Switzerland and St.Tropez
I posted an earlier entry for our upcoming trip to Brienz in Switzerland and then onto St.Tropez. I got some helpful information for the first part of our route from Calais to Brienz.
I'm now planning the second part of the trip from Brienz down to St.Tropez. We have planned 1 night stop-off. We don't want to via the Italy route and had some earlier advice to go via Grenoble - but Google-maps is giving us a route from Grenoble onto Valance and down the A7 which is fine but what if we headed down the D1075 and onto the A51 towards Aix-en-Provence? The mention of a D-road gives me a cold sweat so I want to know if it will be safe for us in our big twin-axle? Also, what is a good stop-off site halfway to St.Tropez?
Many thanks in advance for anyone's help!
Comments
-
Relax. You can go that way. Lots of us do.
The D1075 is a fine road, with good scenery and a pleasant overnight campsite called Camping Belle Roche at Lalley, with 180 miles still to go to St Tropez the next day.
0 -
The campsite at Lalley. There's a lot of uphill from Grenoble with some tight bends. Just don't get stuck behind a double axle caravan
.Down the other side and down past Sisteron you'll have to make choices about heading south-east on D roads or the Peage. If you head to towards Aix en Provence, you would be doubling back to where you would have got to via Valence on the much quicker autoroute.0 -
Further to my previous post, I think it's only fair to warn you that when you finally leave the A8 at J36 after a hard two-day drive you could face some of the worst traffic delays in Europe. Getting through St Maxime is always a problem, and cyclists and skateboarders will make better progress than you on the drive along to the Grimaud roundabout and the road to St Tropez! Make it two night stops from Switzerland or save St Tropez for another time.
0 -
Just checked out Lalley and it's looking perfect!
I was thinking of D1075 and then A51 to A8 to Frejus. We're staying at Castels site Domaine de la Bergerie so not going as far as St.Tropez - I've just spent the past 6months saying the name so my teenage daughter can recognise the place! We're travelling before major school holidays but still expecting it to be busy as it will be the start of July.
Google-maps is telling me that the route is about 160 miles from Lalley so we will be sure to set off early morning and I will keep a bottle of beer on chill for hubby after the drive!
0 -
It's not UK school holidays that determine busy or not. July is the main holiday period in France and everywhere will be at full capacity, and the roads to the Cote d'Azur will be bumper to bumper. At Bergerie, try to get a pitch not close to the swimming pool and sports centre as it can be noisy! Otherwise, enjoy your holiday
0 -
agree with Chas, the traffic around St Maxine is very bad, even last week....regular 5 miles of walking pace vehicles....far quicker in the bike.
last week was the festival of the voie (sail) and many little fishing boats were in the harbour, with the week before full of enormous yachts that couldn't get into Monte Carlo......tough life....
Frejus/St Raphael is a nice area, great cycling all the way back to ST if that's your thing....
Chas, we (I) finally mastered the 'Gèant Gyratory' (Grimaud roundabout) on the bike, after OH found herself stuck in the middle and not one sympathetic driver allowing her to cross the road....if you can do 40mph and have nerves of steel it's a piece of cake....
0 -
I understand what people say about the road through Sainte Maxime but I remember the first time we used that road on our way to Port Grimaud. You drop down to the coast from the Autoroute and make your way through the town and then you suddenly pull round the the right onto the road with the Mediterranean on your left. Absolutely magical. Of course with the slowness of the traffic you have plenty of time to admire the view!!!
David
1
