Provence to Venice
 

My family and I are going to be traveling from Provence (about two hours west of Nice) to Venice during our summer holiday. We are driving. We'd like to make two stops (one on the way and one on the way back) - any suggestions for towns along the route?
Our initial thoughts are to stop along the CT on the way and Parma on the way back. Can anyone else recommend alternative stops? Any ideas are welcome. Thanks.

This is a tough one...

For the CT, it'd take about 6 hrs - and through the difficult Genoa area - to get there. And where is there? The towns are not easily accessible by car.
Your other choice, Parma, is okay I guess.

I'd suggest you consider Lake Como as your stop and then east along the mountainous border with Switzerland before dropping down to Venice.

Coming back either Piacenza or Asti; in either case, I'd avoid driving the Italian Riviera.

Thanks Tuck H - anyone else?

I had recently posted a question about driving from Nice into Italy and was blasted with negative comments. I was interested in going to Pisa or venice. So I too am looking for info for driving into Italy. Other posters had said driving in Italy was horrable. When I asked to compare it to say NY, Boston or LA I heard worse. Is this true or where the posters just fearful drivers?

On the driving. We just got back from France and Italy. We drove from Roquebillière (about an hour north of Nice to Lake Como on a Saturday). Driving around Milano was a challenge; we left at 9 am and pulled into Bellano (north of Varenna) at about 6 pm (one picnic stop, one small problem with car stop); so that would make the first leg of your trip a long one. In the other direction, we went from La Spezia to Digne-les-Bains on a Tuesday. Navigating around Genova was really not much of a problem. As for driving in Italy in general, we found it more challenging than in France, but that was mostly because of the signage and our unfamiliarity with the region and had nothing to do with other drivers. Like the French, Italians often drive very fast, but they pay attention to their driving, and if you understand their approach (pass then get over), keep moving, etc., there isn't really a problem with drivers.

We too went from France to Venice but we went on a train. We dropped the car off in Nice and took a sleeper train to Venice (since you can't really use one there anyway), arriving the next morning fresh and ready to enjoy Venice. We saved a hotel stay and was fun too, and we had more time in Venice. Then when we left Venice we rented another car in Italy to visit the rest of Italy with. We live in Los Angeles so we had no trouble with the Italian drivers. Although the signs (or lack of them) made it a bit more difficult than in France.

Overnight stops? You're looking at a very long drive both ways even if you are stopping overnight.
I've driven from Arles to Santa Marguerita and I found it to be longer and more wearing than anticipated. Its a lot of tunnels(probably 50) and lots of coastal traffic. That coastal traffic on France and Italy will be at its height in the summer. I don't find the italian drivers any more of a problem than other europeans and in many ways more attentive and predictable than american drivers (I drive LA).
But why are you driving to and from ? I could suggest lots of options but I don't understand the itinerary.

Hi 4,

www.viamichelin.com shows about 6:30 hr the quick way and 12:15 hr on the "discovery" route through the CT for Nice to Venice.

It will cost about 20E/day to park your car + rental cost.

www.voyages-sncf.com shows about 8 hr by train, or you could take the night train.

((I))