Driving from Sweden to Nice, early March. Route suggestions?
 

I'm planning to pick up a new Volvo in Sweden in early March, then drive (by myself) from Göteborg to the south of France, where I will rendezvous with my spouse, who will be returning to Europe from a week's work in east Africa.

I have around five or six days to make the trip, and am contemplating which route might offer a decent chance of pleasant driving conditions, maybe some scenery, and okay weather. I'm not afraid of snow, but I'm disinclined to take on one of the higher Alpine passes in a new car in March.

Present thinking is to take the bridge into Copenhagen, then drive over to Jutland and then south, aiming for Groningen, which I haven't visited. Then south toward Maastricht, then through Belgium to Luxembourg, then over to the Autoroute du Soleil around Lyon, thence south to the aforementioned sun. (Maastricht would be a short stop to photograph a house occupied by a long-dead relative.)

But I'd be tempted to head through Switzerland, maybe through the Ticino region, and approach Nice/Cannes from the east, but have no idea how to get through the mountains, or if March is a reasonable time at all for Switzerland.

Google Maps etc. keeps putting me on ferries to Germany, then roaring down various selections of autobahnen to the Brenner Pass, which I do not especially love.

I don't want to push it, but also don't need to dally. Any suggestions on routes, stopping places, etc. will be most welcome. Thanks!

You can change the Google itinerary on the map by clicking on a point on the blue line and moving it over.

In Switzerland you would be going through the St. Gotthard tunnel rather than over the pass. Don't forget to pick up a vignette if going through Switzerland.

I would choose the Luxembourg route, continuing via Nancy, Dijon, Beaune to Lyon. From there I would try to drive the foothills of the Alps via Grenoble, Gap, Digne rather than go straight down the Rhone valley; but ready to change plans if driving conditions are bad.

I'm planning an almost identical trip as well!

Still in planning mode but my family and I are picking up our Volvo in Gottenburg, headed down through Europe, and dropping off the car in Nice.

Our thought was to spend one day in each country on the way down (i.e. Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, France) with a wigggle room to do two days in one or two countries. We will be going in May 2012.

I'm going to Google Map the suggested route by Michael. I'd love to hear what you've decided on.

Ronchamp is worth a stop to stretch the legs.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...57624529919999

You will love your Volvo experience! We did this in April of this year. We drove to Oslo and then to Voss, and returned the car to Goteburg for it's trip home. Our other travels [Copenhagen, Stockholm and finally, Paris]

Bring GPS and some form of music. And remember you cannot leave anything in the car for it's trip here to the US.

Going through Switzerland you wold be using tunnels (roads through the passes are closed until May or even sometimes June. I love Switz but at that time of year would be more likely to go south through France, avoiding the Alps - which can have snow even in the valleys at that time of year.