A8 autoroute
Encyclopedia
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
between Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence
Aix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
and the A7
A7 autoroute
The A7 Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Soleil is a French motorway. It continues the A6 and links Lyon to Marseille...
to the Côte d'Azur.
Route
The A8 is an extension of the A7A7 autoroute
The A7 Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Soleil is a French motorway. It continues the A6 and links Lyon to Marseille...
starting to the west of Aix-en-Provence at La Fare-les-Oliviers. The road passes through the Departments of Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône is a department in the south of France named after the mouth of the Rhône River. It is the most populous department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its INSEE and postal code is 13.-History of the department:...
, Var and Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes is a department in the extreme southeast corner of France.- History : was created by Octavian as a Roman military district in 14 BC, and became a full Roman province in the middle of the 1st century with its capital first at Cemenelum and subsequently at Embrun...
. It serves the towns of Aix-en-Provence, Fréjus
Fréjus
Fréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...
, Saint-Raphaël
Saint-Raphaël, Var
Saint-Raphaël is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Immediately to the west of Saint-Raphaël lies another, older, town called Fréjus, and together they form an urban agglomeration known as Fréjus Saint-Raphaël...
, Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, Antibes
Antibes
Antibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes...
, Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
and Menton
Menton
Menton is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Situated on the French Riviera, along the Franco-Italian border, it is nicknamed la perle de la France ....
before crossing the border where it becomes the A10 in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It crosses the mountain ranges of Sainte-Baume
Sainte-Baume
The Sainte-Baume is a mountain ridge spreading between the départements of Bouches-du-Rhône and Var in southern France...
and of Maures between Aix-en-Provence and Fréjus and it Massif de l'Ésterel
Esterel
Esterel is a synchronous programming language for the development of complex reactive systems. The imperative programming style of Esterel allows the simple expression of parallelism and preemption...
between Saint-Raphaël and Cannes. Following the Grande Corniche the road offers panoramas of the sea between Nice and Menton.
Capacity
- 2x3 lanes from CoudouxCoudouxCoudoux is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Location:It is away from Aix-en-Provence, away from Salon-de-Provence, and nearly away from Marseille...
(the junction with the A7 to La Barque (junction with the A52A52 autorouteThe A52 autoroute is a motorway in south east France. The road runs from the Péage de La Barque on the A8 at Aubagne to the A50.The road is the length of 23 km, it is a toll road and is operated by ESCOTA.-Junctions:...
).
- 2x2 lanes from La Barque to Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-BaumeSaint-Maximin-la-Sainte-BaumeSaint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It lies east of Aix-en-Provence, in the westernmost point of Var département. It is located at the foot of the Sainte-Baume mountains: baume or bama is the Provençal...
(being expanded to 2x3 lanes) increases to 2x3 lanes at Cagnes-sur-MerCagnes-sur-MerCagnes-sur-Mer is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:It is the largest suburb of the city of Nice and lies to the west-southwest of it, about from the center.-History:...
.
- 2x4 lanes from Cagnes-sur-MerCagnes-sur-MerCagnes-sur-Mer is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:It is the largest suburb of the city of Nice and lies to the west-southwest of it, about from the center.-History:...
to Saint-Laurent-du-VarSaint-Laurent-du-VarSaint-Laurent-du-Var is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera.-History:The town was founded in the 11th century when an hospice was founded under Saint Lawrence's protection...
(the road enters the Nice conurbationConurbationA conurbation is a region comprising a number of cities, large towns, and other urban areas that, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban and industrially developed area...
).
- 2x2 lanes in the section through the southern AlpsAlpsThe Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
from NiceNiceNice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
Saint-Augustin to the frontier with Italy, this section has 15 tunnels. There is a speed limit of 90 km/h in the tunnels (70 km/h for large vehicles).
Traffic
The road has heavy traffic all year round and is especially congested in July and August (in particular around AntibesAntibes
Antibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes...
and Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
. As a result, traffic-management schemes have been adopted between Var to Nice-West similar to those on the Péripherique in Paris. The autoroute is regularly closed on the Nice-Menton section as a result of rock falls onto the carriageways. The sections crossing the Maures and L'Esterel mountains are at risk from forest fires in summer.
Interchanges
-
28 : A7 autorouteA7 autorouteThe A7 Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Soleil is a French motorway. It continues the A6 and links Lyon to Marseille...
, CoudouxCoudouxCoudoux is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Location:It is away from Aix-en-Provence, away from Salon-de-Provence, and nearly away from Marseille... -
Aires de repos: Ventabren -
29 18 km: Aix-en-ProvenceAix-en-ProvenceAix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
(ouest) - 28 : A51 autorouteA51 autorouteThe A51 autoroute is a projected motorway in south east France. It is the long term project to connect Marseille to Grenoble via Aix-en-Provence, the Durance valley and the Department Hautes-Alpes.-Route:...
- 30 19 km: Aix-en-Provence (pont de l'Arc)
- 31 21 km: Aix-en-Provence (est)
- 32 27 km: N7Route nationale 7The Route nationale 7, or RN 7, is a trunk road in France between Paris and the border with Italy. It was also known as the Route Bleue and — sarcastically, during the annual rush to the Mediterranean beaches — the Route de la Mort .-History:The Romans under Marcus Agrippa established...
Châteauneuf-le-Rouge -
Péage de La Barque - : A52 autorouteA52 autorouteThe A52 autoroute is a motorway in south east France. The road runs from the Péage de La Barque on the A8 at Aubagne to the A50.The road is the length of 23 km, it is a toll road and is operated by ESCOTA.-Junctions:...
-
Aires de service: Rousset (eastbound) L'Arc (westbound) - 33 47 km: PourrièresPourrièresPourrières is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
- Aires de repos: Saint-Hilaire (eastbound) Barcelone (westbound)
- 34 58 km: Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-BaumeSaint-Maximin-la-Sainte-BaumeSaint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It lies east of Aix-en-Provence, in the westernmost point of Var département. It is located at the foot of the Sainte-Baume mountains: baume or bama is the Provençal...
- Aires de service: Cambarette
- 35 74 km: BrignolesBrignolesBrignoles is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.It was the summer residence of the counts of Provence...
- Aires de repos: Roudai/Candumy
- : A57 autorouteA57 autorouteThe A57 autoroute is a motorway in south eastern France.It is 55 km long and runs from the Tunnel de Toulon to the A8 near Le Luc. The road is a toll motorway north of Toulon. It is operated by ESCOTA...
- Aires de service: Vidauban
- 36 118 km: DraguignanDraguignanDraguignan is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in southeastern France.It is a sub-prefecture of the department and self-proclaimed "capital of Artillery" and "Porte du Verdon".The city is only from St...
/ Le MuyLe MuyLe Muy is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It was one of the first places to be liberated in the Allied invasion of Southern France in August 1944.It lies near Draguignan and Saint-Tropez....
, Gulf of Saint-TropezSaint-TropezSaint-Tropez is a town, 104 km to the east of Marseille, in the Var department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. It is also the principal town in the canton of Saint-Tropez.... - Aires de repos: Jas Pellicot
- Aires de service: Canaver
- 37 129 km: FréjusFréjusFréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...
/ Puget-sur-ArgensPuget-sur-ArgensPuget-sur-Argens is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It is located at 687 kilometres south-east of Paris. It is called Le Pugeton or Lou Puget d'Argèns in French and El Petit Puig in the province to distinguish it from the city... - Péage de Le Capitou/Fréjus Ouest
- 38 134 km: Fréjus / Saint-RaphaëlSaint-Raphaël, VarSaint-Raphaël is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Immediately to the west of Saint-Raphaël lies another, older, town called Fréjus, and together they form an urban agglomeration known as Fréjus Saint-Raphaël...
- Aires de service: L'Esterel
- 39 145 km: les Adrets-de-l'EsterelLes Adrets-de-l'EstérelLes Adrets de l'Estérel is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It lies near Fréjus and Cannes, on the Esterel massif in southeastern France.-References:*...
- 40 157 km: Mandelieu-la-NapouleMandelieu-la-NapouleMandelieu-La Napoule is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France, located on the French Riviera just to the southwest of Cannes and northeast of Théoule-sur-Mer....
- 41 159 km: CannesCannesCannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
/ Les Tourrades - 42 165 km: Cannes / Mougins
- Aires de repos: Piccolaret
- Aires de service: Breguieres
- 44 171 km: AntibesAntibesAntibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes...
Ouest, Sophia AntipolisSophia AntipolisSophia Antipolis is a technology park northwest of Antibes and southwest of Nice, France. Much of the park falls within the commune of Valbonne. Created in 1970-84, it houses primarily companies in the fields of computing, electronics, pharmacology and biotechnology. Several institutions of higher... - Péage d' Antibes Ouest
- 46 178 km: Villeneuve-LoubetVilleneuve-LoubetVilleneuve-Loubet It lies between Cagnes-sur-Mer and Antibes, at the mouth of the Loup River.It was created by the joining two old villages: the old village of Villeneuve inland and the village of Loubet on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
/ Bouches du Loup - 47 179 km: Villeneuve-Loubet Centre
- 48 181 km: Cagnes-sur-MerCagnes-sur-MerCagnes-sur-Mer is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:It is the largest suburb of the city of Nice and lies to the west-southwest of it, about from the center.-History:...
- 49 185 km: Saint-Laurent-du-VarSaint-Laurent-du-VarSaint-Laurent-du-Var is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the French Riviera.-History:The town was founded in the 11th century when an hospice was founded under Saint Lawrence's protection...
- 50 186 km: NiceNiceNice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
(promenade des Anglais) - 51 187 km: Nice (Saint-Augustin)
- Péage de Nice Saint-Isidore
- 52 190 km: Nice (Saint-Isidore)
- 54 197 km: Nice (nord)
- 55 199.5 km: Nice (l'Ariane)
- 56 :
MonacoMonacoMonaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
(A508 Spur) - Péage de La Turbie
- 57 208 km: La TurbieLa TurbieLa Turbie is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.-History:...
- Aires de service: La Scoperta (eastbound) Beausoleil (westbound)
- 58 214 km: Roquebrune-Cap-MartinRoquebrune-Cap-MartinRoquebrune-Cap-Martin is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France between Monaco and Menton. The name was changed from Roquebrune to differentiate the town from Roquebrune-sur-Argens in the neighboring Var Department.-History:In pre-Roman times the area was settled by the...
- 59 220 km: MentonMentonMenton is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Situated on the French Riviera, along the Franco-Italian border, it is nicknamed la perle de la France ....
- 60 227 km: SanremoSanremoSanremo or San Remo is a city with about 57,000 inhabitants on the Mediterranean coast of western Liguria in north-western Italy. Founded in Roman times, the city is best known as a tourist destination on the Italian Riviera. It hosts numerous cultural events, such as the Sanremo Music Festival...
- State border
- 224 km
Autostrada A10Autostrada A10 (Italy)The A10 is an Italian autostrada connecting Genoa with Ventimiglia .It is also known as "Autostrada dei Fiori" ....
(ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
)
Opening dates of the A8
- 1956: Creation of Escota, a company to be in charge of all the sections from Aix-en-ProvenceAix-en-ProvenceAix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
to the Italian Frontier. - 1961: Opening of the toll sections of FréjusFréjusFréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...
through Mandelieu-la-NapouleMandelieu-la-NapouleMandelieu-La Napoule is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France, located on the French Riviera just to the southwest of Cannes and northeast of Théoule-sur-Mer....
to Cagnes-sur-MerCagnes-sur-MerCagnes-sur-Mer is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:It is the largest suburb of the city of Nice and lies to the west-southwest of it, about from the center.-History:...
(exit 46). - 1969: Opening of the toll section from RoquebruneRoquebrune-Cap-MartinRoquebrune-Cap-Martin is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France between Monaco and Menton. The name was changed from Roquebrune to differentiate the town from Roquebrune-sur-Argens in the neighboring Var Department.-History:In pre-Roman times the area was settled by the...
to the Italian frontier (initially only one carriageway and for lightweight vehicles. Then, in 1970, both carriageways were opened). - 1971–1974: Staged opening of the sections between Aix-en-ProvenceAix-en-ProvenceAix , or Aix-en-Provence to distinguish it from other cities built over hot springs, is a city-commune in southern France, some north of Marseille. It is in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône, of which it is a subprefecture. The population of Aix is...
and FréjusFréjusFréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...
. - 1976: Opening of the section between Cagnes-sur-MerCagnes-sur-MerCagnes-sur-Mer is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:It is the largest suburb of the city of Nice and lies to the west-southwest of it, about from the center.-History:...
and RoquebruneRoquebrune-Cap-MartinRoquebrune-Cap-Martin is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France between Monaco and Menton. The name was changed from Roquebrune to differentiate the town from Roquebrune-sur-Argens in the neighboring Var Department.-History:In pre-Roman times the area was settled by the...
(partly one carriageway only—the doubling of some tunnels was completed as late as 1988).