Off to Corsica, What's the best route through France?

[Belgian Beemer]

First trip with the new bike (15 GSA LC). We're off for a week in Corsica with 4 bikes and will be getting the boat from Marseille. Anyone have any experience or opinions of the best routes through France without using too many motorways and hopefully getting onto some decent roads with scenery etc.
Grateful for any advice

 

[Wapping]

Where do you plan on starting from in Belgium? Moen, I guess?

How long do you have in mind for the journey from Belgium to Marseille? One day, two days, three days.... more?

Actually, don’t worry. Just you and your (three?) chums arm yourself with Michelin’s excellent Grand Itineries map 726. I cannot recommend it highly enough to answer questions like these. You should find a copy in most petrol stations or half decent newspaper shops.

http://www.mapsbookstravelguides.com.au/france_grand_itineries_map_726_michelin

It makes route planning so easy, you’ll have it cracked by tea time. If doubt follow the green Bis Tourist routes, designed for journies just like yours; you'll see them on the map.

 

[Simon W]

Click here and scroll down to the Tour of Corsica section. The Google Map links may have been killed by the GMap update, but the downloadable GPX files work. This route goes to Nice via the Route des Grandes Alpes. The return (from Toulon) goes via the Gorges de Verdon and Route Napoleon. In terms of quality riding and scenery, it takes some beating... Obviously, you'll need to adapt them - you'd junk the initial Calais to St Dizier day and reroute to end up in Marseille – but it may give you something to work with.

 

[Peirre O`Bollox]

I rode from Zeebrugge down the RDGA to Nice for my trip to Corsica in 2013 then onward to Italy and beyond
This is the mapsource route I followed uploaded on my dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/s/aumsbj6m2s11fjp/Corsica 2013 - Final.gdb?dl=0
The Corsica section of the route should allow you to ride most of the Cols on the island. No doubt there are several others who will recommend the hotel Corsica in Porto as a base for part of the trip

The col del la Vaccia was shown on the Michelin maps as a poor road, which is why I was originally nervous prior to riding it, but when I rode it was new smooth tarmac.

 

[adventuredon]

Have a look on www.slumbertruck.com.free-me.com. I went from calais, parked in nice

Sent from my D5503 using Tapatalk

 

[Belgian Beemer]

Thanks everyone for all the info.
In the meantime the boat is booked from Toulon instead of Marseille. We will be taking 1 day to get to Toulon and 2 days coming back. Simon's route looks interesting for the return trip.
The Slumbertruck link from Adventuredon didn't work for me.
Will get hold of a copt of the Michelin 726 map, thanks Wapping.
Cheers
Darren

 

[Wapping]

I cannot rate the 726 map highly enough for plotting out reasonably straightforward journeys across a big country.

As you’ll see, it strips out all the minor roads, towns and villages, leaving you just the main trunk routes, motorways, the most useful D or lesser roads and only significant built up areas. It makes it much easier how to get from A to C via B, without getting too distracted by all the twiddly bits. Fill in any fine detail with other maps in the series or by going on-line.