Route des Grandes Alpes (1073 km)

Thonon les Bains to Menton · one way, about 1073 km back to the start

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Why this ride

From Thonon-les-Bains it runs 1073 km to Menton; allow about 15 h 27 of riding. It goes by way of Col des Gets, Col des Aravis, Col du Cormet de Roselend and Col de l Iseran. The highest point is about 2,750 m. Cormet de Roselend, Col du Galibier, Col d Izoard, Col de Vars, Col de Restefond and Col de Turini are subject to seasonal closure - check it is open before you set off. It suits an unhurried touring pace.

Roadbook

1. Thonon les Bains start

   Thonon-les-Bains sits on the southern shore of Lake Geneva, facing Switzerland across about ten kilometres of water, and it is where the Route des Grandes Alpes officially starts. This was the first great tourist road of France, planned in the early twentieth century by the Touring Club de France to link the lake with the Mediterranean via the highest passes of the French Alps, and the road runs for about seven hundred kilometres over a series of cols, ending in Menton. The fine promenade along the lake, with its views of the Swiss shore and the Jura, and the fish restaurants serving perch fillets, are a gentle prelude.

   The old town stands on a bluff above the port, linked to the lakeside by a funicular opened in the late nineteenth century, and nearby the Château de Ripaille, a former residence of the dukes of Savoy, stands in a park beside the water. Thonon was a spa town, and the neighbouring Évian, a few kilometres east, still sells its mineral water around the world. This region, Savoy, belonged to the House of Savoy until it was ceded to France in 1860, and its mountain culture, cheeses and dialect set it a little apart.

   The ride proper begins when the road turns south and climbs into the Alps. The first passes are modest, in forests and pastures with Alpine chalets and cow bells, but the route builds toward the giants: the Col de l'Iseran, at 2,764 metres the highest pass in the Alps that is crossed by a through road, the Col du Galibier, at about 2,640 metres, and finally the Col de la Bonette, near 2,715 metres. The road surface is generally good, but bends are tight, there are drops without guard rails in places, and the weather at altitude can switch from sun to snow in minutes. The high passes are only open in summer, typically from June until October, so check status before planning. Early starts avoid the afternoon storms.

   At the beginning, everything is easy. Thonon is a town of over thirty thousand, with fuel stations on the main roads and plenty of cafes, hotels and supermarkets, so fill up and eat well. Higher up, villages are small and stations rarer, so top up whenever you pass one. Alpine cheeses, such as reblochon and beaufort, and a savoyard dish of potatoes baked with cheese and bacon, called tartiflette, are the natural fuel for the road. Pack warm layers, rain gear and gloves, whatever the weather at the lake.

2. Col des Gets scenic · 1172 m

   The Col des Gets is a gentle pass of 1,172 metres between the Giffre and Dranse valleys in the Haute-Savoie, linking the villages of Les Gets and Morzine, and it sits on the old Route des Grandes Alpes, the long road from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean. It is not a high or wild pass, but it is a handsome one, with rolling meadows, fir forests and wooden chalets, and the crest of the hills above it holds ski lifts that turn into mountain bike routes in summer.

   Les Gets, a village of 1,300 residents, is pretty and a bit more relaxed than its neighbours, and holds a surprising attraction: a museum of mechanical music, with a collection of music boxes, automatons, barrel organs and fairground pieces, housed in an old building. Morzine, a larger resort town of about three thousand, has a lively centre, a variety of restaurants and fuel stations. The Portes du Soleil ski area, which spreads across the French and Swiss border, begins here, and in July and August mountain bikers fill the area, so do not be surprised to share the road with them.

   The road from Cluses, which approaches from the valley, climbs through gorges and then onto open pastures with views of the Mont Blanc range in the distance, with a steady gradient and a number of bends. From Thonon-les-Bains, the start of the Grandes Alpes route on Lake Geneva, you climb gradually along the Dranse valley, through the Gorges du Pont du Diable, a deep and rocky cut with a roaring river beneath. The roads are well surfaced and marked, and the bends are open and easy, making it a pleasant ride rather than a challenging one.

   The region is dairy country, famous for Abondance cows, with their reddish-brown coats and white faces, and for the cheeses made from their milk, notably Abondance, Reblochon and Tomme. Farm shops sell them directly, and a fondue or tartiflette is the natural lunch. The pass is open throughout the year in most conditions, though snow can cause delays in winter, and chains may be needed. Summer afternoons can bring thunderstorms, so start early and be prepared for a drop in temperature.

3. Col des Aravis scenic · 1486 m

   The Col des Aravis, at 1,486 metres, joins the Arve and Thônes valleys across the Aravis range, and it is one of the most scenic of the middle-height passes in the northern French Alps. The view from the pass looks across to the Mont Blanc massif, dominating the skyline on a clear day, with the white dome and glaciers above dark forests, and in front of it stretch the green pastures of the Aravis. A handful of chalets and a small café stand near the summit, and several farms sell cheese directly from their barns.

   La Clusaz, a village of 2,200 permanent residents on the Thônes side, is a ski resort with old stone and wooden buildings, restaurants and shops, and it is the nearest place for fuel and a proper meal. Saint-Jean-de-Sixt, a small village a few kilometres below, is more modest. This is the country of Reblochon, a soft washed-rind cheese with a long history, said to have been made by farmers who withheld part of the milk from the landlord's count and skimmed the rich second milking afterwards, which is the origin of the name. It is the main ingredient of tartiflette, with potatoes, bacon and onions, which is hard to beat after a cold ride.

   The climb is easy by Alpine standards, with an even gradient and a broad road, and long stretches of gentle bends through meadows and forest. On the descent towards Flumet, the views open towards the Beaufortain, with rows of peaks to the south. The surface is generally good, and traffic can be heavy on summer weekends, with campervans and cyclists as well as bikes. Early morning is best, when the light is soft and the cows are out on the high pastures, with bells ringing.

   Snow can close the pass in winter, though it is usually kept open, and chains or winter tyres may be required, so check local conditions. Summer brings hay-making and flowers, with meadows full of gentians, orchids and buttercups in June. The climate is cooler and wetter than the nearby lakes, and fog can come down quickly. Keep a layer in the pannier and drink water, and take your time over the descent.

4. Col du Cormet de Roselend scenic · 1967 m

   The Cormet de Roselend is the pass of cheese and water. It lies in the Beaufortain massif, between the town of Beaufort and the valley of the Isère, and for much of the climb you are riding through the pastures where the cows that make Beaufort cheese spend their summers, wearing bells and grazing on alpine flowers. The cheese, which is aged in the valley, is one of the most prized in France, and it is the reason this valley is prosperous and well kept. A wheel, with its distinctive concave edge, is sold in nearly every village.

   The other half of the story is the artificial lake. Below the pass, at about 1,550 metres, the Roselend dam, built in the early 1960s, flooded a whole valley and turned it into a vast turquoise reservoir, and the old village disappeared under the water. A tiny stone chapel, the Chapelle Notre-Dame de la Visitation, was moved to the shore and now sits on the edge, with the mountains in the background, one of the most photographed little buildings in the French Alps. The road runs along the shore for several kilometres before the final climb to the pass at 1,967 metres.

   On a motorcycle, this is a big, open and generous road. From Beaufort, the climb is gradual, with wide bends and good visibility, then there is a series of hairpins up toward the col. On the other side, toward Bourg-Saint-Maurice, the descent runs down the Isère valley with views of Mont Blanc on a clear day, and the road gets narrower and more twisting. The surface is generally good, though the cold winters take their toll, and the pass is closed from about late October to early June. Cyclists climb this in large numbers, so be ready for them around the bends.

   Beaufort has fuel and a couple of shops, and Bourg-Saint-Maurice, thirteen kilometres from the pass, is the nearest larger town with all the services. The best time is June, when the meadows are in flower and the cows are just being driven up, or September, when the air is clear and cold, and the light on the lake is a pale gold.

5. Col de l Iseran scenic · 2764 m

   The Iseran is the roof of the Alps, as far as paved passes go. At 2,764 metres, it is the highest of the great Alpine passes, a shade above the Stelvio, and the road over it was opened in 1937 to link the Tarentaise valley with the Maurienne, a feat of engineering that took years of work in short summers. It goes through the heart of the Vanoise National Park, France's first, created in 1963 to protect the ibex, which had been almost wiped out by hunters, and the park's work has been a success, as there are thousands now.

   From Val-d'Isère, the road climbs through bare, glacier-carved terrain in big, open hairpins, with the peaks of the Vanoise glittering above, and the grass gives way to rock and old snow. The summit is a small, windy plateau with a stone chapel and a monument, and a marker to pose with. Beyond it, the south side drops towards Bonneval-sur-Arc, one of the loveliest villages in France, with stone houses and slate roofs. The surface is variable, and even in summer, you can find snow, ice or cold fog at the top. In June and often in autumn, the road may be closed by snow, and it is generally shut from about November until June.

   Weather at this altitude is no joke. Temperatures can be ten degrees below those in the valley, and storms form quickly in the afternoon. A windproof layer and warm gloves are essential. On a clear day, however, the visibility is spectacular, with the Grande Casse, the highest point entirely within the Vanoise, and the glaciers of the Haute Maurienne visible on the south. You may well see marmots, and if you are lucky, ibex on the rocks.

   Fuel is available in Val-d'Isère and Tignes on the northern side, and Bourg-Saint-Maurice, thirty kilometres away, has the full range of services. On the southern side, the villages are tiny, so make sure you have enough fuel for the descent to Lanslebourg. In season, a small stand near the top may sell hot drinks, but do not rely on it. Ride early, avoid weekend crowds, and remember that on this one, the point is the height.

6. Col du Galibier scenic · 2642 m

   The Galibier is the big one, and it knows it. At 2,642 metres this is one of the high gates of the French Alps, the saddle where the Maurienne valley to the north hands you over to the Guisane and the Briançonnais to the south, and the road crosses it by way of a short tunnel under the actual crest, or, for those who want the proper view, by the final few hundred metres of open hairpin that go over the top. The summit marker stands on the old crest, with a monument to Henri Desgrange, the founder of the Tour de France, who first sent the race over this pass in 1911. Cyclists still turn up in swarms to touch the sign, so expect lycra and an unhurried pace.

   From the north you climb from Valloire, past the Col du Télégraphe, a gentle warm-up through forest, and then the landscape strips off its trees and turns to bare scree, rock and sky. From the south you rise out of the Guisane valley through Le Monêtier-les-Bains and the stunted larch above the village, then across the broad bowl below the Lautaret. The south side is the more open and fast, the north the more intimate, but both are well graded, wide enough for a big bike and rewarded with views toward the Meije and the glaciers of the Écrins when the cloud allows.

   Do not treat it as an all-year road. The Galibier closes with the winter snow and typically only opens around early summer, then shuts again around October, so check before planning anything near the edges of the season. The weather can change in twenty minutes at this height, so put on a layer at the top even if you rode up in a T-shirt, and watch for wet patches in the shaded hairpins where snow lingers into July.

   Valloire and Le Monêtier are small villages, so if the tank is anywhere near half, fill up in the valley before you start; the nearest bigger town to the north is Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, with Briançon beyond the Lautaret on the other side. At the top there is usually a seasonal café or refreshment stand in the warm months, which does the job for a hot drink and a sandwich, but do not count on it being open early in the day.

   Stay a few minutes. The air is thin, the colours are chalk, rust and green, and the marmots near the road whistle at you like annoyed neighbours.

7. Col d Izoard scenic · 2360 m

   The Col d'Izoard, at 2,360 metres, is one of the great passes of the French Alps, on the road between Briançon and the Queyras, and the south side is the part riders remember. A few kilometres below the summit the road passes through the Casse Déserte, a startling field of orange and grey scree and rock pinnacles, eroded into odd shapes, which looks more like the surface of another planet than the Alps. In front of it stands a monument to the cyclists Fausto Coppi and Louison Bobet, who both won here in the Tour de France, and the Tour has crossed the pass many times.

   The north side, from Briançon, begins in the Guisane and Cerveyrette valleys, among larch forests and meadows, and climbs through the hamlet of Cervières before reaching the summit by a series of wide, easy bends. The south side drops through Arvieux into the Guil valley, with views over the Queyras, a region known for its sunny weather, its old wooden farmhouses and the fortified village of Mont-Dauphin below. Briançon, a town of about eleven thousand, is the highest city in France at some 1,326 metres, with Vauban's fortifications dominating the old town, a UNESCO site, and plenty of fuel and restaurants.

   Riding it is a delight. The surface is generally excellent, the gradients are moderate, and the corners are open and flowing, which lets you relax and look at the scenery. In midsummer, traffic builds with cyclists, motorcyclists and campervans, and the best time is early morning or late afternoon, when the light is long and low on the rocks. At the top there is a small refuge-like café and a viewing table with a panorama of the surrounding peaks, though services are limited, so do not count on fuel.

   Snow closes the pass from about November until late May or June, depending on the year, and the local authority publishes opening dates, so check before you set off. Even in July, the summit can be cold and windy, and sudden thunderstorms and hail are possible in the afternoon. A windproof layer and warm gloves are sensible, and bring water, as the south side is hot and dry in summer.

8. Col de Vars scenic · 2108 m

   The Col de Vars is the gentle one on the Route des Grandes Alpes, and it knows how to be pleasant. At 2,108 metres it separates the Guil valley from the valley of the Ubaye, linking Guillestre in the Hautes-Alpes to Barcelonnette on the other side, and from the top you look over rounded grassy slopes, scattered larches and a few farm buildings, with the jagged peaks of the Queyras and the Mercantour at a respectful distance. It lacks the savage edges of the higher passes, and is better for it on a warm day, when the grass smells of thyme and the cowbells carry on the wind.

   The climb from Guillestre is long, steady and open, with sweeping bends and a few hairpins near the top, while the descent to Jausiers is a flowing run through larch forest and meadows with good surface and wide corners. On the way up you may pass the ski resort of Vars, a bit worn in summer, and the small chalets and mountain farms of the high pastures. Marmots whistle from the rocks near the road, and in early summer the hillsides are covered with alpine flowers. Because the pass is lower than many on this route, it opens earlier in spring, usually by late May, and stays open later in autumn, but snow can fall at any time of year.

   Near Guillestre, at Mont-Dauphin, is the star-shaped fortress that Louis XIV's engineer Vauban built to guard the frontier, now on the UNESCO list with a dozen other Vauban sites. It is a reminder that these passes were once important military routes as well as trade routes. Barcelonnette, on the other side, has a surprising Mexican heritage, since many of its residents emigrated to Mexico in the nineteenth century, returning with fortunes and building colourful villas.

   A small cafe or snack stand sometimes operates at the summit in season, but do not rely on it. The best time to ride is early morning or in the evening, when light is warm and traffic at its thinnest, though weekends in July and August are busy with cyclists, as it is a favourite of the Tour de France.

9. Col de la Bonette scenic · 2715 m

   The Col de la Bonette is the high-altitude trophy of the Alps, and it is worth being clear about the statistics. The pass itself is at 2,715 metres, but a loop road branches off to circle the Cime de la Bonette at 2,802 metres, making it the highest paved through road in Europe, or so it is usually claimed. The road was built largely for military reasons in the 1930s, when France worried about its Italian border, and finished in its present form around 1960. Up here, on the border of the Mercantour National Park, the landscape is bare scree and rock, with patches of snow lingering into July, and nothing grows taller than a lichen.

   From Jausiers in the north, the road climbs a long valley through larch forest, then opens above the tree line in an enormous bowl, with long, steady hairpins climbing the slope. The surface is generally good, but frost damage and loose gravel at the edges are common, and in places the road narrows. The pass is open from about June to October, and often closes at the first heavy snow, so do check. The descent toward Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée on the south side runs through the old barracks of Restefond, abandoned stone buildings that have been slowly crumbling since the Second World War, and then down a deep, wild valley.

   At this altitude the air is thin, the sun fierce and the temperature can be ten degrees colder than in the valley, with fierce wind. Bring windproof layers and gloves even in August. Marmots and chamois are visible if you stop quietly, and ibex have been reintroduced in the area. The views from the summit loop are extensive: peaks stretching toward Italy and, on a clear day, the Mediterranean haze beyond.

   Jausiers on the northern side and Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée on the southern side both have pumps, and Embrun, about thirty-seven kilometres away, is the nearest larger town. A small stand sometimes sells drinks at the top in season, but don't count on it. Go early, avoid afternoon storms, and take the loop to the very top, because the point of the exercise is to stand somewhere that most Alpine roads never reach.

10. Col de Turini scenic · 1607 m

    Turini belongs to the Monte Carlo Rally more than to any map. For decades the rally's night stage over this pass has been one of the most famous in motorsport, the Nuit du Turini, when spectators light fires in the forest and cars appear out of the darkness with a wall of floodlights. At 1,607 metres, the col is not especially high, but it is wrapped in a dense forest of fir and larch, which is why the hairpins on both sides are so intimate, with rock walls and tree trunks flashing past close to your shoulder.

    The pass links the Vésubie valley with the Bévéra and Roya valleys, a mountainous hinterland that is only an hour or so behind the glitz of Nice and Monaco but feels like a different country. The villages here are stone-built and perched, with names like La Bollène-Vésubie and Moulinet, and the roads between them follow narrow valleys that smell of resin and wet rock. Nearby, the Mercantour National Park protects wolves, chamois and golden eagles, though what you are more likely to see are cyclists and other bikers, who make this a popular loop on weekends.

    The riding is technical rather than fast: tight, blind hairpins, a surface that varies from smooth to patched, and long shadows that keep patches of damp on the road well into the day. Cooler air at altitude also means that tyres may take longer to warm up in the morning. The road is generally open year-round, but snow and ice can close it in winter. On the descent toward Sospel and Menton, the air gets warmer and the vegetation changes to olive and lemon, which is a nice trick.

    Lantosque and La Bollène-Vésubie in the Vésubie valley, and Breil-sur-Roya on the other side, have pumps, though hours can be short in the villages, and Nice is the sure bet for services. The nearby hotel-restaurants at the top are a pilgrimage for rally fans, with photos of drivers on the walls, and a plate of local daube or ravioli is a fine reward. In autumn the forest is quiet, with mushrooms and woodsmoke in the air.

11. Menton finish

    Menton is the last town in France before Italy, the finish of the Route des Grandes Alpes, and after seven hundred kilometres of mountains it feels like being tipped into a warm bath. The old town tumbles down a hill to the harbour in tones of ochre, apricot and cream, topped by the baroque Basilica of Saint Michael with its glowing facade. The climate is the mildest on the French Riviera, sheltered by the mountains behind, and the local lemons are famous, celebrated each February in the Fête du Citron, when huge sculptures made of fruit and flowers fill the gardens and people parade through the streets.

    The town has a gentle, slightly faded elegance, a place where Victorian visitors came for their health and a gaggle of grand villas still look out over the water. Jean Cocteau, the writer and artist, decorated the registry office in the town hall, and a museum of his work stands on the seafront. A short walk away, the gardens of Garavan, planted with exotic trees and flowers, benefit from a warmth that few other places in France can match. The Italian border is just beyond, close enough to walk, and many people cross for lunch.

    The final ride down the mountain is the real subject. Many riders arrive from the Col de la Bonette, at 2,715 metres the highest paved pass in France when including its extra loop, or from the Col de Vars, at 2,109 metres. The descent toward the coast winds through high pastures, then narrow gorges, then pine and chestnut forest, before finally dropping through olive groves and terraced hillsides toward the sea. Along the way, perched villages such as Sainte-Agnès, at about eight hundred metres the highest coastal village in Europe, cling to rocky crests above the bay, with narrow lanes and glorious views. The temperature climbs as the road falls, and a rider can go from a frosty morning to a hot afternoon in a few hours.

    Practical matters are easy in a town of nearly thirty thousand. Fuel stations line the approach roads, and there are cafes and restaurants all along the seafront. Traffic along the coast is heavy in summer, and parking is tight, so look for a secure garage. Pastry shops sell tarte au citron, and the local speciality is socca, a thin chickpea pancake, or pissaladière, an onion tart. Treat yourself with a swim: it is the tradition at the end of this journey.

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