Azer
Member
Hey up,
What with not being able to go on my original planned road-trip, for the 2nd year running. The whole point in my buying the car would have been completely missed AGAIN, if it were not for this.
A part of me does regret not putting up a post on here, about going before hand. Though, I knew that if I did do that I might curse it.
Also, this is/was my first solo euro road trip. Which I felt I needed to organise alone, so as not to disappoint others if it all went wrong.
At the start of this month, I realised that if I didn't book anything I wasn't going to be able to do so.
I knew I didn't have much holiday left at work, so I booked off the week just finished.
Promptly went home and booked eurotunnell tickets to get a car to Calais on 16/10/2021 and back again on 21/10/2021 for not quite £300.
Knowing that I wouldn't be able to do the Alpine trip I have wanted to for some years now, I decided on something similar but shorter with a bit less political risk.
Taking inspiration from a number of sources, I thought I'd try the French N85 Route Napoleon, from Grenoble to Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey, then deviate via the beach at Nice, to Monaco.
Which is approximately what I ended up doing.
Though I didn't go enter Monaco exactly how I thought I would, the up-shot of which was being able to drive the home-straight , Saint-Devote and Beau-Rivage before turn off, at the top of the hill just before Massenet.
This "hill" is ALOT steeper in real life than it looks when watching the F1 on T.V.
Anyway, the drive there was pretty good. I can reccommend Route Napoleon.
The car park before the best part starts (heading South)
One of the last bridges before the "mountain" roads:
Here is what greets you after you pass through Col Bayard:
Look closely at this one:
I drove through that arch-way. Then around another 3 or 4 turns before comming to a lay-by where I could pause, hop out and run back (complete with Gilet-Jaun) to take the photo.
Then there is the descent into Castellane:
Belive it or not, the sat-nav then took me over that bridge, which isn't much more than about 2ft wider than the S-Class, isn't paved and probably only has a 3 Tonne weight-rating.
After Castellane, there is the drive to Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey
You can just about make out the road I have driven to get to this lay-by.
And, yes, that is the road I am about drive winding off into the distance. Not sure if you can see the yellow bus on it.
The day I left Monaco, for home.
I took a quick ( hour and a half) drive up to road to the golf course (not actually in Monaco) in order to stop hear for one last look at the micro nation at the cove it sits in.
Getting in or out of Monaco is neither quick nor easy, due to the geography and shear number of roads crammed into the place. Even Sat-Navs struggle. A trained navigator would have trouble and anybody who doesn't live there should not be asked for directions.
Now I am hearing that we are about to go back to wearing masks, have people work from home again and maybe shut some more schools.
Which surely means less international travel, though I can usually get a waiver as I work in the pharmaceutical industry. But that is only for work.
So all in all, it looks like I made it back just in time.
What with not being able to go on my original planned road-trip, for the 2nd year running. The whole point in my buying the car would have been completely missed AGAIN, if it were not for this.
A part of me does regret not putting up a post on here, about going before hand. Though, I knew that if I did do that I might curse it.
Also, this is/was my first solo euro road trip. Which I felt I needed to organise alone, so as not to disappoint others if it all went wrong.
At the start of this month, I realised that if I didn't book anything I wasn't going to be able to do so.
I knew I didn't have much holiday left at work, so I booked off the week just finished.
Promptly went home and booked eurotunnell tickets to get a car to Calais on 16/10/2021 and back again on 21/10/2021 for not quite £300.
Knowing that I wouldn't be able to do the Alpine trip I have wanted to for some years now, I decided on something similar but shorter with a bit less political risk.
Taking inspiration from a number of sources, I thought I'd try the French N85 Route Napoleon, from Grenoble to Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey, then deviate via the beach at Nice, to Monaco.
Which is approximately what I ended up doing.
Though I didn't go enter Monaco exactly how I thought I would, the up-shot of which was being able to drive the home-straight , Saint-Devote and Beau-Rivage before turn off, at the top of the hill just before Massenet.
This "hill" is ALOT steeper in real life than it looks when watching the F1 on T.V.
Anyway, the drive there was pretty good. I can reccommend Route Napoleon.
The car park before the best part starts (heading South)
One of the last bridges before the "mountain" roads:
Here is what greets you after you pass through Col Bayard:
Look closely at this one:
I drove through that arch-way. Then around another 3 or 4 turns before comming to a lay-by where I could pause, hop out and run back (complete with Gilet-Jaun) to take the photo.
Then there is the descent into Castellane:
Belive it or not, the sat-nav then took me over that bridge, which isn't much more than about 2ft wider than the S-Class, isn't paved and probably only has a 3 Tonne weight-rating.
After Castellane, there is the drive to Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey
You can just about make out the road I have driven to get to this lay-by.
And, yes, that is the road I am about drive winding off into the distance. Not sure if you can see the yellow bus on it.
The day I left Monaco, for home.
I took a quick ( hour and a half) drive up to road to the golf course (not actually in Monaco) in order to stop hear for one last look at the micro nation at the cove it sits in.
Getting in or out of Monaco is neither quick nor easy, due to the geography and shear number of roads crammed into the place. Even Sat-Navs struggle. A trained navigator would have trouble and anybody who doesn't live there should not be asked for directions.
Now I am hearing that we are about to go back to wearing masks, have people work from home again and maybe shut some more schools.
Which surely means less international travel, though I can usually get a waiver as I work in the pharmaceutical industry. But that is only for work.
So all in all, it looks like I made it back just in time.
Last edited:
