"Must do" Roads on French Alps Road trip
Discussion
Planning our first French Alps foray next year after a cracking Swiss Alps road trip this year. Would appreciate any "must-do" suggestions of the best passes and/ or drives to "must see" places.
A couple of caveats - wife on board and wants to visit Annecy for a full day, so plan is travel down and then do 3 days in /around that area and do Col du Pre and Col du Frene plus sightseeing.
Then move base perhaps further south for another 3 days based near Grenoble or Gap perhaps and do as many drives as possible within that region.
We don't envisage going further south towards Nice or Monaco, so possibly Col de La Bonette would be as far as we'd venture.
I'm unsure as to best months to go or to avoid (snow closures?), but we are able to go anytime of year thankfully.
Any hotels or areas to stay also welcome !
A couple of caveats - wife on board and wants to visit Annecy for a full day, so plan is travel down and then do 3 days in /around that area and do Col du Pre and Col du Frene plus sightseeing.
Then move base perhaps further south for another 3 days based near Grenoble or Gap perhaps and do as many drives as possible within that region.
We don't envisage going further south towards Nice or Monaco, so possibly Col de La Bonette would be as far as we'd venture.
I'm unsure as to best months to go or to avoid (snow closures?), but we are able to go anytime of year thankfully.
Any hotels or areas to stay also welcome !
From Annecy head towards Albertville and take the road through Beaufort past Lac de Roselend to Bourg St Maurice, then head through Val d'Isere along Col de L'Iseran. From there head to Lac du Mont-Cenis and south from there.
An alternative from Albertville would be to head south to Col de Madeleine and then Col de Telegraphe/Col de Galibier to Briancon.
Hotel Anova in Montgenevre is pretty good, popular with car clubs/tours.
An alternative from Albertville would be to head south to Col de Madeleine and then Col de Telegraphe/Col de Galibier to Briancon.
Hotel Anova in Montgenevre is pretty good, popular with car clubs/tours.
mr pg said:
From Annecy head towards Albertville and take the road through Beaufort past Lac de Roselend to Bourg St Maurice, then head through Val d'Isere along Col de L'Iseran. From there head to Lac du Mont-Cenis and south from there.
An alternative from Albertville would be to head south to Col de Madeleine and then Col de Telegraphe/Col de Galibier to Briancon.
Hotel Anova in Montgenevre is pretty good, popular with car clubs/tours.
Thank you, will look at that and the hotel too. Been watching a few you tube vids of the French Alps now and there are some spectacular drives by the look of it. I was surprised tbh how many there are tbhAn alternative from Albertville would be to head south to Col de Madeleine and then Col de Telegraphe/Col de Galibier to Briancon.
Hotel Anova in Montgenevre is pretty good, popular with car clubs/tours.
Most of the highest mountain passes generally open mid June. Personally I’ve found there is a huge difference in traffic from going end-June/early July compared to mid July onwards. Go as early as you can, both in terms of date and hour of the day.
I’ve ridden (solo or with Mrs B as pillion) these roads to the Mediterranean coast and back to Geneva (including three week long trips to Corsica, plus trips onto Italy/Spain) numerous times over the past 25 years.
The suggestions above are spot on: e.g. the Cormet de Roselend is a corker; I’ve had lunch there by the lake twice this summer during day trips.
I tend to camp so can’t really recommend hotels, but if you want recommendations for routes further south around Gap and into Provence, there is a current thread on the biker forum by a group who are there right now.
Bonne route!
I’ve ridden (solo or with Mrs B as pillion) these roads to the Mediterranean coast and back to Geneva (including three week long trips to Corsica, plus trips onto Italy/Spain) numerous times over the past 25 years.
The suggestions above are spot on: e.g. the Cormet de Roselend is a corker; I’ve had lunch there by the lake twice this summer during day trips.
I tend to camp so can’t really recommend hotels, but if you want recommendations for routes further south around Gap and into Provence, there is a current thread on the biker forum by a group who are there right now.
Bonne route!
Michael_B said:
Most of the highest mountain passes generally open mid June. Personally I ve found there is a huge difference in traffic from going end-June/early July compared to mid July onwards. Go as early as you can, both in terms of date and hour of the day.
I ve ridden (solo or with Mrs B as pillion) these roads to the Mediterranean coast and back to Geneva (including three week long trips to Corsica, plus trips onto Italy/Spain) numerous times over the past 25 years.
The suggestions above are spot on: e.g. the Cormet de Roselend is a corker; I ve had lunch there by the lake twice this summer during day trips.
I tend to camp so can t really recommend hotels, but if you want recommendations for routes further south around Gap and into Provence, there is a current thread on the biker forum by a group who are there right now.
Bonne route!
Cheers!I ve ridden (solo or with Mrs B as pillion) these roads to the Mediterranean coast and back to Geneva (including three week long trips to Corsica, plus trips onto Italy/Spain) numerous times over the past 25 years.
The suggestions above are spot on: e.g. the Cormet de Roselend is a corker; I ve had lunch there by the lake twice this summer during day trips.
I tend to camp so can t really recommend hotels, but if you want recommendations for routes further south around Gap and into Provence, there is a current thread on the biker forum by a group who are there right now.
Bonne route!
That thread is one of a few that's inspired to start planning a French alps trip!
200Plus Club said:
mr pg said:
From Annecy head towards Albertville and take the road through Beaufort past Lac de Roselend to Bourg St Maurice, then head through Val d'Isere along Col de L'Iseran. From there head to Lac du Mont-Cenis and south from there.
An alternative from Albertville would be to head south to Col de Madeleine and then Col de Telegraphe/Col de Galibier to Briancon.
Hotel Anova in Montgenevre is pretty good, popular with car clubs/tours.
Thank you, will look at that and the hotel too. Been watching a few you tube vids of the French Alps now and there are some spectacular drives by the look of it. I was surprised tbh how many there are tbhAn alternative from Albertville would be to head south to Col de Madeleine and then Col de Telegraphe/Col de Galibier to Briancon.
Hotel Anova in Montgenevre is pretty good, popular with car clubs/tours.
Annecy is lovely. We have stopped there for a couple of nights on our trips of a similar nature. Semnoz starts on the very outskirts of the town and is a great drive to the ski resort at the top. Always very quiet too.
The imperial palace hotel is very lovely to stay in.
If you are doing the routes others suggest then Col du telegraphe to Valloire is another nice one, that's often quiet in my experience.
If you head further south the red rock road is stunning. Have a look at Joe Achilles you tube videos from his earlier motorbike trip in the area. It's how I planned one of my trips in the area. It turned out great for me and my lad.
The imperial palace hotel is very lovely to stay in.
If you are doing the routes others suggest then Col du telegraphe to Valloire is another nice one, that's often quiet in my experience.
If you head further south the red rock road is stunning. Have a look at Joe Achilles you tube videos from his earlier motorbike trip in the area. It's how I planned one of my trips in the area. It turned out great for me and my lad.
Northloop said:
Annecy is lovely. We have stopped there for a couple of nights on our trips of a similar nature. Semnoz starts on the very outskirts of the town and is a great drive to the ski resort at the top. Always very quiet too.
The imperial palace hotel is very lovely to stay in.
If you are doing the routes others suggest then Col du telegraphe to Valloire is another nice one, that's often quiet in my experience.
If you head further south the red rock road is stunning. Have a look at Joe Achilles you tube videos from his earlier motorbike trip in the area. It's how I planned one of my trips in the area. It turned out great for me and my lad.
Thanks will do. The imperial palace hotel is very lovely to stay in.
If you are doing the routes others suggest then Col du telegraphe to Valloire is another nice one, that's often quiet in my experience.
If you head further south the red rock road is stunning. Have a look at Joe Achilles you tube videos from his earlier motorbike trip in the area. It's how I planned one of my trips in the area. It turned out great for me and my lad.
I've got together a fair old list of roads /routes from various you tube vids and other threads now, probably too many to do in one trip now tbh, I'm just trying to decide if 1st/2nd week June or September would be better next year. Dont want to go too early that some of the roads are still closed etc.
Currently this is the list of roads I'd really like to do, whether it's the one long trip or two shorter ones:
Col de Izoud*
Col de Liseran *
Col du galibier *
Little St Bernard * to La Thuille over border
Col de Madeline*
Col de la Bonette *
Col de Mt Cenis
Col de la Cayolle
Edited by 200Plus Club on Saturday 4th October 08:45
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