Route des Grandes Alpes

The Route des Grandes Alpes does indeed sound… grand. Which is exactly what it is. Try the route in your motorhome (or on a bicycle if you want to switch it up a bit and leave your home from home in one of the many well equipped campsites around this lovely area of France) and you can rest assured that you will have an unforgettable time away.

ROUTE DES GRANDES ALPES

This route takes in the entirety of the French Alps, which is no mean feat. It measures 684 kilometres (or 485 miles) so this is not a quick through route to other things. The road itself is the holiday here, so make the most of it.

The route starts at Thonon-les-Bains and continues on until Menton. The road includes 16 passes which are amongst the very highest in the Alps, so be prepared for some impressive heights! This winding road is a truly spectacular way to go from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean coast. Be aware, however, it is only open from June (once all the treacherous snow has melted) and October (before more snow falls). Outside of this time it is impassable, so it is best to plan your driving holiday in advance to ensure you don’t get stuck.

Spring is a particularly lovely time to drive this route. Everything has just woken up from its winter hibernation, and because – if you go early enough – no other tourists wills have been that way for a while (or only a few, at least) it feels clean and new. Later on in the year it is still amazing, of course, but it does start to get a little tired by the time October rolls around.

Along the way you can try a large number of different gastronomic creations, and in each area you come to there will be something different on the menu depending on where you are and what the local specialities are.