My husband and I would like to drive from Pisa into France through the mountains in April. We need to end up in Paris but would like to take in some of the country side in France as well. Does anyone have any suggestions on which route to go? Cheap places to stay? Can't miss sites? Thank you so much!

I did a lot of driving in France this fall and just wanted to give my two cents:
Get a car with a navigation system-that will help you choose the fastest (if that's what you want) route.
Many mountain roads will be closed in April. Be sure to check this out before planning a route (get Michelin maps here and read them).
EVERY route we chose took much longer to drive than either mappy.com or mapquest.com told us it would. There was traffic, road construction, accidents, etc. Always budget more time than you think you need, especially near Paris. I encountered the worst traffic I've ever been in trying to get near Paris, and it wasn't even rush hour.

The Michelin Green Guides are great for exploring France by car-definitely get copies of those (French Alps, Provence, etc). They have a level of detail that other guides don't have, and plus they list scenic routes, interesting sights, etc.

Hi M,

Are you planning on renting a car in Italy and dropping off in France?

There will be a large drop-off fee.

Thanks for the info! Was there any routes that you think we should definately travel?

How large of a drop off fee are we talking about?

Thanks, M

Talk to someone at autoeurope on their toll free number for answers re car rental fees.

If you stay by the coast, drop off your Italian rental in Ventimiglia, take the train across the border and pick up your French rental in Menton.

Oh, you haven't even found about about rates and drop off fees yet? Prepare to be shocked. You may want to hold off on any detailed planning until you find out about this-my guess is that it will be 200-300 Euros just for the drop off fee. Call Auto Europe.

I think a better solution, is to take trains to the destinations you want to see between Pisa and Paris, and rent a car locally. Especially given that so many mountain roads could be closed. I'd at least train into France and pick up the car there to avoid the international drop off fee.

Oh, and for routes and scenic drives, again, get a Michelin green guide and map.

Lots of great routes to take, after looking at the Michelin maps. But it is true that most of the passes will still be closed in April. I agree that you should plan to get rid of your rental car in Ventimiglia and pick up a new car in France. Better yet, if you don't have your heart set on driving through northern Italy, take the train directly to Menton and pick up the car there.

Once you have a French car, you might want to drive right back to Ventimiglia and take the fabulous road that goes through the Parc du Mercantour -- assuming that all of the roads are open. Or else you can go to the Aosta valley and take the Mont Blanc tunnel (it's not cheap, but it is less than 20&euro.