Reply With QuoteIf you can fit in a trip across the middle of Switzerland from roughly Montreaux to Brig the Andermatt and beyond I could recommend it
Also Milan to Austria/Germany via the Dolomites for the scenery
Envious!
Hello all.
I am planning 2 week road trip across Europe in June. I have booked hotel for first night in Berlin and will book for the second night somewhere in Belgium.
After that the plan is to book apartments via airbnb the same day or day before - just wake up in the morning, pick a place on map and go there. We do not plan to drive long distances, 200-300km max around France from north cost to west and then to mediterranean, returning via Italy (Milan) and Germany back home.
What does forum wisdom says? Will we manage to book on such a short notice or we will be forced to book overpriced whatever is left in area? Budget wise at a moment there are plenty of apartments around 80-100 euros and I don't want to spend more per night. We are not looking for a hotels, because we are not planning to spend more than one night in any place, except maybe Milan.
What do you suggest to see in France, Bay of Biscay area? I want to visit Mont St Michel, but haven't really researched anything else.
Last edited by Normunds; 10th April 2018 at 15:00.
If you can fit in a trip across the middle of Switzerland from roughly Montreaux to Brig the Andermatt and beyond I could recommend it
Also Milan to Austria/Germany via the Dolomites for the scenery
Envious!
Depending on your route, take in at least one of the wine-growing regions - Bordeaux, Burgundy, Côtes du Rhône, etc. Beautiful regions with wonderful, unspoilt villages.
We've already crossed Dolomites 5 or 6 times, that's why this year we will try to stick to flat lands :)Originally Posted by GOAT
Switzerland is great and expensive. Try Engelberg / Mount Titlis. The Omega AD there has the highest location of all Omega AD's!
Further to the north: Hergiswill near the Lake Lucerne. Take a train to Alpnach (19 mins), go with the cogwheel cable car to the top of Mount Pilatus (steepest railway in the world). Have lunch at Hotel Kriens on the top of Pilatus and go down with the gondola to Lucerne! Magnificent! In Lucerne, take the bus to where ever you want (Watch shops!!!) or to the harbour next to the Congress Centre. Then take a classic post ship back to Hergiswill. A wonderful day and all you need is one ticket!
Menno
I wanted to add pics, but this is better: https://www.pilatus.ch/en/discover/golden-round-trip/
Bordeaux is on the list.
Thanks for suggestion, maybe next time. We've been in Geneva two years ago just to visit Patek museum.
Stick east - Burgundy (Dijon or Beaune if you want towns) and there are countless nice villages (I can reccomend some if you wish?), Cotes Du Rhone (Gigondas is a lovely little village) and then down to the Luberon (Bonnieux is stunning)
As Simon says this is the real France…
Anyway north of those areas on the east side is a bit so so (Maybe Epernay if you like Champagne?)
It's maybe a bit North-Westerly for your trip purposes, but a few years back we drove from Luxembourg through Belgium into France, and there are a few interesting places along the way.
Just south of Brussels is the site of the Waterloo battle, and then a bit further West is the Saint Sixtus Abbey in Westvleteren -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westvleteren_Brewery - which is famous for the Trappist monks there selling a beer that's been voted the best in the world.
Further on is Bruges ("it's like a fairytale!" etc. etc.) and then swinging south again there's lots of WW1 sites around the Somme - Thiepval, Ulster Tower, Amiens, Beumont-Hamel (best preserved trench lines).
There's lots of great big old French chateaus in the countryside, which are amazing to stay in. We booked in advance, but that is perhaps not essential.
Careful trying to use Airbnb last minute as sometimes you need the owner to confirm. Also, most will charge a cleaning/service charge which can get expensive for 1 night.
I find Logis de France very good https://www.logishotels.com/en/ it covers all the smaller independent hotels across France that should be within your budget. Most have excellent restaurants attached to them as well.
+1 for Logis
We went to France for the first time in 1981, following Arthur Eperon's Traveller's France recommendation from Le Havre to St Tropez, then into Italy and Switzerland, via the Mont Blanc Tunnel and Chamonix. His suggested routes avoid all Autoroutes and let you experience France properly. I'm trying to persuade the OH that the Boxster would be perfect for the two of us to have a similar road trip this year. Her reaction so far was to book plane tickets to Vancouver in May. Maybe September??
Sounds like a really good tour you have planned......and June is usually good month for finding accommodation on the hoof.
Travelling from Belgium (maybe Bruge or Ghent) towards Mont St Michel, then Honfleur is always worth a visit, in my touring experience. If you are into cars then recommend dropping down from Mont St Michel to west coast via the superb motor museum at Manoir de L'Automobile, just south of Rennes. The coastal area west of Bordeaux makes a good stop and then east across country, via the Dordogne and south via Rocamadour/Rodez etc...and Millau (bridge) to the Med....is worth considering.
Out of interest and based upon your Dolomites experiences/drives, what's the "best drive" route/circuit to enjoy the Dolomites coming from Austria side.....I usually like to do about 300 to 400 kms/day....so any interesting route/circuit would be appreciated.
Enjoy your trip.
I would also endorse Logis de France. Ditto Champagne. How about Alsace?
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The Île de Ré is a nice island off the West coast to visit and spend a day - just a short trip over a big bridge from La Rochelle.
I normally use the booking.com app - you can book the majority of your hotels in advance (pay on arrival/departure) plus with many (check first) you can cancel on the day without penalty. We use them when we do motorcycle trips. That way you can arrive late - 9.00 ish and are able to stop off somewhere mid-day knowing you haven’t got to start hunting for accommodation at 4.00!
Last edited by Motman; 14th April 2018 at 19:18.
I travel like this frequently, booking only the 1st and last night of a road trip in advance, and had very good luck with the HotelTonight app. I've had less good experiences with AirBnB, with more cancellations than bookings for last minute accommodations.
+1 for the Ile de Re. Fantastic place.
I did something similar in 1991 ... in a mini city with a magnificent 850cc engine.
If you’re not in a rush - Stick to the routes nationales & avoid the péages to see real France.
IMHO.
It worked for us & we stayed in small towns & villages on the outskirts of larger cities.
So we got to see small town France & eat some excellent food with the locals - well away from the tourist routes.
z
Thanks all for the suggestions. Now it is time to decide about hotels. I kind of want to make this trip as spontaneous as possible, but then I remind myself that I am not 25 anymore, I need proper bed at night.
Don’t miss the Gorges du Verdon in Provence. Simply stunning road. Also, the Millau Viaduct and the road through the Gorge du Tarn. The Rue du Vin through Alsace is also recommended. You won’t regret any of these, I promise!
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Honfluer is nice; hope I’ve not spelt it wrong. I agree the Millau bridge is a spectacle and worth travelling over. How about the Alps, some great scenery afforded by some of the Ski resort areas or consider Alp d’Huez for the Tour de France hairpin switchbacks. TBH I love France and feel you can barely go wrong if you follow gut instinct , just avoid the suburbs of Marseille and the like. Enjoy!
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