Driving holiday - Advice?

[Groove]

Next year I am looking at going France or Spain with the woman. She wont do the trip on a bike (definitely not my bike anyway but I should be going away in June on the bike with a few guys anyway) but we both like the idea of buying a cheap nice looking, good handling convertible to do the trip (maybe trips) in.

First things first, I have never done anything like this so any tips would be grateful.

We will be writing a list of places we would like to visit (and roads/views that should not be missed) and will plan a route around that. We live near the east coast in Suffolk so figured the first day we would get a early booking on the euro tunnel and get to Paris in the morning and spend our first night there (Eiffel tower, obviously).

Id like to visit Monaco in the south as it looks like an amazing place but thats about as far as we have got.

Figured a week, maybe 10 days for the trip and probably around September so we can ship the kids off somewhere. I average 200 miles a day (sometimes much more) for work visiting clients so should be no issues there.

I also need to figure out what car to buy. No need to break the bank and id happily spend £1500. The woman has an S Max and i have a company estate car so neither fit what we want. It would be sold once we were back. On the list so far is mk3 MR2's, BMW Z3 (possibly out of budget) MG TF 1.8 (if its had the upgraded head gasket..), Merc SLK and of course the legendary MX5.

The idea of a mid engined rear wheel drive convertible 2 seater is appealing, ideally at least a 1.8. 35+ MPG would be nice for the motorway stints and enough boot space for a bag or 2 of clothes (we will travel light).

So my questions are;

Any other cars i should consider? Any i should forget?

Is it worth buying something in the winter whilst the prices are low and let it sit then service it and give it a few long runs before we head off rather than buy late and hope we havnt bought a lemon?

What is the equivalent to a Holiday Inn over there? We dont need the plushest of rooms for the most part although we will have a night or two somewhere fancy.

What are the must do routes/views across France?

What town/cities would be worth a visit?

What would be the best way for insurance? Im thinking cheapest FC quote with euro breakdown and then cancel when back.

Anything i have over looked or need to consider? Things i MUST pack?

Thanks
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|| Past: 1991 Kawasaki ZXR 250 ~ 2003 Honda CBR 600 F Sport ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1999 Yamaha R1 ~ 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R J ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1998 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm ~ K1 GSXR 600 Track bike ~ K6 GSXR 1000 ~ 2006 Speed Triple 1050 || Current: 2005 R1 https://www.adrucore.co.uk

[-Matt-]

[Beehive Bedlam]

Leave the woman and take the bike.

[hellkat]

Not done a lot of France apart from my epic journey back from Milan with the GSX - but it was in September.

If you happen to find yourself on the far eastern edge in the Jura region (pretty much against the Swiss border), then you could do worse than to visit Le Regardoir which is tucked away on the edge of a cliff that overlooks an amazing view of a lake.

Other than that: other people probably have better opinions/knowledge than me.
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[Ste]

Went on a big boat from Portsmouth to Bilbao in my L200 with mine and Korns bikes on the back.

https://i.imgur.com/UgKrtwO.jpg

Went places in the Pyrenees.

https://i.imgur.com/2P3Hdxs.jpg

Found the Yesa Reservoir.

https://i.imgur.com/3Qawxzy.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/V827WKk.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9FpVuxB.jpg

The N240 from west to east.

https://i.imgur.com/6O1ttVi.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/tYogLDp.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/eSLNwbY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/yDX2a8x.jpg

Drove around the coast to Cadiz.

https://i.imgur.com/7C4ueTN.jpg

Went back up through Spain towards the Pyrenees again. Looking for somewhere to camp as the roads got smaller we were passing bulls grazing at the sides of the roads. Find somewhere seemingly free of bulls, whilst setting tents up there was the inevitable question of where had the bullshit on the ground come from. Meh, whatever, the cowbells sound far enough away.

In the morning they were less far away.

https://i.imgur.com/vvu4LkO.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/LkYPTXD.jpg

Went back to Yesa, made fire.

https://i.imgur.com/coj5dfR.jpg

Decided we were bored of Spain so drove for 26 hours.

https://i.imgur.com/UujmjQL.jpg

4,200 miles, 17.96mpg using a total of 1,062 litres of diesel. Thats ignoring lost receipts and times filling up when we didn't get a receipt; there were lots of both of those.

[Groove]

[chris-red]

Monaco, isn't really a good place to stop. There is no parking, it's congested and everything is VERY expensive. It's worth a drive through to see however. If you want to stop Nice is better.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[Alpineandy]

I don't understand the fascination with Paris. Yes it's got some 'iconic' sites but if you've seen them once... etc and the Parisians are a bunch of gits (mostly, obviously there's the odd nice one). If you do go then do some research about driving in Paris as I think they've now got a low emissions zone which means new cars only (maybe not that extreme).
I'd have a gentle drive down the west coast personally.


F1 are the cheapos (good value and decent quality) and Ibis are generally decently priced. But some on-line searching should get some decent options (tried airbnb ?).
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The above comment isn't necessarily the truth and anyone that says it is, is only correct if it's the truth or they're bigger than me.

[chris-red]

I wonder if Parisians will lighten up in the wake of these recent attacks. I was in New York a few years ago, a place famous for horrid locals, I found them great everyone was lovely and willing to help if you needed it. I was chatting to someone in a bar and asked about it, he said that 9/11 brought people together and in the years preceding it people have been a lot nicer to each other.

It made perfect sense, there are reminders of that day all over the city, memorials murals plaque etc. The yanks in general have a lot of pride, whether it be for their school, their city, their state whatever it is they fervently back their 'team', this was greatly elevated in after aftermath of the towers coming down.

I'd like to the think the frogs would be the same, I don't think so somehow, I think it could have something to do with political leanings, the right tends to be far more nationalistic.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
Skudd:- Perhaps she just thinks you are a window licker and is being nice just in case she becomes another Jill Dando.
WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[mentalboy]

[doggone]

[Polarbear]

Personally I prefer Premiere Class hotels to Formula one purely because you have your own bathroom.

https://www.premiereclasse.com/en
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Victory Cross Country American tractor.

[andyscooter]

can possibly get a bmw 3 series convertible for the money

or a Volvo

not the most fun but ideal cruisers and the fact there needs to be luggage space for the missuses stuff
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[Robster]

Had a few mk2 MX5s come through work recently, and some of them don't have too much rust! Having owned a MK1 I can't recommend them enough. 1500 would get you a really tidy MK1 or 2 IMO

I did a similar trip in 2013 in my lovely little MK1 MX5, with my brother chasing (and mostly being chased) in his MK3 MR2 Roadster:

Some random mountain pass near the Italian border:

https://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/robiddon/MX5/1614527_10152244745866672_1943065637_o_zps83ed34e9.jpg

France do make a good pizza. This was last night's Pizza Savoyarde (pizza with bacon and potato and nice cheese) served on my MX5 pizza holder/luggage rack in a camp site just south of Annecy

https://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/robiddon/MX5/P1040644_zpsd78ecdac.jpg

https://i933.photobucket.com/albums/ad172/robiddon/MX5/P1040680_zpsd8f45897.jpg

Camped in Annecy, drove over the Col De La Bonette, through St Etienne de Tinee down to Nice, a brief stint through Italy, drove through Monaco and back the same way. Would highly recommend the Col De La Bonette, awesome views from the top and amazing road. Some abandoned WWII bunkers at the top as well which are amazing to explore.

For doing the trip in I wouldn't have wanted to be in anything else. There are faster, better cars out there but the MX5 on those roads was absolutely perfect.

Stayed in a couple Hotel F1s and they were brilliant for the price, almost as cheap as camping.

Have to add, that trip made me decide to do my bike license, as I saw so many bikers along the way and really wanted a go.
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Up the bum no babies.

[iooi]

[Groove]

Thanks for the tips so far (except the 206cc comment )

We want do see/do a bit of everything including the romantic stuff.

Finally sitting down tonight and having a look at interesting sites to see.

So far we figured the night before we will stay at my sisters in Ashford which means a short trip to Paris in the morning as we want to see the Eifel tower (havnt been since school trips!) and the Catacombs look interesting. We will be staying somewhere nice and splashing out a bit for our first night.

Col De La Bonette looks fantastic, including seeing the WW bunkers at the top. We will then drive down to the coast through Monaco and stay in Nice.

We will stay close to the south coast and might go to the aquarium in Montpellier before heading up the west coast. Maybe stopping at Omaha beach on the last leg.

Need to fill in the vast gaps yet so any other recommendations?

The premier class hotels look perfect for the cheaper stays at around £25 a night.

On the car front, viewed a 2000 Mk3 MR2 roadster today which im currently negotiating a price on
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|| Past: 1991 Kawasaki ZXR 250 ~ 2003 Honda CBR 600 F Sport ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1999 Yamaha R1 ~ 1999 Kawasaki ZX6R J ~ 2004 Kawasaki ZX6R B1H 636 ~ 1998 Honda VTR1000F Firestorm ~ K1 GSXR 600 Track bike ~ K6 GSXR 1000 ~ 2006 Speed Triple 1050 || Current: 2005 R1 https://www.adrucore.co.uk

[Robster]

[Groove]

[Tracey Suntan-King]

The catacombs are amazing. Laid out in streets lined with human bones & skulls. It's amazing what decorative effects you can get by interlocking femurs together.

Just don't go down there in heels like I did. It'll ruin your whole catacomb experience as well as your shoes. The ground is quite soggy down there and as I was wiping the goo off my shoes I couldn't help but wonder how much French DNA was on the tissues I was using.

That wasn't meant to sound as rude as it does.
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Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're probably right