Road trip from Nice to Livorno by car, then Corsica

I'd love some destination suggestions for a road trip from Nice to Livorno by car, including the routes, tolls to cross, distance, and estimated travel time. We're planning a 5-day trip, with 2 nights near Nice, 1 night along the way, and finally 2 nights in Livorno. There are 4 of us in a rental car, and we'd like to stay in either an apartment, a mobile home near the sea, or a campsite. Our budget isn't too extravagant!!!! We want to visit the Promenade des Anglais, and I've heard Menton is really interesting. Once we reach Livorno, we'll take the ferry to Corsica for 12 days with the same rental car. We're planning to leave the last week of May and the first two weeks of June 2026, so around 17-18 days total. Thanks

Hi! The problem with this part of France is that there’s so much to see and visit. If possible, don’t miss the hilltop villages like Èze or even Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Yes, Menton is a lovely town to visit, and it has the Lemon Festival every year. As for Nice, the Promenade des Anglais is a long walk along the Mediterranean starting from Place Masséna; then there are the narrow streets of Vieux Nice. Nice definitely has its charm. Once you cross the border, don’t miss San Remo or even Genoa. In short, tons of places to visit

Hi, the problem with this part of France is that there’s so much to see and visit. If possible, don’t miss the hilltop villages like Èze or even Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Yes, Menton is a lovely town to visit, and there’s the Lemon Festival every year. As for Nice, the Promenade des Anglais is a long stroll along the Mediterranean starting from Place Masséna; then there are the narrow streets of Vieux Nice. Nice definitely has its charm. Once you cross the border, don’t miss San Remo or even Genoa. In short, tons of places to visit.

Thanks for the info! Any recommendations for budget-friendly accommodations?

Hi there, but I can't give any advice on this one. For Nice, you should choose hotels in the city center near Avenue Médecin

Good evening, but I can't give advice on this one. For Nice, you should choose hotels in the city center near Avenue Médecin

Thanks again

Hi,

Make sure the car rental company allows ferry crossings, with or without an extra fee...

And look into ZTLs in Italy...

Thanks for the info I didn’t know about.

Good evening, there are several points in your message. 1-Route and travel time. If you want to drive from Nice to Livorno by road, it will be very, very, very slow. In late May, I think you should expect an average speed of 40 km/h. Since, roughly, there are about 400 km, you can see what that means: nearly 10 hours of driving. The only faster section is the last one: from the exit of Viareggio to Livorno. The reason for all this: urbanization and terrain. Unfortunately, on this route, the road doesn’t offer a decent alternative to the highway. So I recommend taking the highway and doing the whole trip in one day to avoid traffic problems. A route planner will calculate the duration and toll costs for you. That would give you 3 nights near Livorno and 2 full days to explore the area.

2-If you opt for mobile-home accommodation, there are campsites north of Livorno (beaches toward Pisa) and also in Torre del Lago Puccini (20 km north of Pisa, but it’s farther from Livorno). You’ll need to check if they have rentals and if they offer stays shorter than a week at the end of May.

3-Sightseeing. I haven’t visited Livorno, so I don’t know if the city is worth it.

You’ll be about 20 km from Pisa, one of the most beautiful cities in Tuscany (and Italy). In Pisa, there’s more than just the Leaning Tower and the Square of Miracles. Two days allow you to visit at a relaxed pace: in terms of monuments and museums, you’ll only see exceptional things (check out the "visittuscany" site ).

I’ll add two suggestions near Pisa if you want to get out of the city.

In Pontedera, on the site of the former factories, you’ll find the Piaggio Museum. "La Vespa"



and "l’Ape"



are inseparable from mobility in 20th-century Italy. And scooters are back in style. A completely different vibe from Pisa.

Between Pontedera and Pisa, off the village of Calci, you’ll find the Charterhouse of Pisa (Certosa di Pisa a Calci). This former monastery is a beautiful monument in a countryside setting, with two museums on different themes (you can choose).





Hope this gives you some ideas.

Hi,

Also, keep in mind that Tuesday, June 2nd is a public holiday in Italy, so there’s a long weekend from the evening of May 29th through June 2nd—or even later—meaning lots of people will be out on the roads...

I'd love some destination suggestions for a road trip from Nice to Livorno, including routes, tolls to cross, distance, and estimated travel time. We're planning a 5-day trip, with 2 nights near Nice, 1 night along the way, and finally 2 nights in Livorno. There are 4 of us in a rental car, and we'd like to stay in an apartment, mobile home near the sea, or a campsite. We're on a not-too-extravagant budget!!!! We want to visit the Promenade des Anglais, and I've heard Menton is very interesting. Once in Livorno, we'll take the ferry to Corsica for 12 days with the same rental car. We're planning to leave the last week of May and the first two weeks of June 2026, so about 17-18 days in total. Thanks

That sounds like a great plan! If you avoid the motorway between Nice and Livorno, it’s roughly 480 km and 12 hours of driving in one go. And that’s without counting stops.

For an overnight stop, I’d suggest Rapallo—a charming town with a campsite not far from the sea. Two nights in Nice to explore the Old Town and other sights, like Menton, and Livorno is quite close to Florence. By train, it’s just a short trip away.

But it’s a shame to miss out on the towns along the coast!

Best regards.

From Nice to Livorno, it’s about 380 km, which is just over 4 hours of driving. You’ll likely take the Italian coast via the A10 motorway with a few tolls, then the FI-PI-LI expressway to reach Livorno. For your 5-day road trip, you could start by spending two nights in Nice to enjoy the Promenade des Anglais and the old town, then make an intermediate stop in Menton, Ventimiglia, or even Genoa to break up the journey before arriving in Livorno for two nights. In Nice and Livorno, you can look for Airbnb apartments near the sea, mobile homes, or campsites, which are more budget-friendly for four people. Menton is really nice and can be a pleasant stop with its charming streets and gardens. On the road, you’ll encounter tolls in Italy, so bring some cash or your card, and alternating between motorways and smaller roads lets you see some beautiful scenery, even if it adds a bit of time to the trip. In Livorno, enjoy the port, the fortresses, and the city’s vibe before your departure for Corsica. Make sure to check that your car rental is allowed for Corsica and Italy, and book your accommodation early for late May/early June.

Hi Chantal,

You’ve picked a great time to visit the Côte d'Azur in May—usually the weather’s lovely, not too hot yet, and there are already some tourists, but fewer than in summer.

From Nice to Ventimiglia, there’s a train every 15 minutes. If you’re staying near Nice, you can visit several small towns in a day: Villefranche-sur-Mer (10 minutes by train from Nice-Ville station), Beaulieu-sur-Mer with its beautiful villas (5 minutes by train from Villefranche-sur-Mer), Monaco (10 minutes by train from Beaulieu-sur-Mer), which tourists love—there’s a lot to see, so plan extra time—and just 10 minutes from Monaco, you’ve got Menton, a really pretty little town.

Ventimiglia isn’t a major tourist spot, but it’s famous for its Friday market.

If the weather’s nice, you could do part of this route on a coastal path.

thanks so much for all your suggestions.