I have finally come to the end of the blog posts about my roadtrip around France and Italy. It was a big job, as I took over 10,000 photos but I've made it finally!

I thought I would like to do a round-up of the best places that I went to in my 48 days of road-tripping both to remind myself (and you) of all the awesome places that I went to) and as a guide for anyone reading out there to what I thought were the best, must-go places. It turned out that there were a couple of surprises when I looked back at everything but as always with these kinds of things, it was really hard to choose.

1: Tre Cime di Lavaredo

This was hands-down the best part of my trip (see post 1 and post 2), the hike around the Tre Cime, eating lunch in the rifugio, enjoying the clinking of the cow bells and spending time in this glorious national park. I wish I could go back there and hike the other paths and stay in the rifugio... one day maybe! You do have to pay to drive in, so if I went back I would probably leave my car/camper down in the bottom car parks and catch the bus up - saving myself €30! But regardless, it was worth it to just experience this insanely awesome place with its crazy limestone rock formations!

2: Walking the Cinque Terre path

It was a bloody long walk in the humid heat of post-thunderstorm Italy in summer, but it was all worth it for the most amazing views. I only wish I had brought my swimmers and a towel so I could have cooled off in the ocean, but the pouring rain in the morning made me pack my rain jacket and not my swim suit. Still, with view like this, who can complain... Top tip, carry water but you don't need food as there are enough focaccerias and restaurants and cafes around that you won't need to carry it.

3. Pragser Wildsee / Lago di Braies

The most amazing blue water I have ever seen, the whole area looked like a dream. The wooden cabin, the little row boats, the mountains looming over the top - I have never seen anything like it. There is plenty of parking nearby, but I can imagine it gets VERY busy in the middle of the day. I got here about 5pm and the crowds were mostly starting to leave.

4. Annecy

I think the only thing better than Annecy is visiting Annecy on market day and I was in luck for the ONE day that I had there (Sunday is market day, FYI). Honestly, French markets are the best in the world and the one in Annecy was the best one I have ever been to. They had an amazing variety of delicious-looking fruit and veg, bread, saucisson, clothes, gadgets, baskets, cooked food and anything else you can think of. I bought the best rockmelon/canteloupe I have ever eaten in those markets. Also, the town was so pretty!

5: Vaux-le-Vicomte

I've wanted to go to Vaux for so long and it really did not disappoint. It was a really lovely place, and both castle and gardens were just fabulously well-kept. The cafe was also top-notch. The whole place has such a fascinating history, and the gardens were the precursor to the insanely beautiful gardens at Versailles. A really enjoyable place to visit and one that has been on my list for so long!

6. Gorges du Verdon

This is one of a few areas I went to that I wish I had spent more time in. I wish I'd gone hiking and gone down to the brilliant blue water, and driven along the other side. The whole area was magical, from the lovely Moustiers-Sainte-Marie (the gateway town to the Gorge) to the amazing road that I drove along. Gorge-ous! (Yep, I rolled my eyes typing that too...)

7. Giverny

Yet another place that I've wanted to visit for ages and that didn't really disappoint. I added the "really" in there because yes it was very very touristy, but the gardens and house of Monet were just so beautiful that I just put up with the thousands of people to be able to see it. It was so lovely, the gardens were really well tended and flowering all over the place, while the house was just so cute that I wanted to move in! You can visit on a day trip from Paris and I would highly recommend it.

8. Cortona

I picked Cortona as a highlight because I really enjoyed being there and it was a lovely little town. But the same could be said of any of the little towns that I visited in Tuscany - I don't think it really matters which one I chose because they are all really beautiful and a joy to visit. This one was especially so because of the "Under the Tuscan Sun" connection and it was nice to visit the house that featured in the book (not the movie). I really enjoyed wandering around the hilly, cobbled streets and peeking into churches as I went past.

9. Mont Saint-Michel

This one is on the highlights list for obvious reasons (it's gorgeous!) but with the caveat that I'm glad I was there super early to enjoy it, and that if I had dropped by any later, it probably wouldn't be on this list. It is a lovely little island with a fascinating church and history and of course, that makes it the sort of place that attracts a lot of people. But it is also really quite small and the roads and lanes are not designed for so many people. So my tip to you, dear reader - be early. The church opens at 9am but you can wander into town at any time before that. And it's worth it just to see the place empty. Another option would be to stay overnight, which I think would also be lovely.

 

10. Sault

Not an obvious choice to have on my list for the fact that I was stuck there for several days (day 2, day 3 and day 4) due to the campervan breaking down, it was stressful and I struggled with my lack of French... but Sault really is a lovely place to visit, due to a break down or not! It was surrounded by lavender, with lovely little areas to sit and look over the fields or look over at Mont Ventoux, or just people watch. I had a good time watching the old men playing boules, with one of them  trying to take me to a coffee shop for a "date" despite the fact that he was about 80 and couldn't speak English. If it wasn't for the stress of the camper, it would have been a thoroughly enjoyable time.

Honourable mentions

• Siena, with the most amazing church, probably would have made it onto the list if I had spent more time there. The day I was there was really hot and I was in a crabby mood and it was a very hilly city which made me hotter! I would absolutely go back there in cooler weather as it was absolutely gorgeous and only just falls out of the top 10.
• Mantua/Mantova - part 1 and part 2. Not as well known as Verona, Mantua also features in Romeo & Juliet but is nowhere near as busy. I actually enjoyed Mantua better than Verona, because it seemed more authentic and real, and was much less touristy. It also had some really amazing buildings!
• Chateau de Bussy-Rabutin. A complete and utter surprise, this chateau is absolutely charming, with the most fascinating history. I only visited it because I happened to be in the area, but I'm so glad I did! It is possibly the most elaborate "burn book" ever!
• Montalcino. I wrote above that, while I chose Cortona as the favourite Tuscan hilltop town, I could have chosen others. Montalcino comes a close second, though I wish I had known more about it before I went. It is famous for its Brunello, but I didn't know at the time and missed my opportunity to buy myself a bottle of this famous wine!
• Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. Like the hilltop Tuscan villages, I could have chosen several of these beautiful ancient villages in France. Saint-Cirq-Lapopie was definitely my favourite, though, and the whole area of the Lot is one of my favourites in France.
• Lavender and sunflowers. Fields of either of these always made me smile, and there's nothing I enjoy more than driving along the little back roads of Provence with the small of lavender in the car. And I always say hello to the sunflowers when I can!

That's it. It's all over. Time to cover some different places, because I still have LOTS to show you!