Driving the Great Alps by car - Itinerary with map

If you are looking for one of the most beautiful routes to do in France, so here is my circuit on the route des grandes Alpes by car. This road trip covers 436 km across the Alps (from Lake Geneva to the Côte d'Azur) and follows a route that runs along part of the line of ridges, crosses 6 departments and no less than 16 passes!

To discover these breathtaking landscapes, typical mountain villages and local gastronomy, here is the detailed itinerary with interactive map and my tips for making the most of this legendary route: The route of the great Alps whose original 700 km route was inaugurated in 1937!

Also discover, for each stage of this circuit, the itinerary of the day with its google map and my recommendations for choosing an ideally placed accommodation.


Route des grandes Alpes by car - How many days?

My road trip is done in 5 days. It is therefore ideal for 1 week vacation or perfect to integrate into a grand tour of France by car.

5 days is the minimum time it takes to follow the stages of my road trip but if you are lucky enough to have more time, you can use this circuit and better enjoy the stages by staying there longer.


Route des grandes Alpes by car - When?

The best time to do this road trip is spring and summer. Indeed, given the altitude of certain passes to be crossed throughout the circuit, in winter it is quite compromised ...


Route des grandes Alpes by car - Which route?

Here are the main stages of my route on the route des grandes Alpes by car :

  • Thonon-les-Bains
  • Col des Gets
  • Col de la Colombiere
  • La Clusaz
  • Aravis Pass
  • Beaufort
  • Bourg-Saint-Maurice
  • Chevril lake
  • Valley of Isere
  • Col de l'Iseran
  • modane
  • Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne
  • Col du Galibier
  • Col du Lautaret
  • Briançon
  • Col d'Izoard
  • Toulouse Cross
  • Guillestre
  • Col de Vars
  • Châtelet Bridge
  • Barcelonnette
  • Cayolle pass
  • William
  • Pass of Valberg
  • Beuil
  • Cians Gorges
  • Puget-théniers
  • Turini Pass
  • Reel
  • suspected
  • Piaon waterfall
  • Monaco

Map of the Route des grandes Alpes by car

Click on Show Map to follow the route with the right arrow.


Road trip Haute Savoie - Savoie Mont Blanc

1 From Lake Geneva to Beaufort : Wild beauty, grandiose natural sites, postcard decorations, this is the program of the DAY 1

Road trip Haute Savoie - Savoie Mont Blanc

My tour starts from the pretty spa town of Thonon-les-Bains on the banks of the Lake Geneva. If you get there the day before, then take a nice walk along the highest lake in Europe!

DAY 1 - Map of the day's itinerary

Le 1st day route of the circuit on the route des grandes Alpes leaves from Thonon Les Bains and arrives at Beaufort. Here is the map of this 152 kilometer route:

Click in the map on "More options" to switch to GPS mode

DAY 1 morning - From Thonon to La Clusaz

To start my tour on the route des grandes Alpes, you will have to take the direction of Col des Gets, which will allow you to enjoy the landscapes of the Dranse valley.

Then you will continue towards the Col de la Colombiere (1 m above sea level) and follow the Col des Aravis road.

You can take a short break at the Confins lake. Then, it will be necessary to continue until La Clusaz.

DAY 1 afternoon - From La Clusaz to Beaufort

After having lunch in La Clusaz, you will set out again for 1h30 of road (a little more than 50 km) and will take the very famous Aravis Pass (well known to Tour de France riders). This pass represents the border between Haute-Savoie and Savoie. It is from this pass that you can enjoy a magnificent view of the Mont Blanc !

Then, you will take another very high pass: the Col des Seizures located at an altitude of 1650 m. You will thus arrive in the magnificent Beaufortain Valley.

At the end of the day, you will join Beaufort where you will spend the night.

If you have some time left and you want to make the most of it, then head to the Roseland Lake just 13 km after Beaufort.

Roseland lake on my tour in the Alps

DAY 1 - Where to sleep in Beaufort?

For this 1st night stopover on the route des grandes Alpes, I recommend that you spend the night in a pretty mountain chalet.

Very close to the center of Beaufort and a few kilometers from the downhill ski slopes, this chalet enjoys a quiet location and an ideal geographical location!


Road trip from Savoie to the Hautes Alpes

2 From Beaufort to Briançon : The most beautiful views of the route des grandes Alpes, spectacular panoramas… Here is what awaits you for the DAY 2

DAY 2 - Map of the day's itinerary

Here is the itinerary of DAY 2 which is the longest to do (more than 5 hours) but also the most beautiful!

Click in the map on "More options" to switch to GPS mode

It is early in the morning that I advise you to take the road to be able to take full advantage of each stage and to arrive in Briançon at the end of the day.

DAY 2 morning - From Beaufort to Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne

On the way to the 1st stage of DAY 2: The Col du Cormet de Roselend (1 m). It will take you an hour to cross this pass and then discover the Tarentaise Valley continuing to Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

road to the villages of Modane and Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne

Then you will pass the Chevril lake, the station of Valley of Isere and continue until Col de l'Iseran. More beautiful and higher pass in the Alps, you will climb to one of the most beautiful passes in the Alps, but above all the highest (2 m).

My circuit then continues to modane et Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne where you will enjoy having lunch in a good little restaurant.

DAY 2 afternoon - Mythical peaks and Parc des Ecrins

You will tackle the afternoon circuit passing through the Col du Telegraphe. It is located at an altitude of 1 meters in the heart of the Massif des Cerces.

Then continuing the road for a little over 20 kilometers, you will arrive at the Col du Galibier and Col du Lautaret at 2058 m above sea level.

It is there, turn after turn, that you will discover some of the most beautiful panoramas in the Alps.

Since  Galibier, you will have a magnificent view of very high peaks like the Ecrins (4 m), Pelvoux (3 m) and The Mont Blanc (4 m).

And, since Col du Lautaret, you will be able to see the massif of La Meije to the south-east as well as several summits of Ecrins massif.

Mythical peaks Parc des Ecrins

The road continues in the heart of the Ecrins national park to arrive at the end of the afternoon at Briancon.

DAY 2 - Where to sleep in Briançon?

For this 2nd night stopover on the Great Alps road, I recommend that you spend the night in a very beautiful hotel in a great location in Briançon.

In a magnificent 19th century building, this boutique hotel is 200 meters from the stop of a free shuttle to the Serre Chevalier and Monêtier-les-Bains ski slopes, 1 km away.

This hotel is at the foot of restaurants, shops, the park and the cathedral, it is undoubtedly a very good address. Especially since it has a small car park and another free car park is right in front!


Road trip from the Hautes Alpes to the Alpes de Haute Provence

3 From Briançon to Barcelonnette : Rocky landscapes, rivers and typical small villages… This is the program of the DAY 3

DAY 3 - Map of the day's itinerary

Here is the itinerary of DAY 3 which is the shortest (about 130 km) of my circuit but also the most diversified in terms of landscapes.

Click in the map on "More options" to switch to GPS mode

BRIANCON ON THE ROUTE DES GRANDES ALPES BY CAR

DAY 3 morning - From Briançon to Guillestre

City of Art and History, with its Vauban fortifications listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, I recommend that you take 2 hours in the morning to visit Briançon.

Then you can take the road north of Briançon to go to the viewpoint of the Croix de Toulouse.

After a few photos, you will take the car back to Cervière then continue to Col d'Izoard. Here, the landscapes are less green, very rocky and almost lunar ...

The circuit continues to the country Queyras, where you can admire the Guil Gorges. Impressive, narrow and deep, they are carved in blackish rocks that contrast with the emerald color of the Guil river.

For lunch, I advise you to continue towards the charming little village of Guillestre. If you are not a vegetarian, I recommend you try the local specialty: Sisteron lamb.

DAY 3 Afternoon - Ubaye Valley

After your meal, you will take the road to Col de Vars located in the Ubaye Valley.

Ubaye Valley and BARCELONETTE

Don't miss the awesome Châtelet Bridge here surplombe les Gorges of the Ubaye from the top of its 108 meters.

Then you can join Barcelonatte early enough in the afternoon to be able to take full advantage of this very nice site in the Alpes de Haute Provence. 10 minutes drive from Mercantour national park and 30 minutes from the Italian border, Barcelonette andst a small town where there is a relaxed atmosphere conducive to strolling.

Stroll around Place Manuel and its beautiful fountain, admire its colorful facades and small alleys and quietly enjoy its pleasant café terraces ...

DAY 3 - Where to sleep in Barcelonette?

To combine business with pleasure, here is theHotel Spa Azteca which can serve as a stopover hotel for this tour but where you can also be pampered ...

Indeed, this beautiful hotel in the center of Barcelonnette has a wellness area with sauna and balneotherapy bath. You can also take the opportunity to relax with massages or beauty treatments.


Road trip from Mercantour to Provence

4 From Barcelonette to Puget-Théniers : The Alps soften, the lakes sparkle, the rock turns red… This is my program for the DAY 4

DAY 4 - Map of the day's itinerary

This 4th day is less busy in terms of the number of stages and that's good because on arrival you can do the activity that I will tell you below!

Click in the map on "More options" to switch to GPS mode

This morning, you will leave Barcelonnette to take the direction of Cayolle pass which is located on the edge of Mercantour National Park. Arrived at the top, I recommend that you take the time to take the main path to enjoy the sublime landscapes and to go to Petite Cayolle lake.

Road trip from Mercantour to Provence

Then you will continue in the direction of William, and go up to Pass of Valberg. Before reaching the village of Beuil, you can go down to the Cians Gorges. Thus, you will enjoy grandiose panoramas on the canyon between the Upper Gorges and the Lower Gorges which display a splendid red color. You can even make a stop there to get off and visit them!

GORGES DU CIANS ALPS

Finally, you will join Puget-théniers which is the last stop of the day.

A Puget-théniers, as you will probably have some time left, I recommend a short train ride. Thus, you will be able, aboard a steam locomotive of 1925, to discover the wonders of the high country of Nice and Provence.

DAY 4 - Where to sleep in Puget Théniers?

The accommodation that I recommend you for this night in Puget Théniers is a charming hotel with swimming pool, garden, terrace and parking.


Road trip Provence - Nice

5 From Puget-Théniers in Nice : Garrigue, cicadas, hilltop villages… Here is the program of the DAY 5

DAY 5 - Map of the day's itinerary

Here is the itinerary of DAY 5 on the last day of my tour on the route des grandes Alpes by car. It ends in the pretty country of Nice from which you can flutter around if you have time for the days that follow. See my road trip in Provence !

Click in the map on "More options" to switch to GPS mode

DAY 5 - Legendary passes, blue sea, Mediterranean sun

To start the last stage of this pretty road trip, you will have to go to Roussillon, then Saint Dalmas before arriving at St. Martin pass.

At the end of the pass, take the direction of Saint-Martin de Vésubie and go to the spa town of Berthemont perched at almost 1 meters above sea level.

Then you will continue with the very popular Turini Pass which is known thanks to the Monte-Carlo rally or the Paris-Nice. Once you have passed the pass, you must continue towards the small village of Reel as well as suspected ! But before you get there, I advise you to stop at the Piaon waterfall.

After Sospel, we go in the direction of Menton located where you can walk between the alleys of the city or to the old port.

MENTON STAGE OF THE ROAD TRIP ROUTE DES GRANDES ALPES BY CAR

Finally, to end this road trip on the Grandes Alpes route, you will follow the sublime Mediterranean coast taking the direction of Nice. Why not take the opportunity to take a tourist break in Monaco, or to take a dip in the turquoise water of the Mediterranean beaches?

When you are in Nice, I recommend that you visit this beautiful city by following my walking tour: Visit Nice in 1 day.

DAY 5 - Where to sleep in Nice?

To end on a high note, I recommend that you spend the night at Mercure Nice Flower Market. Ideally located on the Promenade des Anglais, right next to the Flower Market, its location is convenient for visiting the old Nice. In addition, car parks are located near the hotel. In short, a good hotel deal at an unbeatable price for Nice !


If you liked the route des Grandes Alpes, my 1 week tour in the French Alps you might also like ...

Want other cool road trip itineraries to do in France?

3 days to discover the great sites in the Pyrenees

A hike in the Gorges du Verdon

a little tourist circuit in Ardèche

un road trip in the Gard

un Lot and Dordogne circuit

or an getaway in Camargue

un road trip from Montpellier to Perpignan

or a tourist circuit in the Landes

13 thoughts on “Doing the route of the great Alps by car – Itinerary with map”

  1. Привет. This is the plan for skiing in Orcières Merlette 1850. я в Марсель нужно ночью. What's the road? Сколько времени? Спасибо

    1. Здравствуйте. And you don't have to worry about it being there, it's not a Google map, it's a prerequisite. It is 220 km from the car with 3 clocks.

  2. Hello, We have planned a motorcycle road trip on the Route des Grandes Alpes, 98% inspired by your road trip, thank you for the work, it's gigantic! 😉

    The difference is that with Madame who has back pain, the day of 5h+ beaufort – briancon I don't feel it… I'm going to try a beaufort – Modane / Modane Barcelonette, which will be two days of 3h20, I hope to enjoy as much everything this mythical road has to offer 😀

  3. Hello,
    Magnificent your explanations concerning the trip through the Hautes Alpes.
    My question: I am partly disabled, are there any difficulties in getting around, examples for Hotels
    In any case, a very big thank you, thanks to you, I have already traveled in part.
    Jacky

    1. Hello Jackie,
      Unfortunately I don't remember too much the configuration of the accommodations. The best is to check if it is specified on booking or to call the hotels directly to ask.
      Anyway, thank you for your comment.
      Have a good day !

    1. Hello Jean,
      There are many car rental companies. Here is one that I had chosen for my road trip in Australia which allows you to rent in advance on the internet: Europcar

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