Valloire sits in a green bowl at about 1,430 metres, at the foot of the Galibier, and it feels like a proper mountain village rather than a purpose-built resort, which is rarer than it should be in the Alps. The old centre is a mix of stone chalets, small shops, and a church with an interior that is a riot of Baroque painting and gilding, a reminder that the Savoyard valleys were once rich in devotion and craft. In summer, cyclists and walkers fill the cafes, and in winter, the village becomes a ski resort.
The setting is lovely. The valley of the Valloirette runs toward the Galibier, with high meadows, scree slopes, and the glacier-tipped peaks of the Écrins beyond. Mountain flowers carpet the meadows in June and July, and marmots whistle from the rocks. The air smells of cut grass and pine, and the nights are cool even in summer. A short walk up a path from the village takes you into silence and big views.
For a rider, Valloire is the gateway to the Galibier, one of the great passes of the Alps. The road climbs from the village in a series of long bends, passing the last farms and then rising above the tree line into a barren landscape of rock and snow patches, and the summit stands at 2,642 metres. The ride is spectacular but demanding, with narrow sections, steep drops, and sudden weather changes, and the pass is usually open only from early summer to autumn. Before setting off, check the status, and keep a warm layer in the bag.
Valloire has fuel, though stations are small, so fill up when you can. Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, about seven kilometres away down the valley, is the nearest bigger place, and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne is larger still. The village has plenty of cafes, bakeries, and restaurants, and Savoyard dishes such as tartiflette, diots, and gratin dauphinois are on many menus. A pause here before or after the Galibier is a good idea. The best season is July to September, but late June brings the flowers, and autumn brings the clearest air.