The coastal bends of the French Riviera are a car spotter’s dream. The influence of Monaco, the global mecca for glamour and wealth, can be felt on every curve between the Italian border and the Gulf of St Tropez. No where else in the world are you more likely to share the road with prestige vehicles and limited edition models, be it with pedal to the metal on the open road or jostling for space in the bustling urban streets of Cannes and Nice. A luxury car rental in France or Monaco allows you to experience the best of the Côte d’Azur, in true Riviera style.
Lamborghini URUS: The only car to be seen in this summer
The excitement surrounding Lamborghini’s latest release, the Lamborghini Urus, is palpable. It marks the luxury Italian car makers first foray into the SUV market and promises to deliver a safe and strong vehicle that can transport all the family in comfort without compromising on the brand’s core DNA: an eye-catching design and a performance that leaves the competition in its wake.
This is the world’s first Super Sport Utility Vehicle with specs to match: a 650 horsepower V8 Bi-Turbo engine, capable of reaching speeds of 305 km/hour, making it the most powerful SUV ever to hit the market. We can’t imagine a better vehicle to lead the pack in as you uncover the best driving experiences this summer with a Lamborghini rental in France.
Destination: The Three Corniches
Nice and Monaco are linked by three parallel coastal roads, known collectively as the Three Corniches. Individually, each boasts dangerously distracting views, but combined form one of the most spectacular road networks in the world. The Basse Corniche (the lower corniche), is the coastal road, framed by lush gardens and opulent Belle Epoque villas as it meanders through the pretty seaside towns of Eze-sur-Mer, Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Villefranche-sur-Mer. A popular bus route, with many traffic lights, this is the busiest of the three corniches.
Higher up, carved into the mountainside, is the Moyenne Corniche, the middle road. For those who commute between Nice and Monaco every day, this route is favoured for its free flow and sweeping bends, not to mention well-placed overtaking lanes. Heading eastbound, the views as you cross over the bridge towards the medieval village of Eze are spellbinding, as is the panorama of Nice and her famous Baie des Anges from the Col de Villefranche in the other direction.
The highest, and most vertiginous of the three, the Grande Corniche, is also the most rugged and the oldest – it forms part of the ancient via Julia Augusta, an important Roman road. At its peak, the road is 550 metres above sea level. Don’t worry, there are plenty of places to pull over to admire the view. On clear days, it is possible to see the island of Corsica from here. The bends of the Grande Corniche have also been immortalised on the big screen; from Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief to James Bond’s GoldenEye.
