with activity, people swimming and even parasailing. From here we took the elevator up to Colline du Chāteau, where we enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the city. As the evening was coming to life, so did all the restaurants in the old part of Nice.
After Nice we continued our trip towards Switzerland, driving through Italy.
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