France, Cote d'Azur
The three Corniches, the Col de Turini and the Route Napoleon all begin here, which is why rally history is thick on the ground.
First instinct from Nice: head north into the Alpes Maritimes.
Scored roads in range
12
Nearest great road
5 mi
Best rated nearby
9.7 / 10
Shortest full loop
46 min
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. Every road in the library carries a driving and scenery score set by the same method. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 14 March 2026
Under 60 km from the centre
Close enough for an evening run or a Sunday morning before the traffic wakes up.
Roughly 2 hr 20 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
7 mi away · Alpes-Maritimes, France, above Monaco
Napoleon's high road above Monaco, immortalised on film, staring down onto the principality.
16 km · 9.9 mi · Atlas rating 9.3 / 10
21 mi away · Alpes-Maritimes, France
Legendary Monte Carlo Rally stage stitching together forested hairpins above the Roya valley.
17 km · 10.6 mi · Atlas rating 9.1 / 10
5 mi away · Alpes-Maritimes, France, above Monaco
The middle ribbon of the three Riviera corniches, threading Eze's clifftop village.
16 km · 9.9 mi · Atlas rating 8.9 / 10
27 mi away · Var, France
Red volcanic rock plunges into azure sea along this coastal corniche below the Esterel massif.
25 km · 15.5 mi · Atlas rating 8.9 / 10
60 to 150 km from the centre
Far enough to feel like a proper trip, close enough to be home for dinner.
Roughly 6 hr 18 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
48 mi away · Alpes-Maritimes, France
A looping summit road above 2800 metres that circles the peak itself for maximum theatre.
24 km · 14.9 mi · Atlas rating 9.7 / 10
46 mi away · Var, France
Cliff hugging ledge road staring straight down into Europe's grandest limestone canyon.
24 km · 14.9 mi · Atlas rating 9.6 / 10
81 mi away · Hautes-Alpes, France
Hairpins through larch forest give way to the lunar Casse Deserte, a surreal high altitude finale.
33 km · 20.5 mi · Atlas rating 9.5 / 10
44 mi away · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
A vertiginous loop skimming the canyon rim with balcony viewpoints at every bend.
23 km · 14.3 mi · Atlas rating 9.4 / 10
70 mi away · Hautes-Alpes, France
Remote high altitude pass to the Italian frontier with tight ribbons and stark empty scenery.
22 km · 13.7 mi · Atlas rating 9.3 / 10
150 to 400 km from the centre
Leave early, take the long way back and make a day of it.
Roughly 8 hr 24 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
103 mi away · Savoie and Hautes-Alpes, France
The spine of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a relentless climb to one of driving's holiest summits.
18.1 km · 11.2 mi · Atlas rating 9.6 / 10
119 mi away · Savoie, France
The roof of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a stark granite amphitheatre above 2700 metres.
16 km · 9.9 mi · Atlas rating 9.6 / 10
124 mi away · Corse-du-Sud, Corsica, France
Impossibly narrow ledge road through blood red granite pinnacles above the Gulf of Porto.
12 km · 7.5 mi · Atlas rating 9.6 / 10
240 mi away · Lombardy, Italy
A narrow, unguarded ribbon past Lago Nero that feels wilder than its famous neighbour.
31 km · 19.3 mi · Atlas rating 9.6 / 10
206 mi away · Ticino, Switzerland
A cobbled historic switchback climb that predates the modern Gotthard highway entirely.
13 km · 8.1 mi · Atlas rating 9.5 / 10
206 mi away · Valais and Uri, Switzerland
Bond film hairpins skirt the Rhone Glacier on this high, exposed Alpine crossing.
16 km · 9.9 mi · Atlas rating 9.4 / 10
Longer
325 km · 5h 40m
Lavender, limestone gorges and the finest sustained GT road in France.
684 km · 13h 30m
Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean across seventeen alpine cols.
62 km · 1h 50m
The Monte Carlo Rally's night stage, and still the best test of a small quick car in Europe.
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