We are flying into Milan and would like to go to The Alps, Provence, the Riviera and Tuscany. We have 17 days to visit those areas. My goal in the Alps is to hike and see the beauty and in Provence we would like to see Arles and St Remy because we are Huge van Gogh fans. We would then naturally go through the Riviera, although there isn't a true stop I would like to make and then at the end we would like to go through wine country in Tuscany.
We were planning on leaving Milan and going straight out the Briancon direction, through Gap and then down to Provence, through the Riviera and then into Tuscany and back to Milan where we fly out of as well. If we had time we would like to go up to Lake Maggiore and maybe visit Locarno before heading back to the airport. We are renting a car for the trip.
Our biggest goals of the trip are visiting wineries and seeing van Gogh's work locations. Hiking in the Alps would be spectacular as well. I would like my husband to see the beauty, especially by the lakes.
Does anyone have suggestions or comments on the route? Any tips on some fantastic towns in any of the areas? Any winery tips?
We are truly "winging it" and haven't made any hotel reservations. I would like to but we just don't know enough to decide on what are good base camps for the areas. I do know we don't really care about spending any time in the Riviera except for maybe a day, so the rest of the trip would be the Alps, Provence and Tuscany.
Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!
Julie
The Alps, Provence, Riviera and Tuscany
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Hi Julie. Sounds like you'll have a fun trip. It might get better advice if you can tell everyone when your lovely trip is planned? cheers, loveners
Sorry, we leave on April 8th.
If you are arriving transatlantic into Malpensa, I suggest you get some sleep before taking on mountain driving.
I like spontaneous road trips, and seldom make reservations in advance, but you are traveling the week after Easter, which is a time Europeans treasure as a chance to vacation in beautiful places, so you will be scrounging for hotels I'm afraid unless you seek out some non-scenic places for your overnights.
In Italy, most wineries do not accept drop in visitors but only admit them by appointment. If you like excellent wine, you would do much better to visit the Piemonte, not Tuscany, and it would fit better with your trip overall and you could avoid the Riviera completely. Coming back from France, head into the hills of the Langhe, around Mondovi/Dogliani/Bra/Alba. You will find amazing wineries and food and lovely vinyard scenery, especially around Cherasco and small towns like La Morra. You don't have time to go to the most scenic parts of Tuscany but you do have time for the best of the Piemonte wine country.
From the Piemonte you will have an easy return trip to Malpensa, and if the weather is nice at the end of your trip, you can spend your last night in Lago d'Orta or Lago Maggiore before driving back to Malpensa.
To be clear: when you are coming back from France, don't go any further than Savona before turning north.
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-photo/jeffb101/1/1278243421/101_around-barolo.jpg/tpod.html
its better to book a self catering home then a hotel reservation in the alps i try this web portal http://euroasiarentals.com or holidayrentals.co.uk or interhome.ch anyone but a self catering chalet for short term rental will increase your enchanting experience many a folds.
Thank you for your tips. I appreciate it.
I have a car booked already but I don't have the information in front of me. My husband has it in his email.
What car is best to rent to go through the Alps but still have good gas mileage and safety? I see a few Fiat, Ford and Peugeot choices. It will be just the two of us and a couple suitcases. On our route it adds up to 30 hours of driving over 18 days.