La Durance à vélo
Between Briançon and Sisteron, La Durance à Vélo provides a magnificent cycle route, almost 200km in length. It leads you right across the département (French county) of Hautes-Alpes, offering a mix of Alpine slopes, perched roads and Mediterranean plains. Linking Briançon’s staggering fortifications, designed by Vauban and perched at over 1,300m in altitude, to the citadel at Sisteron, known as the gateway to Provence, the Durance River serves as the cyclist’s companion along this route. The way proves delightfully varied, with perched villages, turquoise lakes, extensive orchards and remarkable heritage sites to admire. Riding south, the mountains become gentler at each turn as you approach the perfumed air of Provence.
Signposting and the state of the cycle route
For most of the way, this cycle route leads riders along quiet little roads. Some of these may be challenging, but they’re invariably spectacular, for example those running through the Durance Gorges, or guiding you far above dramatic Serre-Ponçon Lake via the iconic Route des Puys, or taking you meandering beside the EDF Canal, with fields and orchards to either side.
La Durance à Vélo is completely waymarked in both directions, both north and south, between Briançon and Sisteron, the dedicated signposting indicating the cycle route’s name. As this route sticks mainly to secondary roads shared with motorized vehicles, take special care during the busiest holiday period, in July and August, when there can be heavy traffic at times.
Weather and seasonal variations
Conditions along La Durance à Vélo are generally pretty good for cyclists between May and October. The region is normally sunny from spring onwards. Note that temperatures can be chilly starting out from Briançon, a town perched high in the French Alps, while the southern reaches towards Sisteron, where you cycle along the bottom of the Durance Valley, can get very hot in summer. Always carry plenty of water and protect yourself from the sun. There are certain exposed climbs along the cycle route, such as that along the Route des Puys, which can prove particularly challenging in very hot weather, while the stretches alongside the EDF Canal and through the agricultural areas towards the south offer very little shade
Gradients and elevation
Road types
Surface
Trains et transport sur La Durance à vélo
There are seven train stations dotted along this route (at Sisteron, Gap, Chorges, Embrun, Montdauphin Guillestre, L’Argentière les Écrins and Briançon), served by three regional TER train lines (Briançon – Marseille; Briançon – Grenoble; and Briançon – Valence), plus the sleeper, or night train, Paris – Briançon, all affording cyclists easy access to different points along the cycle route.
Access by train:
- To reach the starting point (Briançon): Briançon station
- From the finish (Sisteron): Sisteron station
"Accueil Vélo" accommodation on La Durance à vélo
33 Accueil Vélo accommodations await you on La Durance à vélo!
View accommodations on the map
The 5 stages of La Durance à vélo
1 Briançon / L'Argentière-la-Bessée
2 L'Argentière-la-Bessée / Embrun
3 Embrun / Chorges
4 Chorges / Gap / Tallard
