I always used to think of Frejus (pre autostrada) as the man’s way & the Blanc best left to the ‘follow the big blue line on the map’ boy’s. What do you lot reckon?
When I first started going to Italia (1969) there was no auoroute so it was all national roads. Beautiful scenery But the roads wern’t that good.! In the Summer of course I went via Monte Ceniso.Frejus once.Definately a mans route. 
Went over Cenis myself, just the once, it had a 19t limit through Laslebourg at the time, i only had 2ton in the trailer so would’ve been under that, (i know they meant rigids only but the stupid englishman routine works wonders sometimes) before you ask, I couldn’t go swiss as I was running on a blue book & that caused big probs at Chiasso.
Cor that was a big hill on the Italian side! The steps must’ve been fun when it was busy! All the motorways ruined the job IMO which is why i used Frejus
i have used both frejus was good drive up french side easier now so i here enjoyed mont blanc more for some reason and went mont genevre once that was hard work good job i was empty.
i had a good idea one day and decided to go over Lalarche. i still have nightmares 
or as an alternative to the mountain, Gap to Cuneo…that was different!!
Used the Frejus if going into Turin, if Milan was first on the list then used to go via Mont Blanc.
Probably ended up using the Frejus on the way out regardless of where I was,
I actually liked the old road. There was a cafe at Bardonecchia we used to stop at sometimes.I cannot remember the name of it now, Parking on a dirt park on the left on the way in to Italy, with stroll into the shop next door for some interesting wines. Must find my photos.
I did that run over from Gap myself, but i ran the length of the Route Napolean, up & down the box for 9hrs from Chamberey to Nice,
i had a young lad from the office with me so i had strict instructions from the other lads to make it seem like the hardest weeks work ever! Les Flics must’ve thought xmas had come early as i was handing out cafe’s left right & centre & the only bit of mway he saw was the M2!
I remember a bit near Digne-le-Bains that had a tunnel blasted out of a bit of rock, immediately after a 90deg left, i had a brand new alloy step frame box on & had to shunt back n forth to get lined up so i didnt rip the side out of the trailer!
I’ve got some pics of it somewhere, will have to have a rummage in the loft.
Did Genevro too, am I correct in thinking that this was meant to be open 365 days per year as the alternative to the toll only routes between France & Italy?
Blimey Supercube, so you’ve used Larche as well ! Hope you took a clean pair of underpants with you. That is an experience not many English drivers have had I can promise you. I thought only log lorries went over there ! I bet you saw plenty of them. I did that crossing many years ago in I think 1970 and that was by mistake. It was not even summer either so I take my hat off to you for using what can only be described as a mountainous country lane. Bravo !!
Hi Nobby the illustrous Paddy Keoghan went over Larche with one of my 140’s also did Genevro which I believe was the only route for tankers? Not sure but that was in the back of my mind somewhere.
Regards Pat
In the 80s used to get £10 extra each way to go over Cenis plus £15 for a clean permit,also Mont Geneve. Went over Simplon once or twice with a stripped down tilt plus another on top[for the summer clear out, then rebuild outside Turin in the SUN]. Early 90s as an od it was Frejus and or Mont Geneve. I think it was 93 dropped a case at my friends farm outside turin then went down on my new ZZR1100 spent a few days crossing the alps in that area looking for another truck route. Got bored and went and sat by the side of the Matterhorn,Maggiore and San Marino. August poured down on the way home
Bob hope you see this, just seen under my name looks like [OLD] should,nt it be junior
no, its right al, befits your advancing years.
did italy for a few months in the 90’s, used fejus every time, just because that was the route my boss told me to take…he wouldnt let me take the new road into italy,had to use the old road down the side of the mountain…i didnt mind though,nice scenery and very quiet with most people taking the new road…
Got Turned away at Frejus on my FIRST trip (HazChem) and had to go over the Tops 
I absolutely loved it , the scenery was amazing BUT it took about 9 weeks longer to get to Italy!!! I always had to use Frejus because I was Hazchem all the time, I once went Mont Blanc and loved that two But my old 113 didnt like crawling up the hills and being left for dead by Dutch Rockets pulling Curries of Dumfries trailers
There was no motorway to the Blanc when I used to go, well it was over 20 years ago, only went that way because we were told to, would have love to have gone Cenis
Mont Cenis was a great run in the summer, apart from trying to park at the cafe by the lake, it was always full of coaches
](http://img122.imageshack.us/my.php?image=topofmontcenisqk4.jpg)
late 70s-early 80s i worked for steve mcallister aka diesel motor co, the blanc was not an option then, but we did get a choice between the cenis and the vent. money was good but it was a hard way to do prato every week.
Hey Bob in my early days Big Arthur took me over LaLarche
i thought he was trying to kill me but was no problem but yeah
the Genevre. Cenis the old way up the Blanc and the Frejus
Ventimiglia, N6, N7, N43, Ho Chi Min round Paris thats how we
got about in those days. do you remember that village coming
out of Calais on the N43 called “LE TARGET BLUE” well something
like that, and the house on the bend that had so many wooden
beams supporting it from the outside coz it got hit regular by
a French truck. but you know the trick of all those twisty turning
routes was to have a good drop of Vin Rouge or Vino Collapso
depending on which way you was going and then you always felt
like you was heading in a perfect line simple really. 
Hi Supercube, Your right Steve Mcallisters drivers were only allowed to use the toll free routes, I remember when he only had the three drivers (?) there was Mario, Big Arthur and Ronnie Evans, and on this particular day one of them was broke down and one of them burnt out going up the French side of Mont Cenis, must have cost him a few bob that day.