I can’t offer you a lap of the circuit… but I can offer something almost as entertaining.

A wander through the city – when barriers are going up, the crowds haven’t quite arrived, and the whole place feels like it’s gearing up for something a little dramatic.

Start at the Places des Armes

Begin in Place des Armes, a short walk down from the Palais.

It’s lively in the mornings – proper local life rather than polished Monaco. Market stalls, bright fruit, the small of warm socca and pissaladière drifting through the square.

Cafés spill out under the arches, the shaded tables already taken by people who clearly know what they’re doing.

If you want one of those tables, book ahead. Or accept your fate and sit in the sun like the rest of us..

A few Monaco observations

• Men in tight suits….no socks ‘de rigueur’
• Sunglasses that probably cost more than your holiday
• An unexpected obsession with mashed potato

Yes, really.

Monaco may be the land of yachts and supercars, but its also the kingdom of the mashed potato. It’s everywhere. On every menu. And, slightly annoyingly, it’s excellent.

Grand Prix build-up

Even in April, Monaco is already preparing for its most important event of the year – the Grand Prix.

Grandstands rise in neat blue rows. Metal barriers line the streets. The whole town begins to feel like a stage set.

And the strange thing is – even without a race car – you can still feel the excitement.

Drive the circuit in an ordinary car (a humble Fiat 500 will do just fine) and suddenly you’re noticing the bends, the climbs, the impossibly tight corners. You start to imagine the noise, the speed, the crowds leaning over the barriers.

It’s a car lover’s paradise – the kind of place that makes you want to ditch the glitz and head straight for the Route des Grandes Alpes.

Outside the casino, every day feels like a private motor show.

Cars glide in, gleaming, engines purring. Doors click shut, and for a moment you’re not quite sure who’s on display – the cars or their owners.

Lunch, here, is a performance.

Cafés, casinos and slight disappointments

Opposite the square, the Café de Paris is perfect for people watching. The rich, the famous, and the wannabes.

Over a cappuccino. Add a glass of fresh orange juice. Sit back and enjoy the theatre. You could easily convince yourself you’re in a film.

Then, of course, there is the famous casino.

You can peek inside – and you probably should – but manage your expectations.
‘The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo’ turns out to be ….a rather oversized cartoon figure surrounded by giant Monopoly money.

Not quite the glamour I’d imagined.

A touch of old Monaco

Monaco does have history beneath the gloss.

Grace Kelly lived here. Married Prince Rainier. Became part of the story.

The royal palace, perched above the town, is open to visitors. It doesn’t reveal much of royal life, but inside – frescoes, marble, quiet opulent rooms – there’s a surprising sense of calm. An oasis away from the noise below.

Yachts (of course)

You can’t come to Monaco and ignore the yachts.

These aren’t boats. They’re floating worlds. Fully crewed, multi-million pound, five-star residences. Monaco doesn’t really do understatement.

They line the harbour in front of the Yacht Club – white, gleaming, slightly unreal. Strolling past them you can’t help wondering who owns them…and what their lives look like.

A changing coastline

To the east, Monaco is still growing.

A new stretch of reclaimed land is being transformed into a sandy beach with sun loungers, backed by restaurants and bars. It’s a long way from the relatively natural unspoilt beaches of Lake Geneva but it’s clean, bright, and unmistakably designed to please.

It’s already popular, and certain to be more so in the summer months.

Getting around

Monaco is surprisingly easy to navigate:

Hop-on-hop-off bus: about €26 for the day
Local buses: cheap and frequent
Walking: often the best option (if you don’t mind hills)

If you’re staying in Menton for example – the coastal train takes about 15 minutes, and the views are worth the journey alone.

A walk worth doing

If you have the time (and the energy), walk along the coastal path into Monaco.

It takes around two hours and passes some stunning spots – including the Eileen Gray house and villas once stayed in by Winston Churchill while he painted the beauty of the Riviera.

There’s a café at Beaulieu about halfway. You’ll need it.

Bring water, good shoes, and sun protection. This is not a stroll to underestimate.

And finally…

Yes, Monaco can feel excessive. There’s constant building work. Too many people. Too much money on display. And yet…

It still has glamour… it still has atmosphere… and it still has sunshine.

Would James Bond like it?  I don’t think he’d be shaken.

But he’d definitely be stirred.

The post A Spin Around Monaco before the Grand Prix appeared first on Tales from the Balcony.

Snaking its way through rocky gorges and across ice-blue rivers, winding over snow-covered peaks, and meandering gently through lush, flower-strewn meadows.

The Route crosses 17 mountain passes, visits some of the most beautiful stone-built villages in France, and finally descends towards the shimmering Mediterranean at Menton.

What audacity it has taken to conceive it, what temerity to undertake it, and what genius to complete it!

French President, Albert Lebrun, 1938

The idea of a Route des Grandes Alpes was conceived in 1903 by the Touring Club de France, a social club devoted to promoting tourism and travel. Interrupted by the First World War, the road wasn’t fully opened until 1937.

The journey unfolds in four glorious stages, beginning on the shores of Lake Geneva before climbing through the high Alps and eventually descending towards the warmth of Menton and the Cote d’Azur.

From Lake Geneva to the Alps

Beginning in Thonon, the  Route des Grandes Alpes climbs alongside the rushing waters of the River Dranse, heading up towards the Valley d’Abondance. In the flower strewn Alpine meadows the Abondance cows, source of the valley’s famous rich, nutty cheese, lift their heads to watch us pass.

Continuing, we pass the Gorges du Diable, the Devil’s Gorge. The sculpted rockface and the icy river running 50 metres below are the result of thousands of years of glacial erosion.

We pass the well-known ski resorts of Morzine and Les Gets. The skiers left weeks ago but soon the hikers will arrive to reawaken these sleepy mountain resorts.

On we roll to Taninges. Sitting in the roadside yard of the local brocante in Taninges are dozens of vintage chairlifts and ski gondolas. All looking for a new home.  What better souvenir of the Alps!

Beyond Taninges the road climbs through the rolling meadows of Le Reposoir, where a Carmelite Monastery nestles against a backdrop of jagged snow-capped mountains. Quaint wooden chalets, the constant clanking of cowbells and the pure crisp mountain air add to the sense of freedom and exhilaration.

Into the High Alps

On the terrace of the café at the Col des Aravis, a nimble woman in her mid-70s slips into a seat next to me. Fully clad in racing lycra she’s just completed the 2000 metre cycle to the top.

I wheeze my way through lunch and a delicious Myrtle Tart, and amble back to the car, blaming my lack of fitness on the lack of lycra… obviously.

In the little town of Flumet, you can have lunch on one of the terraces hanging precariously above the torrent. All accompanied by the sound of water as it surges down the gorge.

From Flumet the road begins its serious climb towards Val d’Isere,  continuing ever higher to the Col de L’Iseran. It certainly tests the resilience of our ancient little car. At 2770 metres this is the highest point of the journey.

The panoramic views of the snow-capped mountains are spectacular.  This windswept pass is only open in the summer months, and even then, it’s always bitterly cold.  Pack an extra jumper or two so you can step out onto the top of the world and let the wind blow the cobwebs away.

Often featured in the Tour de France, this stretch of road is painted with colourful slogans, designed to be visible by drones or helicopters during the race.

Clumps of vintage car enthusiasts grind their way up these passes on their way to the Cote d’Azur, adding a touch of old Riviera glamour to the journey.

The Wild Heart of the Route

Beyond the high pass the road enters the vast emptiness of the Haute Maurienne. The ebb and flow of ice over the millennia has defined the valleys and mountain ranges here, and the villages too. The rocky tails of retreating glaciers sit like exclamation marks in the history of these valleys.

A real highlight here is Bonneval-sur-Arc, one of France’s most beautiful villages. Its stone houses, slate roofs and narrow alleyways seem almost untouched by time. In the harsh winters of the 1960’s the village was completely cut off for weeks and baguettes were airlifted in by helicopter.

In the Footsteps of Hannibal and Napoleon

From here the road snakes on through Bessans and Lanslevilard and begins its steep climb to the Col du Mont Cenis, 2084 m. This pass has been a major trading route connecting the Savoie and Italy since the Middle Ages.

Legend has it that this is where Hannibal and his elephants crossed the Alps on his way from Africa to Italy. There’s a monument to this staggering achievement by the roadside. It was Napoleon however, who built the road that crosses the pass in 1806 to move his troops more effectively.

This is a popular stretch of road for cyclists and motorbikes alike.

Across the High Passes

The 70 km downhill stretch to the foot of the Col de Telegraph passes through some of the Route’s most breath taking scenery. Here you can soak in the magnificence of the snow-capped mountains, marvel at the wild irises that grow at the side of the road and watch buzzards circling lazily overhead.

Nearby Valloire, with its beautiful stone houses, made us determined to return in winter.

Ahead lies one of the great legends of Alpine roads: the Col du Galibier. At 2,642 metres,  this windswept pass forms one of the most gruelling stretches of the Tour de France. Standing beside the monument to Henri Desgrange it’s impossible not to be overawed by man’s achievements

The Long Descent to the Riviera

The Col de Galibier marks the boundary between the Savoie and the Department of the Hautes Alpes.  To the audible relief of our little car, we begin the long descent towards the Mediterranean.

Next is the Col de Lautaret, home to an alpine garden with over 2000 mountain plants from around the world.

The Route des Grands Alps never ceases to surprise! Crossing the summit of the Col we pass a man and woman continuing the pilgrim tradition of crossing the Alps on foot with a fully laden donkey.

At Col de Izoard the scenery changes.

The brooding snow-capped mountains give way to honey-coloured rocky outcrops that sit like rows of broken teeth. The pines give way to more stately larch and cedar. The air is softer and the rock glows in the golden sunlight. The winding hairpin bends are dotted with groups of adrenaline fuelled cyclists that fly past us at the speed of light.

The South of France

It’s from this point onwards you really begin to feel you’re in the South of France.

Below us lies Barcelonette, a strategic trading and administrative centre since Roman times.  It’s elegant Belle Epoque villas give it a more sophisticated air than its neighbours. Clustered around the market square are small bars and restaurants that serve excellent ‘plats du jour’ with a southern twist.

What else, we wondered, does this incredible road still have to show us?

Next on the route is the Col de Cayolle, part of the Alpes Maritime. Most of this road has been challenging with its precipitous drops, its steep winding climbs and its eagle nest views. The Col de Cayolle is something else. Petrifying would be the word.

The single track road runs for 29 km alongside the river Var. There are ominous signs warning of rockfalls and the road ahead is scattered with small rocks as we edge our way along.

Then suddenly, looming in the distance, a nightmare appears: a large motorhome. There’s no room to pass and nowhere to turn  around. The only solution is a slow reverse around the hairpin bends. What fun! I’m so glad we decided to turn down that glass of wine at lunchtime.

But, it’s spectacular and one of the most unforgettable stretches of the whole route.

With our little car breathing another sigh of relief, we drive on through the striking red rocks of The Gorges de Dalius. At every stage of the journey the geology has changed: from the ancient sedimentary rock of the Alps, to retreating glaciers, to the rolling black lava north of Entraunes. A geography teacher’s dream.

The final stages of the Route take us through tunnels carved into the rock. We cruise over the Col St Martin and on towards the impressive hairpin bends of the Col de Turini.

The road continues twisting and winding its way down between the soaring peaks. Ancient olive groves cascade down the hillsides overlooked by hilltop towns and villages. Soon we reach the picturesque medieval town of Sospel, famed for its cathedral and the old toll bridge that straddles the river.

There’s a real sense of leaving the mountain behind. The cols become gentler and less challenging. Bright yellow flowers of laburnum trees line the banks and overshadow the road.

Then, through the trees and in the far distance, you catch your first glimpse of the shimmering Mediterranean.

Magnificent Menton

And suddenly, there is Menton, with its azure skies, swaying palm trees, ochre facades and the painted houses of the old town. It’s a riot of Riviera colour after the cool silence of the high Alps.

Now it’s time to reward ourselves with a glass of wine on the promenade at sunset. The Mediterranean gently lapping at our feet. Bliss.

If You’re Planning the Drive

Best Time to travel

We travelled in mid-June, just after the highest passes had been cleared of snow. The contrast between the cool Alpine air and the warm Mediterranean light made it a perfect time to experience the full route.

Watch the Weather 

Mountain weather changes quickly, and even in summer some sections can close unexpectedly, so always check conditions before setting off.

Allow Time to Linger 

Although we completed it in two days, allowing four or five gives you time to linger in villages, take detours, and full enjoy the drama of the journey.

If you do just one road trip in your life,

make it this one.

Interactive Map of the Route des Grandes Alpes

The post Take the High Road: A sensational Alpine route to the South of France appeared first on Tales from the Balcony.

You don’t just see them – you begin to notice them all around you.

Surrounded by lemons

Sweet dreams are made of this.

It’s February in Menton on the Côte d’Azur, and the carnival season has arrived. Or rather, something altogether more unexpected: a festival devoted almost entirely to lemons.

The Pearl of the Mediterranean

Menton calls itself the Pearl of the Mediterranean. Hugging the coastline between Monaco and the Italian border, this little French town is a riot of colour at any time of year.

Along with Thollon and Scotland, it’s one of those places that stays with me.

The facades of the higgledy-piggledy houses of the old town are painted in rich sienna, warm ochres and soft rose-petal pinks.

As they wind their way down the hillside alongside alleyways, cobbled streets and lantern-lit staircases, they look as if an artist has dropped a palette of ochres, sienna and soft pinks across the town.

In a summer state of mind, even in winter

The colours flow down into the sandy Garavan Bay. Where once a string of beachside restaurants and bars lined the promenade there’s now a more open, streamlined boardwalk- though it feels as the cafés will return, perhaps tucked beneath the arches of the road.

Out on the water, little white boats still bob in the sunlight.

The golden light of winter

People have visited Menton in winter for years, drawn by its mild climate, but also that soft, golden light that seems to settle over the town and linger.

In the late 1800s, local hoteliers came up with the idea of a winter exhibition of flowers and citrus fruits. It was a way to bring colour and life to the quieter months.   Those early exhibitions eventually evolved into the Menton Lemon Festival we see today.

Lemons and Oranges

Why lemons? Menton has been known for them for centuries. Once one of Europe’s leading producers, the town exported its fruit far and wide. Used to combat scurvy and prized as a small luxury on the dining tables of the wealthy.

Oranges are everywhere in Menton too.

In winter, the streets are lined with heavily laden orange trees.  And everywhere, of course, serves freshly squeezed orange juice.

What’s so special about the Menton lemon?

Menton’s lemons are quite different from those grown in Italy and Spain. They’re generally larger with a thick, knobbly peel. They can be sliced and eaten whole, and have a sweet, delicate flavour.

They’re higher in citric acid and richer in essential oils than other lemons. And they grow in clusters – sometimes fifteen to a branch, instead of the usual five. No wonder they’re prized.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

Lemons and Love

Legend has it that it was Eve who first brought the lemon to Menton.

When they were expelled from the Garden of Eden, Eve took with her not an apple, but the golden fruit of the lemon.

On leaving the garden, she told Adam that she would place the fruit in the most beautiful country she saw.

They were so enchanted by Menton that she threw the lemon onto a terrace, saying “Go, prosper and multiply. Make this place a paradise, so that people who stay here throughout the ages will find a little taste of the Garden of Eden”.

…or something along those lines.

Paradise is anywhere with lemonade

The Lemon Festival Today

By the time the festival begins, Menton has taken on a slightly surreal quality.

In the gardens at the heart of the town, enormous sculptures rise up- built entirely from lemons and oranges. Figures, scenes, entire worlds, all glowing in shades of gold and amber.

Look closely and you’ll see that each fruit is carefully fixed into place with a rubber band, one by one. It takes 400 people to design and build the sculptures, and over 140 tons of lemons and oranges.  It’s a painstaking process in the days leading up to the festival.

Elsewhere, the streets fill with music, colour and movement. There are parades. lights, and just enough chaos and confetti to make it fell like a proper celebration.

But for me, its the contrast between the quiet winter light of Menton, and this sudden burst of colour and  exuberance that stays with you.

The lemon, they say is a symbol of abundance, prosperity and good luck.

Perhaps that’s more than enough reason to head for Menton.

The post Menton Lemon Festival: Sunlight, Citrus and Winter on the Côte d’Azur appeared first on Tales from the Balcony.

After enduring months of cold dark winter days and a fairly chilly spring, you might be ready to leap from the sofa and make a break for the open countryside.

Why not make this the year you do something truly extraordinary and embark on a thrilling journey through the majestic mountains?

Here’s my guide to planning your perfect mountain road trip, where winding roads, soaring peaks and hidden valleys invite you to discover their secrets.

You’ll find tips on when to go, what to pack and how to make sure your vehicle is up to the trip ahead.  I’ve also included a few ideas on how to make your trip more environmentally friendly.

Make sure your trip is as stress free as possible by planning ahead.

Then, sit back and enjoy the freedom of the open road

Why a road trip?

Whether you’re looking for an action packed trip or just a relaxing getaway, a road trip offers a sense of freedom and adventure that’s really hard to match.

Here are just a few reasons to plan your get-away on the road…

• flexibility and spontaneity – go wherever the fancy takes you. You can adapt your plans, take detours, stop whenever you like and for as long as you like.
• explore out of the way places that organised tours don’t include. A road trip can take you to little known places where you can discover the local culture, regional cuisine and historical sites for yourself.

• connect with nature – travel through some of the world’s most scenic routes, like the French ‘Route des Grandes Alpes’ (which you can read more about here), and marvel at the natural landscapes.
• escape the stresses of daily life – being immersed in nature can be both relaxing and rejuvenating. That old adage of ‘getting away from it all’ is certainly true when it comes to the mountains.

Where do I start planning for a mountain road trip?

A great road trip depends on good planning….but first things first. Where to go? There are some incredible, well-documented road trips in Europe.

From the crazily popular North Coast 500 in Scotland to the lesser known Grand Tour of Switzerland or the iconic Route des Grandes Alpes in France, to name a few.

Find one that appeals to you and look at the total distance. Decide how far you want to drive every day and factor in several stops. You’ll definitely want a few stops to admire the scenery, for lunch, and to visit interesting places along the way. Allow yourself plenty of time to see the sites worth seeing.

There are loads of online resources that can help you to map out a route. Google Maps is just one example. It’s also a good idea to buy an old-fashioned paper map to get an idea of the landscape.

Watch the sunsets over the mountain tops

Choose the right time of year

Picking the right time of year for your trip can be crucial. In the peak summer months even smaller backroads can be busy.

The weather in mountainous regions can be a major factor in picking the route for a road trip. Some of the high passes in the alps are only open from mid-June until October. Check here  ahead of your trip that the higher mountain passes have been cleared of snow.

Fog and rain in the mountains can also prevent you following the route you’ve planned. So stay flexible. A good paper map will let you find alternative roads lower down in the valleys.

Try to avoid travelling at weekends. If you can travel mid-week you’re less likely to meet the swarms of motorcyclists that take to the alpine passes every weekend during the summer months.

There are an awful lot of motor bikers! They’re fast and they tend to travel in packs. As some of these roads are very narrow and twisty it’s good to ‘Think Bike’ at all times

Feel the coolness of a mountain stream

Picking your wheels

Whether you’re travelling by car or campervan there’s a few things to think about before you set off.

• Is your vehicle the appropriate size for the chosen route? Taking an oversized campervan or huge 4×4 along narrow roads or over twisting rock strewn mountain passes isn’t very relaxing.
• You may find some roads are single track with steep drops. If you meet a similar vehicle coming in the opposite direction you could have to reverse, not ideal in a campervan.
• Is your car capable of travelling long distances. Will it manage steep climbs or rough unmade roads.
• Does your vehicle need a service before you leave? Check the oil, the tyre pressures and the windscreen wiper fluid before you leave.
• Work out your petrol consumption and look online for filling stations on your route. Petrol stations are pretty thin on the ground in rural areas, (as are toilets), take advantage when you see one, and keep your tank well topped up.
• If you’re driving an electric car, make absolutely certain that there are charging points along the route. This can be a considerable problem in many rural areas where recharging facilities just don’t exist.

Discover forgotten mountain villages

Mountain road trip essentials

Put together a few items in case you do breakdown or get stuck somewhere miles from a town.

• A small first aid kit is really essential and you can buy them cheaply online or in most sports stores.  Most contain a selection of bandages, sticking plasters, antiseptic wipes and painkillers.
• Jump leads for the car in case the battery goes flat
• A spare tyre or similar
• Check you’ve got a warning triangle.

• A torch and extra batteries. Head torches can be useful and are relatively cheap to buy. Don’t just rely on the torch on your phone.
• Take an additional phone charger. If your phone is constantly searching for a signal (likely in the mountains) it can drain very quickly.
• A Swiss army penknife or equivalent can be incredibly useful, even if it’s just to open that bottle of wine you bought at the end of the day.
• Plenty of water and snacks. Energy bars, chocolate bars, trail mix or nuts are good options and easily packed. Your hotel or accommodation may let you fill a small flask with coffee in the mornings before you set off.
• Take a blanket or warm covering in case you’re stranded or waiting for assistance.

Where to stay on a mountain road trip

Small villages in out of the way places along the way offer limited accommodation.

With the number of cyclists and bikers also travelling the back roads it’s really essential to pre-book your overnight stays. Don’t risk having to sleep in your car overnight because you forgot to book or thought you’d just wing it.

If you’re in a campervan or camping keep in mind that:

• It can be difficult to park, wild camping’s not allowed in some areas.
• Campsites are rarely in the centre of towns.  If you’re in a camper van you might need to repack it each time you venture into town to go site seeing. You could rent bikes or use the local bus.
• Town carparks often have height limits, check before you go.
• Washing facilities are extremely limited in some vans, so pick a campsite with showers and flushing toilets.  Invest in a ‘portapotty’ if your vans not equipped with toilets.
• Only travel with someone you get on really well with.  Living space is cramped. Take earplugs if you’re bothered by snorers.
• It can be incredibly dark, but that’s not really a disadvantage as you’ll get to see the stars more clearly.

What to pack for a mountain road trip

When you’re packing for your mountain road trip it’s all about the space. In fact, you really don’t need much with you.

• Think layers! Remember to pack a really warm jumper or fleece. Even in the summer sun it can be freezing cold and windy at the top of the mountains.
• Pack sunglasses, sunscreen and the mosquito repellent
• Hiking boots, towels, shorts, sun hat, tee shirts

• Taking a small separate overnight bag can be useful if you don’t want to completely unpack the car every night.

Here’s a good tip if you plan to use the overnight safe in your accommodation. It’s easy to put your wallet, credit cards or electronic devices in the safe overnight and drive off forgetting them next day (yes, that was me!).

If you put your car keys in there as well there’s no likelihood of leaving anything behind. I’ve even heard of people leaving a shoe in the safe too, not much chance of leaving without that either.

What travel documents to take on your road trip

Certain documents are essential for any car journey. You’ll need to pack the following depending on where your trip may be taking you:

• Passport and visas
• Driving licences
• Car insurance
• Road tax documents
• Travel insurance documents
• Emergency contact numbers

Check that all documents are valid and will still be valid at the end of your trip.  Check they’re relevant to the country or countries you’re planning to travel through.

Make copies of all your documents before you set off. Leave one copy at home and take the other copy with you but keep it separately from the originals.

Mountain road trip safety tips

As with any trip most of the advice on staying safe is common sense. Doing your homework first can play a large part in preventing mishaps.

• Keep credit cards, money and ID documents on your person, preferably in a specially designed travel wallet. Use the hotel safe if there is one.
• Don’t leave your car documents in the vehicle overnight.
• Park your car in well lit places, in front of CCTV cameras or in front of the hotel and it goes without saying, don’t leave valuables in the car overnight.
• Research the area you’re travelling through, particularly if it includes suburbs of towns and cities. Read other writers experiences of the place. Avoid known hot spots.
• Stay alert and avoid fatigue by taking regular breaks. You have so much flexibility on a road trip that you can schedule in more overnight stops or longer breaks if you feel you need them.
• Be careful about what you eat. A stomach upset can be pretty devastating if there are no toilets in sight. Watch out for salads and unwashed raw vegetables and stick to bottled water (fizzy will always be in a sealed bottle) if you’re concerned.
• Making a contingency plan in case of emergencies. Check your car insurance, see what’s included in the case of accidents.  Does it offer breakdown cover anywhere (even in remote off the beaten-track areas) and is a replacement vehicle included if necessary.
• Does your travel insurance cover accident and emergencies. Are your hospital fees covered. Is repatriation included?

Maximise the enjoyment

It might sound like a lot of organising and preparation when all you want to do is jump in the car and head off. It’s so tempting on a road trip to have the destination as your goal and just to keep driving till you get there, but you’ll be missing out on so much. Don’t forget to include plenty of stops to see local sites of interest. Take the time to soak up the scenery, enjoy the local culture and to relax.

After all… this could be the best holiday you’ve ever had

Road trips and the environment

We all want to do our best to protect the environment and the following points are also really just common sense, but I’m still going to mention them.

• Drive a fuel efficient vehicle. If you’ve got a choice pick the one that has the best fuel economy. The more fuel efficient the car, the less greenhouse gases it produces.
• Stay within the speed limits to reduce fuel consumption.
• Plan your route carefully.  When you reach your stop over points why not use the local bus, biking or hiking to places of interest?
• Pack light to reduce the weight in your vehicle. Less weight equals less fuel consumption and less emissions.
• Reduce the amount of waste by using reusable water and food containers.
• If there’s a choice then look for eco-friendly accommodation. Some hotels and campsites have energy efficient lighting and water conservation practices.
• Minimise energy use – switch off lights, take shorter showers.

and finally…..supporting local communities

You could enjoy a road trip by bike and there are lots of great websites devoted to cycling. Or what about a long-distance hike?  Travel by train?

Living in the beautiful Haute Savoie region of France, I’ve seen how important tourism is for remote places like the Alps. Without tourists, villages and hamlets would struggle to survive, with no jobs, no young people and no sense of community.

The roads that criss-cross the Alps play a vital role in keeping services and supplies flowing to the far-flung villages. These quaint traditional communities are the heart and soul of the region’s culture and history, but they rely on tourist income to get by.

Love it or hate it, cars are here to stay in these remote areas for the foreseeable future. However, with electric or hybrid cars on the horizon, there’s hope they’ll become less harmful and more environmentally friendly.

But for now, when you’re planning your next vacation, don’t dismiss the idea of a road trip. You could actually make a difference and contribute to the survival of a whole community.

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