NCE · France
The three corniches start almost at the terminal, and the Col de Turini is an hour inland. Few airports put you on a famous road this quickly.
Great roads in range
14
First road from the terminal
Grande Corniche, about 12 min
Best months
April, May, September and October
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Drive times are estimates from the terminal to the start of each road, padded for mountain routing. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 25 March 2026
Ranked
01 · Alpes-Maritimes, France
A looping summit road above 2800 metres that circles the peak itself for maximum theatre.
About 1 hr 43 min from the airport · 14.9 mi · Rating 9.7 / 10
Closed roughly November to May, Europe's highest paved through road
02 · Var, France
Cliff hugging ledge road staring straight down into Europe's grandest limestone canyon.
About 1 hr 40 min from the airport · 14.9 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
03 · Alpes-Maritimes, France, above Monaco
Napoleon's high road above Monaco, immortalised on film, staring down onto the principality.
About 12 min from the airport · 9.9 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
04 · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
A vertiginous loop skimming the canyon rim with balcony viewpoints at every bend.
About 1 hr 29 min from the airport · 14.3 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10
Narrow one way loop, best avoided in high summer traffic
05 · Savoie and Hautes-Alpes, France
The spine of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a relentless climb to one of driving's holiest summits.
About 3 hr 43 min from the airport · 11.2 mi · Rating 9.6 / 10
Closed roughly October to May with snow at the summit
06 · Hautes-Alpes, France
Hairpins through larch forest give way to the lunar Casse Deserte, a surreal high altitude finale.
About 3 hr 1 min from the airport · 20.5 mi · Rating 9.5 / 10
Closed roughly November to April
07 · Alpes-Maritimes, France
Legendary Monte Carlo Rally stage stitching together forested hairpins above the Roya valley.
About 39 min from the airport · 10.6 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10
08 · Hautes-Alpes, France
Remote high altitude pass to the Italian frontier with tight ribbons and stark empty scenery.
About 2 hr 38 min from the airport · 13.7 mi · Rating 9.3 / 10
Closed roughly October to June, one of the highest paved passes in Europe
09 · Alpes-Maritimes, France, above Monaco
The middle ribbon of the three Riviera corniches, threading Eze's clifftop village.
About 12 min from the airport · 9.9 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
10 · Var, France
Red volcanic rock plunges into azure sea along this coastal corniche below the Esterel massif.
About 55 min from the airport · 15.5 mi · Rating 8.9 / 10
11 · Alpes-Maritimes, France
A quiet pastoral pass with a gorge finale through the narrow Gorges du Bachelard.
About 1 hr 55 min from the airport · 29.8 mi · Rating 9 / 10
Closed roughly November to May
12 · Bouches-du-Rhone, France
A clifftop road above Europe's highest maritime cliff with the Mediterranean glittering below.
About 2 hr 59 min from the airport · 9.3 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10
Can close in high mistral winds
13 · Piedmont, Italy
One of the Alps' highest paved passes, remote and narrow near the French border.
About 2 hr 14 min from the airport · 12.4 mi · Rating 9 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
14 · Piedmont, Italy
A gravel topped final stretch of tight hairpins made famous by the Giro d'Italia.
About 3 hr 26 min from the airport · 11.8 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10
Closed roughly October to June
Practical
Excellent premium fleets, and the only airport in Europe where a convertible genuinely makes sense on arrival.
April, May, September and October. Prices and availability move sharply either side of those months, so lock the car in before the flights if you want anything more interesting than a diesel hatchback.