Elevation of the route
Waytypes of the cycle route
Surface of the cycle route
From Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean by bike through the Alps
Route des Grandes Alpes® signposting
Designed primarily for motorised traffic, the route has two-way tourist road signs (Route des Grandes Alpes) along the 720 km of its main route. The variants are not signposted (remember to download the .GPX tracks).
Difficulty of the route
The route has a significant difference in altitude, about 17,000 m of positive altitude difference on the main route. You will be riding on mountain roads where traffic can be heavy in some places during the summer months. The use of an EV can facilitate your progress, but you must nevertheless be used to travelling by bike.
Weather and opening of passes
Remember to find out about the weather and the opening of the passes before you leave.
Getting to the route by train
The route passes 15 railway stations along the way. At the start, you can reach the station of Thonon-les-Bains by TER from Lyon for example.
Thonon-les-Bains / Morzine-Avoriaz
This is the first or last stage on the Route des Grandes Alpes®, depending on the direction in which you tackle the [...]
Morzine-Avoriaz / Cluses
This second stage of the Route des Grandes Alpes® ends or begins, depending on the direction of your itinerary, a [...]
Cluses / Le Grand-Bornand
On the menu on this stage is a climb worthy of a Tour de France… of which there are very many along the Route des [...]
Le Grand-Bornand / Beaufort-sur-Doron
This Route des Grandes Alpes® stage between Le Grand-Bornand and Beaufort-sur-Doron passes via La Clusaz, Val [...]
Alternative stage Le Grand-Bornand / Lescheraines
The " Lake Annecy " variant of the Route des Grandes Alpes® ! We propose you a new itinerary, by the Marais pass, the [...]
Alternative stage Lescheraines / Beaufort-sur-Doron
This is a beautiful linking stage on the Route des Grandes Alpes®, marked by the crossing of the Bauges Range, with [...]
Beaufort-sur-Doron / Bourg-Saint-Maurice
A magnificent Route des Grandes Alpes® stage, taking you between the Beaufortain area and the Tarentaise Valley via [...]
Bourg-Saint-Maurice / Val d'Isère
A transitional stage it may be, but what an ending it provides, coming from the north, as, once you’ve ridden past [...]
Alternative stage Bourg-Saint-Maurice / Saint-François-Longchamp
This stage includes the iconic switch from Tarentaise to Maurienne Valley, via the Col de la Madeleine (1993m). This [...]
Alternative stage Saint-François-Longchamp / Valloire
This beautiful stage links two Maurienne resorts. It involves tackling the 18 hairpin bends up to Montvernier, along [...]
Val d'Isère / Val-Cenis
Head out to conquer one of the giants along the Route des Grandes Alpes®, the Col de l’Iseran pass (2764m)! A summer [...]
Val Cenis / Valloire
Yes, this is a linking stage on the Route des Grandes Alpes®, but not any old linking stage, as here you ride along [...]
Alternative stage Val-Cenis / Oulx
This is an alternative section along the Route des Grandes Alpes® that takes you briefly across into Italy. Its first [...]
Alternative stage Oulx / Briançon
An innovation along the Route des Grandes Alpes®! You can of course take the classic route via the Col du [...]
Valloire / Briançon
If riding south from Valloire along the Route des Grandes Alpes®, you’ll soon understand why the Maurienne’s [...]
Alternative stage Val-Cenis / Saint-Jean-d'Arves
Here’s a stage set entirely within the Maurienne Valley along the Route des Grandes Alpes®, giving you the chance to [...]
Alternative stage Saint-Jean-d'Arves / L'Alpe d'Huez
This stage takes you to the Col de la Croix de Fer pass (2064m) and up to L’Alpe d’Huez (1850m), with 21 hairpin [...]
Alternative stage L'Alpe d'Huez / Briançon
This route we’ve chosen between Le Bourg-d’Oisans and Briançon, going via L’Alpe d’Huez, enables cyclists to [...]
Briançon / Guillestre
Depending on the direction in which you’re tackling the route, this iconic stage is either the first or the last on [...]
Guillestre / Barcelonnette
This Route des Grandes Alpes® stage links the Queyras and Ubaye areas, and the counties of Hautes-Alpes and Alpes de [...]
Alternative stage Guillestre / Barcelonnette
This alternative stage takes you from the Route des Grandes Alpes® to Serre-Ponçon Lake… a stage leading to the [...]
Barcelonnette / Valberg
A lovely 77km-long stage that includes taking on the Col de la Cayolle pass (2326m), one of the wildest along the Route [...]
Alternative stage Barcelonnette / Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée
A lovely Route des Grandes Alpes® stage crossing the Mercantour National Park, sticking very close to the Italian [...]
Alternative stage Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée / Saint-Martin Vésubie
This section of the Route des Grandes Alpes®, linking the Tinée and Vésubie Valleys, runs alongside the mountain [...]
Valberg / Saint-Martin Vésubie
A superb stage on the Route des Grandes Alpes®, with grandiose landscapes, views to the Mercantour’s summits, vast [...]
Saint-Martin Vésubie / Sospel
This Route des Grandes Alpes® stage covering the Vésubie Valley and Haut-Pays Niçois takes you over the Col de [...]
Sospel / Nice
Now here’s an unforgettable day’s cycling! Coming from the north, with your legs feeling the effects of tackling [...]
Travellers’ reviews