Road Trip 2026–27: France–Italy–the Balkans

19 August 2026
Belgium, France, Italy, Travel reports, Road trip

The photos are listed in reverse chronological order. Information about the location is included in the title and/or description.

Eva Van Tulden

14 Aug: Vaux-Vilaine – Vix (280 km)

After a first stop-off at my friends Bie and Danny’s place in the French Ardennes, I set off again towards Italy. Chugging along at a leisurely pace on quiet French D-roads, hopefully leaving the Belgian traffic jams and roadworks behind me for a long time to come.

At Vix, in the headwaters of the Seine, I spent the night in a spacious, quiet car park on the ‘Mont Lassois’, a hill rising to 300 metres with a 12th-century Romanesque chapel surrounded by a churchyard. That’s one of the places I love to spend time.

Before sunset, I went for a short walk on Mont Lassois.

In the Middle Ages, Vix and the hamlet on the hill was a stately site. There was also a small harbour for transferring goods onto flat-bottomed boats, as the draught of the Seine was insufficient here for larger vessels.

Apparently, the hill is also a launch site for paragliders. There were wind socks and information boards about the thermals.

Finally, after waiting a while to watch the beautiful sunset, I made my way back to the car park via the lovely St Marcel’s Chapel.

It turned out to be a wonderfully quiet and dark night, with all the windows of my roof tent open.

Mont Lassois

15–16 August: Vix – Les Rousses – Saint-Pierre d’Albigny

Two days of chugging along, ending with a heavy thunderstorm.

Another two days on quiet D-roads through the mountains. To avoid toll roads, Waze sometimes directed me along narrow, winding, single-lane tarmac roads. I’m not too keen on that – it’s hard to see oncoming traffic – but the scenery was absolutely stunning.

Spending the night in a car park near a cross-country skiing area, with an evening walk/descent to the Lac des Rousses.

On Sunday, I was at a campsite by a lake, the Lake Corouge, because, after three days of sweating and quick washes, I fancied a refreshing swim and a shower. I just managed to get in the water before a fierce thunderstorm broke out, bringing heavy downpours that lasted all evening. A very welcome sight for the parched countryside!

The shower came the following day, after a brisk morning run.

Les Rousses car park

17 Aug: St-Pierre d’Albigny – Bussoleno (IT)

Not many kilometres today, but plenty of elevation gain. First, a monotonous stretch alongside the River Isère on the D1006. A road with a lot of industry in the Isère Valley. Then a 14-kilometre climb to the Col du Mont Cenis at 2,083 metres. The drop in temperature was really noticeable at this altitude: a wind chill of just 12 degrees, with a strong wind sweeping across the plateau. A jumper and a coat were needed – it was colder than in the valley.

When I got up in the morning park4night Whilst looking for possible places to stay overnight, I found an idyllic free car park on the banks of the Lake Mont Cenis, just past the pass. I could already picture myself bobbing about in the cool water at 25 degrees. But at 12 degrees and with a cold wind….

I didn’t really fancy spending the whole evening in the car either, so I carried on down towards Bussoleno, which has a quiet, well-equipped motorhome site on the outskirts of the village for €4 a night. The temperature was a pleasant 25 degrees again. So the mountain walk I’d had in mind on the pass didn’t happen either.

Col du Mont Cenis

18–19 August: Bussoleno – Turin

After Bussoleno I decided to spend a day in Turin to spend. To be able to leave the car there safely, I headed to a campsite near Pianezza, within cycling distance of Turin. A big plus there: a lovely, relatively deep swimming pool, big enough for a proper swim. Always welcome after a sweaty ride.

That was also where I set off on my first cycle ride on Italian soil, for a short tour through the fields and past a few villages.

In Turin, the museum of contemporary art was the first thing on my itinerary, so that I could escape the hottest part of the day.

Alongside the permanent collection, there was a temporary exhibition of works on paper by Italian and international artists.

The final galleries, featuring sculptural works by Italian heavyweights such as Manzoni, Pistoletto, Anselmo and Pennone, appealed to me the most.

After that, I took another stroll past a few monuments and piazzas in the city, but I didn’t really find the atmosphere there all that pleasant. However, after a visit of just a few hours with little preparation, it’s a bit early to make such a judgement.

The photos are listed in reverse chronological order. Information about the location is included in the title and/or description.

Eva Van Tulden

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Road Trip 2026–27: France–Italy–the Balkans

14 Aug: Vaux-Vilaine – Vix (280 km)

15–16 August: Vix – Les Rousses – Saint-Pierre d’Albigny

17 Aug: St-Pierre d’Albigny – Bussoleno (IT)

18–19 August: Bussoleno – Turin

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