Driving from Loire to Nice - suggestions needed
 

In about a week, we will be driving from Chenonceaux to Nice with one stop overnight. We'd be interested in any recommendations of places to stop, eat, see, etc. or scenic highways to take. Also, please recommend any great bed & breakfasts to stay in or towns to visit our one night inbetween.

When we made much the same trip we went east to Dijon to pick up the main autoroute to the south. From Orléans you can take the N60 to Montargis, then pick up the Autoroute du Soleil a little further on. DO NOT take a route that leads you to Nevers; the town is a major bottleneck and you can spend an hour breathing diesel fumes from all the trucks.

A good stop for the night, we found, is the Château d'Igé, in the village of Igé. It's a very nice hotel (member of the Relais et Châteaux group but one of the less pricey entries) in a rural setting but near the autoroute for easy access.

The next morning you can again get on the Autoroute du Soleil and head for Nice, which will be about a 6-hour drive. Along the autoroute are periodic facilities that have restaurants, cafés, cafeterias, sometimes hotels, and shops. They're very handy for rest stops.

The whole route, just about, is quite scenic. There's a lot to see along the way, but you're really not going to have much time to stop, given the distance you need to cover. If you could add a second night you would be able to enjoy the trip more.

You have three general routes to choose from. South through the Dordogne and then going east. Going east to Burgundy and then south. Or going between these two routes, through the Auvergne. I would choose this last route, stopping perhaps in Le Puy en Velay.

You'll want to check out possible routes on viamichelin or mappy [I prefer the latter].

To elaborate on my prvious post: Go to Vierzon and then take the autoroute toward Clermond-Ferrand, with a possible stop in Bourges to visit the cathedral. From Clermond-Ferrand I would take the cut-off towards Thiers and take the D 906 to Ambert, continue to la Chaise-Dieu (the church is worth a visit for its dance of death) on on to le Puy en Velay. From le Puy I would go to Aubenas and then follow the Gorges de l'Ardèche down tot he Rhône valley to rejoin the autoroute and on to Nice. Keep in mind that the road south of Thiers is not particularly fast.

Michael's itinerary is ideal and the one I would follow (and I'm a Dordogne lover). Go for it. You will have amazing scenery and see some parts of France that the average traveler never gets to see. Enjoy!