South of France Road Trip
In May 2024 we packed the car, left Derby behind and headed south, driving our 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera to the French Riviera.
This trip wasn’t about rushing from place to place or following a strict itinerary. Instead, it was a slower European road trip built around long drives, classic French roads, good food, strong coffee and giving ourselves time to enjoy where we were rather than worrying too much about what came next.
The journey south included overnight stops along the way, a night in Aix-en-Provence, and a longer stay in Saint-Raphaël on the Riviera. While there, we explored the surrounding area, drove roads like the Route Napoléon, made the trip up to the Gorges du Verdon, spent time in Nice, and took in the atmosphere of the Classic Monaco Grand Prix. The return journey north was broken up with a stop in Beaune, adding one last change of pace before heading home.
This category brings together all posts from that trip — part road trip diary, part collection of memories, and a record of how the journey unfolded. As with everything on Blogging The Road, these posts aren’t intended to be a travel guide or a list of recommendations. They’re simply an honest account of where we went, the roads we drove, and how the trip felt at the time.
The following posts are presented in ascending order. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to get in touch
We left Derby at 1:30am and drove through the night to France, swapping the familiar Dover–Calais ferry for the Eurotunnel. By midday we were standing at the historic Circuit de Gueux, before ending a long first day in Langres.
In May 2024 we pointed our 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera south and headed for the French Riviera. What followed was a 2,450-mile road trip through France taking in mountain roads, classic motorsport, too many pastries and a few unexpected moments along the way