Delwyn's 2018 trip through the Alsace region and much more...

No chance this time to adjust to driving on the "right" side of the road - my husband took over and relegated me to navigator. And while I might be a very good back seat driver, I am not the world's best navigator ... thank goodness we had an inbuilt GPS, plus the odd visit to Google Maps just to be sure!

We covered 2,632kms in just 13 days which included far too much time on toll roads - although they are worth every cent in my opinion. And once again, I promise myself that next time I will take it more slowly.

Below is our driving route through France, Germany and Switzerland.

Day 1 - Paris to Reims (approx 1 hour & 30mins direct)

It took no time at all to collect our car from the Paris CDG location and get on our way, with a quick stop at the nearest fuel station to fill up. We took a mix of motorways and scenic roads to explore the Champagne region, before eventually arriving into Reims at 3pm.

We stayed at the Hotel Cecyl because we were only in reims for one night and wanted to be able to walk everywhere. Undercover car parking was also right next door and cost €16 for 24 hours.

This is the choice you are often faced with when on a driving holiday:
- book a central city hotel with often less facilities and quite often expensive parking; or
- stay on the outskirts of a town or city with (often) more facilities and free parking.

Unfortunately, while we did manage to visit the magnificent Cathedral, we missed the Champagne caves as they are closed on Sundays.

Day 2 - Reims to Strasbourg (approx 4 hours direct)

If we had more time we would have spent a day or two visiting Champagne houses throughout the region, but as we only had a few hours we popped into the small town of Pierry for a tour of Champagne Bouché  - personally recommended by a French friend that "only" buys this one Champagne. As my husband was the driver I was able to sample more than just a drop of their various Champagnes and leave with a couple of bottles carefully wrapped as well as two lovely Champagne glasses that I did manage to get home in my hand luggage without breaking!

I eventually got myself back to the car and we were on the road to Strasbourg. And what a lovely city that is - overflowing with colour, history and waterways that were just delightful to explore on foot. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Strasbourg-Centre with free parking and breakfast included. It was just a 10min walk to the city centre and was excellent value for money.

Below is just one of the many photos taken in Strasbourg.

Day 3 - Strasbourg to Colmar (approx 1 hour direct)

Wow - what a treat today was. I'd heard so much about the various unique and colourful towns throughout the Alsace region, and I was not disappointed. I quite literally took hundreds of photos, sometimes even leaning out the car window when there was nowhere to pull over! We drove up the hill in Obernai for a lovely view over the town and beyond, plus explored various small towns including Barr, St Hippolyte, Rodern, Ribeauville and of course Riquewihr. A visit to the Chateau of Haut-Koenigsbourg was also a highlight.

We eventually arrived into Colmar for a 2-night stay in an apartment a short walk from the old town. Other than a freak hail storm on our arrival that was recorded on the i-Pad just in case it damaged the car - although I wasn't overly worried as our cars have comprehensive insurance with no excess. I just didn't want my friends at Peugeot head office to think I had gotten so lost and ended up on a golf driving range (which probably would have happended in pre-GPS days!).

A visit to the local supermarket and we were set with fresh bread, olives, meats, cheeses and of course my favourite tarte au citron meringuee (otherwise known as mini lemon meringue tarts). As well as the architecture, history and scenery - a major highlight of France is the food. Whether from a local boulangerie, patisserie, supermarket or restaurant - it's always a treat ... even when the potato is purple, but more about that later!

Day 4 - Colmar to Freiburg (approx 1 hour direct)

Today was completely unplanned - one of the key benefits of a self-drive holiday. We decided we could explore Colmar on foot later in the afternoon, so first thing in the morning we set out for Freiburg (Germany). As we approached the old part of the town we entered the first car parking building we saw and spent a fabulous 4-5 hours exploring their food and flower market as well as the many gorgeous street and shops. My husband was happy - he'd finally found a 'flat white' coffee - made by someone recently returned from a working holiday through Australia and New Zealand. I managed to squeeze in some retail therapy, my daughter got her fresh raspberries .... everyone was happy!

The return trip back to Colmar included our daughter losing her hat out the car window, requiring a u-turn and fast sprint to retrieve (while I took photos), plus a nice visit to the German town of Breisach where my husband had a lovely 'chat' to an elderly gentleman who didn't speak a word of English and my husband only knows how to order a beer in German!
 

Day 5 - Colmar to Annecy (approx 4 hours direct)

OK so this is where my navigation skills were tested and failed miserably. I thought I had programmed the GPS to take us through France to Annecy but instead we were taken through Switzerland. A lovely drive I might add - but a little more expensive than the alternative route.

In hindsight - and something I tell my customers when we are chatting through the tips and tricks of using a GPS - I should have entered "way-points" along the way (in France) so the GPS knew the route I wanted to take. As I learned, it is not a mind reader!

Rather than pay-as-you-go toll roads that you have in France, in Switzerland you must purchase a "vignette" (sticker) that allows unlimited use of their motorways for up to 13 months (depending on when you purchase the vignette) at a cost of 40 Swiss Francs. We easily purchased the vignette at a motorway fuel station after entering Switzerland - and lucky we did because when we left Switzerland (near Geneva) there were traffic police handing out 200 Swiss Franc fines to those without the sticker!

Arriving into Annecy, less than 45 minutes from the Swiss border, was heavenly. Such a lovely lake and town that you can meander through, with beautiful shops and restaurants with mouth-watering crepes, cold wine and decadent ice creams - blending seamlessly with the cobbled streets and ancient buildings. I highly recommend a minimum two-night stay, or longer if you can manage as there are a number of lovely places to visit within an easy drive.

We stayed at the Hotel des Marquisats, located on the outskirts of town with lovely views of the lake.
 

Day 6 - Annecy to Chamonix Mont Blanc (via Megeve it is approx 2 hours drive)

Another last minute day-trip decision - and what a highlight. Chamonix Mont Blanc is obviously a ski town, but we visited in September without the crowds and loved it. We took the slower scenic drive along the lake towards Albertville (the town that hosted the 1992 Winter Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies), before travelling through the mountains via Megeve to our destination.

We took the little red rack and pinion train up to the Montenvers Mer de Glace station where you then take a gondola, then more than 500 steps down to view an ice cave. Slight jelly-legs once you get to the ice cave, but that is nothing compared to the burning muscles climbing back up those 500 steps!

Day 7 - Annecy to Aix-Les-Bains (approx 30mins direct)

We plucked this destination out of nowhere as we were looking for a Logis de France property to stay, with a swimming pool and Michelin star restaurant for a special treat. Driving directly there would have been far too easy, instead we took a completely out of the way detour to the Grottes du Cerdon (prehistoric limestone caves) - just over an hour from Annecy. Via the best little Boulangerie-Patisserie we came across throughout our holiday, filled with the tastiest baguettes and tarts you could imagine - as well as a gorgeous young Frenchman with fabulous English, having just returned from a year in New Zealand!

We stayed at the Logis Auberge Saint Simond, on the outskirts of the lake-side town of Aix-les-Bains. The swimming pool was fabulous, the rooms were lovely - and the food, in true Michelin style, was a delicious work of art. Including the purple coloured mashed potato referred to earlier and photographed below.

Day 8 - Aix-les-Bains to Vezelay (approx 4 hours direct)

The day dawned sunny and fresh and we headed towards the popular Burgundy town of Vezelay - via well-known Meursault, Pommard and Beaune. The Burgundy region is a beautiful area to explore and we wished we had more time. Arriving into Vezelay at around 3pm on a Sunday afternoon allowed us a couple of quiet hours to explore this lovely UNESCO World Heritage hill-side town, including a visit to the Abbey.

We stayed just five minutes down the hill from Vezelay in a small town called Saint Pere - where we (again) unexpectedly discovered the most authentic and rustic Restaurant le Crecholien. Serving mouth-watering regional dishes, washed down with local wines, this will be a memorable experience. PS - the Pinot Noir from the little Burgundy town of Irancy is divine!

Day 9 - Vezelay to Fontainebleau (approx 2 hours direct)

We spent most of the day exploring more of the Burgundy region, including Chateau de Bazoches-du-Morvan - just 13kms from Vezelay and well worth a look. My history-loving husband devoured the photos, maps and stories - while our daughter set off on a well-prepared treasure hunt activity that kept her engaged (and quiet) as we made our way through each room.

After enjoying a glass of Pinot Noir the evening before, from Irancy, we decided to pay the little town a visit enroute to Fontainebleau. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring the hills surrounding the town (see photo below), but unfortunately arrived during the lunch period, which meant all the caves were closed and we couldn't make any purchases. Yet another reason to return.

After arriving into Fontainebleau mid-afternoon, we fell upon yet another delightful patisserie and enjoyed time exploring in and around the Chateau de Fontainebleau, before meeting up with friends for a fun dinner and sharing of stories. They live part of the year in the Languedoc-Dordogne region so we gave them the job of choosing the wine - a very tasty red from the Languedoc.

Less than 48 hours later we arrive in Chantilly and our holiday was all but over. I took the below photo out the window of the car as we crawled past the Chateau - look at that blue sky! It was a stunning late September day that's for sure.

Time slipped away until the next thing we knew we were being guided by our GPS (now known as Frances) to the Paris CDG Airport return location.

13 days, 3 countries, countless lemon meringue tarts and tasty baguettes, I'd rather not say how many glasses of Champagne, far too much cheese, a feast of foie gras, hours and hours of walking, numerous errors with the GPS programming, a myriad of spur-of-the momnent detours, just the one one-way street mishap, 2632 kms and 1511 memory-filled photos later and it is time to return home.

A self-drive holiday in Europe is incredibly rewarding, with lots of twists and turns, changes and surprises. One thing is for certain - we will be back soon!
 

Handy Hints for your self-drive holiday in Europe

• When programming your hotel address into the GPS, enter the postcode as the city/town name, not the word – the number is more accurate.

• The shortest route is not always the fastest route!

• Plan your route in advance as, like your wife, it is not a mind-reader. Add waypoints to ensure you go the way you expect and don’t have a meltdown if you mess it up. There is always another gorgeous village to explore, often just around the next corner.

• Get up early! Less people, easy parking, better photos.

• Staying on the outskirts of a town has its benefits. You would usually enjoy free parking, cheaper food, a bigger room and with any luck a small kitchenette.

• Roundabouts are everywhere – you can’t avoid them so you may as well embrace them. You go anti-clockwise.

• Picnics are so much more fun than eating in restaurants, particularly at lunchtime. Don’t forget to pack a few plastic cups and plates, knives, spoons, wet wipes etc.

• Don’t distract the driver.

• Don’t drive when you are tired.

• Keep saying “tight right – loose left” when you approach a corner (tight turn right, loose turn left).

• When you’re on holiday and you see something you want, for heaven’s sake just buy it already!

Thanks for reading!