Grasse/Nice trip

[Chuck]

Heading to southern France for around a week with the family. We're renting a place around Grasse and wondered whether there was anything in the area that rated a "must see" for gearheads. Automotive museums, abandoned old race tracks ... you get the idea. Thanks for any suggestions.

Chuck Ward
ERA GT 2064

[David Morton]

There is a motor museum which is advertised on the Autoroute near Monaco. I'll research it a bit more and get back to you. When are you going?
Dave M

[Graham Forbes]

Chuck

If you take the train through to Monaco you can walk round the Grand Prix track, take in the many Ferraris, Lambos, Bentleys etc which are everywhere, and you could also visit Prince Rainier's motor museum filled with many of his own cars. When myself and my family were there last summer there were lots of interesting exhibits including a number of 50s & 60s American cars which Rainier has a particular fondness for, possibly influenced by Princess Grace when she was alive.

If you're a Ferrari fan, and lets face it, who isn't deep down, Monaco is full of memorabilia stores just about on every street corner.

The train ride only takes about a half hour from Nice to Monaco and they run frequently.

[David Morton]

qed
thanks Graham
Dave

[Chuck]

We are leaving next Thursday, flying to Frankfurt and hauling down to France through Switzerland and Italy. Have to hit Freiburg on the way for the wurst at the daily market. We'll go down through Milano and hit the coast a little west of Genova. Follow the coast to Cannes and head up to Grasse. 630 miles or about a trip to the laundromat here in Texas!

We already have a day at Cassis planned as we hung out there some a few years ago and my kids (6 and 10) still remember it well and insist on a return. We based out of Vaison La Romaine last time and it was wonderful but we wanted to be closer to the incredible water. Luckily, it seems our US Spring Breaks are about 1 week ahead of the beginning of the European Spring Breaks (I've seen rental rates that go up 25-50% the following week for decent size homes).

The kids wanted to go to UK again but we have a family obligation in Schopfheim the following weekend (God bless my German inlaws and their biannual gatherings). I'm also glad I prepaid the rent before Christmas and might even make money on the security deposit given the exchange rates!

I was hoping Monaco would be a good stop. Sounds like a sure bet and train trips always score well in our family! If anybody has a better route than Maquest, I'm all ears.

Thanks for the help,

Chuck

P.S. I really can't go to the UK for vacation due to my insane jealousy of the seemingly non-stop hillclimb opportunities to exercise a GT there.