Day 1 – Wednesday
Arrive in Nice and transfer to Hotel La Grande Bastide, located just down the road from the medieval village of Saint Paul de Vence.
Lunch is available at the hotel for early arrivals.
Your afternoon is free at the hotel. La Grande Bastide has a lovely heated pool, bar and food service, and a free shuttle to and from the village in their vintage Citroen.
Shuttle to dinner “under the vines” this evening.
Day 2 – Thursday
Mid-morning car orientation followed by a driver briefing to discuss road rules, traffic laws, etc.
Drive to a stunning mountain pass followed by lunch in a beautiful, former Knights-of-the-Templar Chateau.
Optional afternoon visit to the village of St Paul.
Shuttle to dinner this evening.
Day 3 – Friday
This morning we begin our first full day of driving as we travel through the beautiful French countryside to a spectacular gorge often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of France”.
Lunch is in a 9th century former abby.
Our return trip back to St Paul will take us along one of the most iconic driving roads in Europe, the Route Napoleon.
Shuttle to dinner this evening.
Day 4 – Saturday
Experience the hustle and bustle of the French Riviera coast as we cruise down the world-famous Promenade des Anglais in Nice and along the moyenne corniche on our way to Monaco. If you’re a fan of F1 racing you’ll enjoy the drive along a section of the Monaco Grand Prix route.
After lunch at a favorite seaside restaurant we’ll make our way up to a dramatic mountain road in the hills above Menton.
Shuttle to dinner this evening.
Day 4 – Sunday
Today we’ll cross the border into Italy as we visit the beautiful hill-towns of Liguria.
Along the way we’ll drive through the bustling border town of Ventimiglia and Dolceacqua, where Claude Monet created his masterwork, “Bridge at Dolceacqua”.
Lunch is a true farm-to-table affair in a remote, tiny village.
Our route back to France takes us along the iconic basse corniche.
Shuttle to dinner this evening.
Day 5 – Monday
Our final driving day takes us north into the French Alps where we will drive through two remote, magnificent gorges perched at the gateway to the Mercantour National Park.
Lunch is in a tiny Alpine ski village.
Shuttle transfer this evening for our departure dinner celebration.
Day 6 – Tuesday
Departure.
What a once in a lifetime experience! If you like driving fast cars through the most beautiful, uniques places in the south of France then this is the trip for you! Thank you Dirk for taking such good care of us and our friends! We had a blast!!
Dirk planned the most extraordinary trip for us. Every detail was so well thought out. We were so very well taken care of in every moment. The cars were gorgeous. The drives were exhilarating and stunningly beautiful. The beauty of the roads we traveled took my breath away over and over again. This was a trip I will certainly never forget and will be extremely hard to top. I can’t recommend this experience enough! If I could give it 10 stars, I would!
Such a fabulous trip!!! Dirk was amazing and very organized. He had every detail planned to perfection. Lunch and dinner spots were all incredible! Truly a trip of a lifetime and the best way to see the French Riviera!
The French Riviera driving tour led by Dirk overly exceeded our expectations! He knows his old southern French towns (and even one day spent in Italy), and most importantly the best dining spots! Time normally spent searching for stops and restaurants was instead enjoyed with more time enjoying the countryside! Our group had never met prior to the trip, yet we had the best time together and ALL agreed that the tour and food along the way was magnificent. It truly is an exciting and fun way to tour this part of France. Not to mention the little surprises Dirk gifted us with along the way!
We enjoyed a fabulous French Riviera
Mini Cooper driving tour to some areas that were so serene and spectacular that we would have never ventured to or found on our own. We ate at some restaurants that we would have not known they existed, had Dirk not made it part of our tour. It was definitely an unforgettable experience that we will always cherish! You definitely want this on your travel bucket list!
An exceptional vacation experience! Riviera Driving Tours took us on the trip of a lifetime through the charming villages and beautiful vistas of southern France. We loved zipping along the scenic roads in our cute little Mini Cooper parade, stopping for photo ops on clifftops, amazing meals in historic towns, picnics overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and attentive to every detail. He went above and beyond to ensure each guest had the perfect trip. Great food, fabulous wine, exciting driving, unique experiences - it all adds up to the most memorable European vacation! We will definitely use Riviera Driving Tours again.
Our trip exceeded our expectations in every possible way. From the moment we arrived we felt like everything was taken care of for us and we could just enjoy our trip! The meals and hotel were incredible, and we were able to see so much more than we would have on our own because of Dirk’s knowledge of the area and leading the way. One of my favorite experiences was cruising up to a small town in Italy with incredible views and having lunch at a local family- owned spot in the country. We would have never found that on our own. JP, the wine guy, left a big impression as well. He was fun and had a vast knowledge of wine. Undoubtedly one of the greatest trips of our life that we will never forget! I cannot say enough good things!
If you want an amazing vacation filled with excitement, incredible adventures, delicious food and wine, and memories that will last a lifetime, Riviera Driving Tours with Dirk Dominick is the trip for you! Dirk handled everything and was always available before, during and after the trip to help us with anything and everything we needed!
First, let me tell you (yet again) that we had the most amazing trip ever!! The reason we had such an amazing time is because you have put so much energy, thought, and effort into every part of this trip. We came to you not really knowing what to expect and somehow you still managed to exceed anything we could have imagined. The driving was amazing, the cars were spectacular (hard to not have fun when driving a Porsche), the food and wine were out of this world, and the accommodations were lovely. In short, we put our trip in your hands without knowing what to expect and this was hands down the best trip ever! Thank you again Dirk!!
This was the best travel decision we have ever made! Neither words nor pictures can do the trip justice. It is superbly planned to the infinite detail but you never feel like you are being pushed or pulled. I would take this tour in any country it is offered. Right now, it is only offered in the south of France. If you have a bucket list you should seriously consider putting this trip on it and moving it to the very top!