Accommodation at the bottom of Route Napoleon.

[mrtee43]

Ok, I know that this is in the wrong section but I figure it might get more attention here !

A couple of us are off on a 10 day trip, through France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and returning up the Route Napoleon to Grenoble then up to Calais.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a B&B or hotel somewhere at the bottom of the route outside Nice not too expensive ?

Thanks.

 

[mcinlb]

I've stayed in Castellane before running the RN, nice wee place with a variety of accommadation..

If that's too far up, then Vence has a hotel - http://www.hotel-miramar-vence.com/ is not bad.

 

[Cook1e]

You might do better posting (or maybe even try a search???) in this forum:

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?230-Alps-Black-Forest-and-Dolomites

Enjoy your trip, the French Alps are great and the Route Napoleon is a fantastic ride.

 

[luke scott]

Anothe rvote for Castellane. Depending on the time of the year there are lovely cabins in the campsite http://www.camp-du-verdon.com/campsite-france-alpes-haute-provence.html

 

[Wapping]

How close to the outside of Nice (bottom end) of the Route Napoleon do you want to be?

Castellane is about 100 km's away, north east. That's about 60 miles. Not much cop if you want to see and smell Nice out of the window each morning.

 

[El Capitano]

When we did the RDGA and Route Napoleon last year we stayed at Hotel Claridge's in Menton - basic but cheap(ish), near the centre of town and underground secure parking just around the corner.

Top tip - don't go through Monaco or Nice - it takes forever - jump on the motorway at Menton and take the Grasse exit to get you onto the RN. There are quite a few toll booths to get through so make sure you have plenty of change.

Cheers,

Colin

 

[mrtee43]

We don't want to specifically stay in Nice just that on day 7 we will be travelling from Bologna and want to start up RN next day from the bottom so hence the request for accommodation near the bottom.

We have done the route a few times before but always coming down, so as part of the trip thought it would be good to go up it this time.

 

[Wapping]

The Route Napoleon ends in Cannes (further along the coast) which is why suggestions of Castellane are adding 60 miles beyond Nice, all after your ride along from Bologna. The Route des Grande Alps, ends in Nice.

There are loads of hotels in the Nice, Menton, Antibes, Cannes strip, before you start the climb up the Route Napleon; anything from a chain Ibis or cheaper Formula 1 to a true (expensive) five star place.

The suggestions of Castellane (a nice enough town) are certainly fine but only work if you and your mate can add the additional mileage and travelling time (somewhere around 90 to 120 minutes, depending on which roads you take, if you stop etc. etc.) required. If you can't, are you really still looking at Nice?

If I were you, I'd pump Bologna to Castellane into Google maps and ask for the basic motorway route, which will run you through Nice, then swing up through Grasse, which is another possibility. Are you taking that route? If not, what suits you? For instance, instead of the most direct east west direction, following the Mediterranean coast, you could swing up and across via say Cuneo and pick up the Route Napoleon (not at the very bottom) that way.

Suggesting hotels is never easy, as helpful punters can never be exactly sure what bods want; so they guess. Your request swings between hotels (budget or five star?) and a B&B, a concept in France that differs from what most Brits imagine a B&B to be like. Most hotels can be booked on a B&B basis, if you want to find a restaurant elsewhere. Similarly, nobody knows whether you plan to leave Bologna at 8 AM or 10 AM, the missing two hours making some considerable difference when it comes to the extra 60 odd miles to get to Castellane, via the Nice coast road from Bologna. Castellane is often suggested only as bods very often turn around there on their journey DOWN the Route Napoleon from the north, to save the additional finsl schlep to the coast which can be quite dull. You are not coming down from the north, you are coming from the east or the south, aiming to go UP. If Castellane works, then your question has been answered. If it doesn't, let us know.

 

[stolzy]

I'd give Nice a miss for accommodation. It used to be great 25 years ago, but its a dump now. Expensive, crowded, full of tourist rip-offs, Russian prostitutes and their clients. The place is always a struggle.

Just head on up the road and find somewhere you like the look of when you get tired.

 

[mrtee43]

The plan was to basically follow this route and actually head out of Nice and try and find somewhere
reasonably priced, not more than 100 euros for the two of us. We would really like to pick up the route as close to the bottom as possible.

I must admit, we are a bit vague on planning because although we are booked in with places to stay up to day 5 we have intentionally left the rest so as to have a certain amount of flexibility.

 

[hatzyian]

We stayed at Hotel le Prejoly, Place Cavalier Fabre, Saint-Vallier-de-Thiey, France, just north of Grasse. Bike was in alley next to hotel, no problems. Nice little hotel, great restaurant behind, and good breakfast.
This was 4 yrs ago, so don't know if still any good.

 

[Pablo1]

Mouanes Sartoux, we stayed at Ibis which is a short walk from the old town centre, plenty restaurants etc, very nice,

 

[(RIP) Johno23]

I did that motorway in Italy a few weeks ago, from Genoa to France. Be very aware that the Italians will try to kill you!! they are fucking shit drivers
and very dangerous,just a heads up. They will overtake your in your lane usually while having an argument on the phone with someone!

Also another vote for Castellane, nice little town

 

[Wapping]

Me? I'd forget Nice, the coastal motorway and much of everything else.

There is nothing magical about joining the Route Napoleon right at the bottom, trust me.

When are you off on the 10 day jaunt? Before whenever it is you depart, take a step back and consider:

1. You have planned on leaving day 5 onwards blank, though you have planned everything else.

2. You left from the fifth day onwards vague (no plan at all) as you wanted to be flexible. Now you want names of hotels 'somewhere around Nice' (Castellane is 60 miles further away) which removes all your desire to do no planning and kicks all your flexibility into the bin.

I suggest you get to Bologna * (your intended final destination before turning around to come home) then take stock. Then, if the idea still appeals, the pair of you then ride towards Nice (or better still, Cannes, as you want to be at the start) and commence your climb up the Route Napoleon. This maintains your 'no planning' plan.

You will find a hotel, no question; just as you found hotels for days one to four and will I guess for nights six onwards. Maybe start your hunt here: http://www.booking.com/region/fr/ro...p1t1:neg;ws=&gclid=CJrrusTjssACFdSWtAodKUsALA or just enter 'Route Napleon hotels' into a Google search, loads of links will pop-up.



* What's the call of Bologna all about?

 

[mrtee43]

Well thanks, Mr Wapping ! your logic as usual is sound and I can see your point. I guess you must be in the legal profession or similar !

The pull of Bologna ?



Well as part of this trip, we are going to Ducati for the factory tour as a bit of a break from riding. My mate has fancy for a Multistrada and we reckon it could be interesting. A couple of years ago on another tour, we went to the Porsche museum in Stuttgart which was interesting and certainly good value for the money.

Also, as we are coming down from the Dolomites it seemed like a natural place to head to.

Added. Off this Friday, early 6.00am start down to Folkstone from West Yorkshire and first night stop at "2 Wheel Moorings at Dun Sur Meuse, a bit north of Reims.

 

[Wapping]

Excellent.

As regards the planning bit. I just see Bolgna to Nice as a fair schlep, down some (dull) motorway or not. I just wondered whether you really wanted to add the extra 60 mikes to get to Castellane. I'd wonder the same if I were a brain surgeon, insurance clerk or dustbinman.

Have fun.

 

[Simon W]

And if you want a recommendation for the other end of Route Napoleon... Le Chalet at Gresse-en-Vercors is excellent. Get to Grenoble, turn round and ride for 20 minutes; or turn left at La Mure (pretty much where the good riding stops and the suburban trudge into Grenoble begins anyway). And the Vercors massif has some brilliant riding that's often overlooked as people rush down Route Nap...

 

[Wapping]

Vercors is good, for sure:

I went and had a look a couple of weeks ago. It's a reasonably brisk morning's ride from Digne les Bains.

The area (it's not large) is well worth a detour / overnight stop / a day riding about.

Unfortunately I did not have time to visit the memorial / museum to the 100's of French Resistance fighters murdered by the Germans.

Nice hotel on the top of the Col de la Machine. Just in passing, I found out what the 'Machine' was. The area was used by a lot of charcoal makers, working at the top of the col. They used a giant wheel (la Machine) to lower / pull stuff down / up. I believe it dated to the Middle Ages.

The road up (Col de Rousset D518) which forks left onto the Col de la Machine:

The top of the Col and the hotel, right at the top:

Views a few yards from the hotel:

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The new road, the old road, again a few yards from the hotel: