Barbaresco wine, Alpine passes, and the French Riviera
Tiny Piedmont wine village producing one of Italy's greatest wines (Nebbiolo grape). The tower of Barbaresco has panoramic views of the Langhe hills — UNESCO World Heritage vineyards rolling to the horizon.
White truffle capital of Italy. Even in June (truffle season is fall), the trattorias serve truffle-everything. Tajarin pasta with butter and truffles. Nutella was invented here (Ferrero factory).
French ski resort village in the Mercantour mountains, ~1.5 hours north of Nice. Summer hiking, mountain biking, via ferrata. Quiet Alpine overnight before descending to the Riviera.
Mountain pass at 2,350m on the French-Italian border. Dramatic switchbacks, snow-capped peaks, Alpine meadows. The drive over the col is an experience — not for the faint-hearted but spectacular.
Today the trip changes rhythm. No more trains — you're in a minivan with six Salsburgs, rolling through Piedmont wine country toward the French Riviera.
First stop: Barbaresco, one of Italy's greatest wine villages. The Langhe hills are UNESCO World Heritage — rows of Nebbiolo vines stretching to the horizon, medieval towers on every hilltop, and trattorias serving truffle pasta that costs less than a sandwich at the Rome airport. Ricki and Maritza: this is your moment. Wine tasting, unhurried lunch, rolling vineyards. The kids can run through the village.
Afternoon: drive through the Alps toward Nice. If you're feeling adventurous, take the route through Isola 2000 and the Col de la Lombarde — a mountain pass at 2,350 meters with switchbacks that will make Jeremy the pilot completely comfortable and Laura the planner slightly less so.
Gas is ~€1.80/liter (about $7.50/gallon). Jeremy will have feelings about this. Italian autostrada tolls run €20–30, French péage another €10–15. The minivan will need to be large — six people plus two weeks of luggage is not a job for a Fiat Punto.
Barbaresco wine country or Isola 2000
Agriturismo = farm-stays with incredible food. €100–200/night. Isola 2000 has small mountain hotels. Either way: stars, quiet, wine.
Italian autostrada tunnels punch straight through the Alps — some are over 12 km long. The Fréjus Tunnel alone is 12.9 km. Also: toll booth engineering uses electronic transponders (Telepass) — the Italian E-ZPass.
She gets the window seat through the Alps. Wildflowers, waterfalls, mountain villages, and she'll be the first to say 'are we there yet?' — approximately 11 minutes into the drive.
Barbaresco is flat village walking and wine tasting — perfect Ricki-and-Maritza territory. The car handles the Alps. At the overnight stop, everyone can decompress after a driving day.