Rome to the Pyrenees
The Grand Tour
Italy and France, July 2028. 19 days, 18 nights.
Nineteen days. Two countries. A 40th birthday. And the Tour de France cresting the Col du Tourmalet.
Open jaw: Detroit to Rome outbound, Toulouse to Detroit home
Trip at a Glance
19days
18nights
2countries
8stops
Rome 3
Val d'Orcia 2
Cinque Terre 4
Nice 2
Provence 2
Carc. 1
Lrd. 1
Tourmalet 3
Why this trip
A 40th year deserves more than a dinner. Iconic sites and small towns, cafes and nature, four unhurried nights in Cinque Terre as the anchor, and a finale on the Col du Tourmalet watching the Tour de France crest the pass, together, kids and all. Flights are open jaw, Detroit to Rome out and Toulouse to Detroit home, so the route never backtracks.
The Route, Leg by Leg
Click Next to walk the trip. Each leg lights up in its transport color as you go.
Ready to roll
Press Next leg to start in Detroit and follow the whole route to the Tourmalet and home.
The interactive map needs an internet connection to load its tiles. The full route runs Rome, Val d'Orcia, Cinque Terre, Nice, Provence, Carcassonne, Lourdes, Col du Tourmalet, then down to Toulouse for the flight home.
Legend:rental cartraincamper
DAYS 1-3
Colosseum at sunset. Photo: Wilfredor, Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Rome 3 NIGHTS
The opener. Iconic sites at a family pace, nothing before nine.
Highlights
- Colosseum with arena floor access, then the Forum and Palatine while the morning is still cool
- Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel on an early entry slot, St Peters Basilica after
- Evenings in Trastevere, then the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain on a night walk when crowds thin
WITH THE KIDSGladiator school half day on the Via Appia. Rowboats and pedal carts in Villa Borghese. Run a family gelato scorecard, start at Giolitti.
CAFE STOPSant Eustachio Il Caffe near the Pantheon for the gran caffe. Bar San Calisto in Trastevere for the local scene at aperitivo hour. Gelato worth crossing town for: Gelateria del Teatro near Piazza Navona, and Otaleg in Trastevere a short walk from the hotel.
BOOK AND LOGISTICSColosseum arena and Vatican early entry sell out, book official sites 30 to 60 days out. Keep Day 1 deliberately slow for jet lag, a Trastevere wander and an early dinner, and save the big tickets for Days 2 and 3. Stay in Trastevere or the Centro Storico. Leonardo Express train from FCO, no car in Rome.
DAYS 4-5
The cypress crown near San Quirico d'Orcia. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Val d'Orcia 2 NIGHTS, AGRITURISMO
Slow Tuscany. Hill towns, cypress roads, and a farm stay.
Highlights
- Pienza for pecorino tastings and the best valley views in southern Tuscany
- Montepulciano underground wine cellars, Vino Nobile for the adults
- Golden hour drives on the cypress roads around San Quirico d'Orcia
- Bagno Vignoni, the village with a steaming thermal pool for a main square
WITH THE KIDSChoose an agriturismo with a pool and farm animals. Book a pici pasta making class. The free warm thermal stream at Parco dei Mulini below Bagno Vignoni is a guaranteed hit.
CAFE STOPA terrace cafe on the walls of Pienza. Order whatever is cold and watch the light move across the valley. Buon Gusto, a tiny artisan gelateria in the lanes of Pienza, is worth whatever line it has.
BOOK AND LOGISTICSJuly agriturismo stays with pools book 6 to 9 months ahead. Pick up the rental car leaving Rome on Day 4, about 2.5 hours door to door.
DAYS 6-9
Vernazza from the path to Corniglia. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Cinque Terre 4 NIGHTS, THE ANCHOR
The anchor stay. One village per day, no car, no rush.
Highlights
- Base in Monterosso or Vernazza, trains and ferries do all the work
- One village per day: Vernazza harbor, the Manarola viewpoint, Riomaggiore, quiet Corniglia
- Sentiero Azzurro hike from Monterosso to Vernazza, start by 8 am before the heat
- Sunset drinks at Nessun Dorma above Manarola, reserve on their app the day before
WITH THE KIDSMonterosso has the only real sand beach, plan beach afternoons there. Take the ferry between villages, the views beat the train, but note Corniglia has no dock, it is the train plus 382 steps or the shuttle bus. Run the gelato ranking contest across all four days.
CAFE STOPWarm focaccia from Il Pirata delle 5 Terre in Vernazza, then an espresso on the harbor while the fishing boats come in. For the gelato contest: Gelateria Vernazza on the main street, and Alberto in Corniglia, famous for basil gelato made with local basil.
THE PHOTO SESSION, DAY 8Family shoot in Vernazza, 7:00 to 8:30 am, harbor and lanes while the town is still quiet, before the first day tripper trains arrive around 9. The same tradition as our 2022 honeymoon session, now with the kids in the frame. Day 9 stays open as the weather backup.
BOOK AND LOGISTICSBreak the Day 6 drive with lunch in Lucca and an hour renting bikes on top of its walls, then return the rental car in La Spezia. The Cinque Terre Treno Card covers trains and trails. July apartments go 8 to 10 months out. Pack light, it is stairs everywhere.
DAYS 10-11
Promenade des Anglais from Castle Hill. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, see credit page
Nice 2 NIGHTS
France begins. Sea, old town, and the camper pickup.
Highlights
- Morning train from La Spezia, collect the camper in Nice that afternoon
- Promenade des Anglais at an easy pace, Castle Hill for the panorama and the waterfall
- Vieux Nice lanes and the Cours Saleya market
- Eze day trip, a medieval village stacked above the sea with a garden on top
WITH THE KIDSThe beach is pebbles, bring water shoes. Rent cruiser bikes on the Promenade. Socca tasting in the old town, a hot chickpea pancake they will ask for again.
CAFE STOPChez Pipo for socca, an institution since 1923. Morning coffee at a market cafe on Cours Saleya. Then Fenocchio on Place Rossetti, scooping since 1966 with nearly a hundred flavors, and the lanes of Vieux Nice hide creperies for her.
BOOK AND LOGISTICSTake the earliest La Spezia to Nice train, about 4.5 to 5 hours with one change, because camper pickup desks close by late afternoon. Book a campsite near the city for the two camper nights. Do the Eze trip by bus or train and leave the rig parked, the village lots cannot take a 7 meter camper.
DAYS 12-13
Lavender on the Plateau de Valensole. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Provence 2 NIGHTS
Lavender at peak, hilltop villages, one proper market morning.
Highlights
- Valensole plateau lavender, early July is peak bloom, go at sunrise for empty rows
- Gordes, the poster hilltop village, with Senanque Abbey in the valley below
- Roussillon ochre trail, a walking path through red and orange cliffs
- Market morning matched to the day: Apt on Saturday, Coustellet on Sunday
WITH THE KIDSThe ochre trail is a giant orange sandbox, wear shoes you can ruin. Lavender photo stops for the whole family. Give each kid a market mission and a few euros.
CAFE STOPA cafe with a valley view on the square in Gordes. Lavender ice cream in Roussillon, it works better than it sounds.
BOOK AND LOGISTICSLuberon and Valensole campsites fill for July, reserve ahead. Lavender harvest starts mid July, so earlier in the window is safer for full fields.
DAY 14
La Cité de Carcassonne. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Carcassonne 1 NIGHT
A storybook walled city, at its best after the day trippers leave.
Highlights
- La Cite, the double walled medieval citadel above the modern town
- Chateau Comtal and the rampart walk for the full circuit of towers
- Evening illumination of the walls, best seen from the Pont Vieux
- If the calendar lands on July 14, the Bastille Day fireworks over the walls are legendary
WITH THE KIDSPeak castle. Ramparts, fifty two towers, sword shops in the lanes. Walk the lices, the grass corridor between the two rings of walls.
CAFE STOPCrepes on Place Marcou inside the walls, under the plane trees.
BOOK AND LOGISTICSCamping de la Cite is a flat walk from the gates. If July 14 lands on this night, book it the day the trip dates lock, fireworks night sells out the whole town. See the walls lit at night, then again early morning before the coaches arrive.
DAY 15
The Rosary Basilica, Lourdes. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, see credit page
Lourdes 1 NIGHT
Staging day. Provisions, fuel, and an early night before the mountain.
Highlights
- Final big supermarket run, stock three days of food and water for the col
- The Sanctuary, and the torchlight procession at 9 pm if the family is up for it
- Pic du Jer funicular for a first proper look at the Pyrenees
WITH THE KIDSThe century old funicular up Pic du Jer. Lighting a candle at the Sanctuary. A riverside walk along the Gave de Pau before dinner.
CAFE STOPA riverside cafe near the Sanctuary. Keep tonight simple, tomorrow the trip changes gear. Crepes are everywhere in the Pyrenees, grab hers warm from a creperie near the Gave.
BOOK AND LOGISTICSTop off fuel, water, propane, and the fridge here. There is nothing to buy on the climb. Tomorrow you park on the mountain and stay parked.
DAYS 16-19
Tourmalet summit on race day, Tour de France 2024. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, see credit page
Col du Tourmalet 3 NIGHTS ON THE CLIMB
The finale. Park on the climb, ride the giant, watch the Tour crest the pass.
Highlights
- Arrive two days before the stage and claim a camper spot on the climb early
- Ride the Tourmalet, 19 km at about 7.4 percent from the Luz-Saint-Sauveur side
- Coffee at Maison Octave at the 2115 m summit, beside the Geant du Tourmalet statue
- Race day: the publicity caravan, then the helicopters, then the race over the top
WITH THE KIDSThe caravan throws swag for a full hour before the riders. Chalk the family name on the road. Cable car from La Mongie up to the Pic du Midi observatory on the spare day.
CAFE STOPMaison Octave at the col. Order a coffee at 2115 meters. It tastes better if you rode up.
BOOK AND LOGISTICSThe road closes to vehicles the night before the stage, be parked by then. Arrange the bike rental in Lourdes or Luz-Saint-Sauveur on the drive up, or use a Pyrenean outfit that delivers to the camper, since you arrive from the west and leave east. Pack for two seasons, race day at the col can be 8 degrees in cloud or 30 in sun. After the race, descend east and drive about 2.5 to 3 hours to Toulouse, drop the camper, fly home.
Camper Logistics DAYS 10-19
Nice pickup, Toulouse drop, nine nights on French roads
PICKUP AND DROPCollect in Nice on Day 10 after the train from La Spezia. One way drop in Toulouse on Day 19, then fly home from TLS.
WHY NICE, NOT ITALYA French domestic one way avoids international one way fees and cross border drop restrictions. The train hop from La Spezia costs half a day and saves real money.
THE RIGSleeps four, fixed bed plus dinette conversion. Keep it under 7 meters so village roads, campsite pitches, and the Tourmalet switchbacks all stay comfortable.
OVERNIGHTSCampsites in Nice and Provence for hookups and pools, aires or the roadside for Carcassonne and the mountain. Book July campsites ahead, aires are first come.
BUDGET LINESAutoroute tolls at camper class rates, diesel, campsite fees, and a one way fee even domestic. Confirm the one way fee in writing at booking.
PAPERWORKUS license plus an International Driving Permit for both countries. Get the IDP from AAA before departure, it takes minutes in person.
The camper is lodging, kitchen, and race day grandstand in one. On the Tourmalet it is the whole strategy.
Transit Legs
Every move of the trip. Longest single drive is under four hours.
| Leg | Day | Mode | Distance | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCO airport to Rome center | 1 | Train | 32 km | 0 h 32 | Leonardo Express, no car in Rome |
| Rome to Pienza | 4 | Rental car | 190 km | 2 h 30 | Pick up car at Roma Termini |
| Pienza to La Spezia | 6 | Rental car | 330 km | 3 h 45 | Lunch stop in Lucca, kids bike the walls, then return car at La Spezia Centrale |
| La Spezia to Nice | 10 | Train | 200 km | 4 h 45 | One change, Ventimiglia or Genoa |
| Nice to Valensole | 12 | Camper | 150 km | 2 h 15 | Into lavender country |
| Valensole to Gordes area | 12-13 | Camper | 90 km | 1 h 30 | Short hops within Provence |
| Gordes to Carcassonne | 14 | Camper | 250 km | 2 h 45 | A9 and A61 autoroutes |
| Carcassonne to Lourdes | 15 | Camper | 230 km | 2 h 30 | Provisioning stop on arrival |
| Lourdes to the Tourmalet | 16 | Camper | 40 km | 1 h 00 | Via Luz-Saint-Sauveur, slow and steep |
| Tourmalet to Toulouse | 19 | Camper | 200 km | 2 h 45 | Drop camper, fly TLS to DTW |
Built Around You THE 40TH
The birthday was earlier this year. This is the encore, nineteen days of it.
A TABLE ON THE HARBOROne dinner in Vernazza worth dressing up for, harborside at sunset while the fishing boats come in. It gets booked the day reservations open.
THE PHOTO SESSIONDay 8, Vernazza, early morning while the town still belongs to the locals. The same tradition as our 2022 honeymoon shoot, this time with the kids in the frame. Day 9 stays open as the weather backup.
THE ANCHOR STAYFour nights in Cinque Terre with no car and no schedule. One village a day, beach afternoons, warm focaccia, and sunset drinks above Manarola.
YOUR CALLS, BUILT INA thermal soak at Bagno Vignoni, an unhurried market morning in Provence with a real budget, and the final vote on every dinner of the trip.
You get the trip you would have planned, without having to plan any of it.
Planning Timeline KEYED TO OCT 2027
OCT 2027
Tour de France 2028 route announced. Confirm a Pyrenees stage over the Tourmalet and lock the trip dates to race day. Every line below keys off this.
NOV 2027
Book the open jaw flights, Detroit to Rome outbound and Toulouse to Detroit home. Start price alerts before the announcement.
NOV-DEC 2027
Reserve the camper, Nice pickup with the Toulouse one way drop. July one way inventory goes first.
DEC-JAN 2028
Book the Cinque Terre apartment and the Val d'Orcia agriturismo, these two book earliest of everything. Reserve the Vernazza photographer for the Day 8 morning session at the same time.
FEB-MAR 2028
Rome hotel, Nice and Provence campsites, and the Carcassonne and Lourdes nights.
APR-MAY 2028
Colosseum arena and Vatican early entry tickets when the windows open, about 30 to 60 days out.
JUN 2028
Train tickets La Spezia to Nice, road bike rental for the Tourmalet ride, insurance check, and the IDP from AAA.
Contingency: The Route Decides
The 2028 route reveal in October 2027 settles this before any money is committed
ROUTE INCLUDES THE PYRENEES
The plan holds exactly as drawn.
Fine tune only the Tourmalet block to the exact stage date, then book in the timeline order. If the stage crosses a different Pyrenean col, shift the camper base to that climb, the playbook is identical.
ROUTE SKIPS THE PYRENEES: ALPS PIVOT
- Keep everything through Nice: flights into Rome, all of Italy, the camper pickup
- Trim Provence to one night, then run the Route Napoleon north into the Alps
- New finale: Alpe d'Huez and its 21 hairpins, same arrive early camper strategy
- Drop the camper in Lyon or Grenoble and fly home from Lyon, so adjust the open jaw return before booking any flights
Rule: no flights, camper, or mountain bookings until the October 2027 announcement. Italy bookings are route proof and can go early.