Route des Grandes Alpes ®

Name: Route des Grandes Alpes ®
Address: Place de la Mairie, Thonon-les-Bains, 74200
Price range: Free access.

Thonon-les-Bains

The Route des Grandes Alpes, a prestigious tourist route from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean Sea via the great Alpine passes

Description

The Route des Grandes Alpes is the most beautiful mountain road trip available to drivers, motorcyclists, and cyclists. From Thonon-les-Bains to Nice, 720 kilometers of mountain roads, punctuated by 18 of the highest passes in the French Alps, invite you on a journey through regions boasting exceptional natural and cultural heritage.

From the shores of Lake Geneva to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, this extraordinary scenic route takes you through the entire French Alps. As you follow the winding roads, you’ll discover magnificent high-altitude landscapes and, as you wind through the valleys, local crops and culinary specialties.

Open in its entirety from June through October, the Route des Grandes Alpes welcomes you as soon as the snow melts, clearing the highest mountain passes that are blocked during the winter. In the spring, when the Alpine landscape reveals all its splendor, you can appreciate the diversity of the mountains, many of which are protected within a national or regional park. From Haute-Savoie to the Alpes-Maritimes, you’ll pass through the Chablais, Beaufortain, Vanoise, Cerces, Queyras, Ubaye, and Mercantour mountain ranges in succession. You’ll also ride alongside the high, glacier-capped peaks of Mont Blanc and the Ecrins, icons of the French Alps.

For the most adventurous, the Route des Grandes Alpes by bike—a true landmark of cycling tourism—will take you in the footsteps of the Tour de France cyclists as you tackle the Col des Aravis, the Cormet de Roselend, the Iseran, Galibier, Izoard, Bonette, and Cayolle passes. To commemorate this unforgettable experience, earning the “Borne d’Or”—the cycling diploma for the Route des Grandes Alpes—will crown your personal achievements.