Doordat de Route des Grandes Alpes door de bergen loopt is de gehele route alleen toegankelijk tussen juni en oktober. The road starts at Thonon-les-Bains and climbs via Les Gets and Cluses. It then heads to Saint-Gervais and Megève, over the Col des Saisies (1,633 m). It then passes through Beaufort, Bourg-Saint-Maurice and onto Val-d'Isère. The road then crosses the Col de l'Iseran (2,770 m). This legendary route across the Alps provides an excellent way of meeting locals, nature and having a look at the high peaks, along Alpine villages and historic monuments. Make sure you leave enough time to make plenty of stops along the way. It is the most renowned tourist route of the French Alps, winding its way over mountain passes and secluded valleys all the way.

In hoeveel etappes je de complete route rijdt hangt natuurlijk af van hoe lang je per dag wilt rijden en waar je onderweg allemaal wilt stoppen, maar het is aan te raden om met de auto en motor de route in minstens 4 etappes op te delen. Anything else? The eagle-eyed will have spotted that when the Austrians built a "Europe’s highest road" arch on a parking area, they put on – with touching honesty – a placard displaying its actual height… which is lower than several other famous roads (see Route One). The actual highest bit is at the end of a tunnel on a spur road, where it’d be dangerous to have tourists stopping for pictures. Don’t worry: the route does go there. Anything else? The central bar of this figure-eight route is Furka Pass, which famously appeared in the Bond film Goldfinger. Running the passes in this sequence means you get to ride it once in each direction.Menton is een prachtig stadje aan de Franse Riviera dat door hoge kliffen wordt beschermd. Hierdoor staat het bekend om het uitzonderlijke klimaat, dat perfect is voor het verbouwen van citrusvruchten zoals citroenen. Vanaf hier begin je aan de trek langs de hoogste bergpas van de Franse Alpen, de 2770 m hoge Col de l’Iseran. Na deze pas blijf je de weg volgen tot aan Lanslebourg-Mont-Cenis, gelegen op 1400 m hoogte. A few years later, the Touring Club de France got interested and in 1909, the vice-president of the Club, Leon Auscher, said “It will be a unique route in Europe… and the finest mountain road in the world.” Anything else? These mountains were fiercely fought over in World War One. One of the must-see sights on the Vrsic pass is the Russian Chapel, built by the soldiers who fought on these slopes.

Very comfortable Auberge with excellent restaurant and situated in an authentic village near Thonon. Manche Quellen zählen auf dieser französischen Alpenroute nur 16 Alpenpässe, weil sie die Pässe Col du Châtillon-sur-Cluses, Col de Saint-Jean-de-Sixt, Méraillet (am Lac de Roselend), Col de la Starting off in Thonon-les-Bains, you won't be itching to hit some curves very long, as the route crosses its first string of Alps between Lake Geneva and the Mont Blanc massif from the moment you dive into the Aulps valley. Het stadje is dan ook zeer geliefd onder wintersporters, maar in de zomer kan je in de omgeving heerlijk wandelen. The Route des Grandes Alpes is one of Europe’s iconic cycling routes, taking you through the French Alps, from Geneva to Nice.De route begint ij Thonon-les-Bains op een hoogte van 450 m en eindigt in Menton op 30 m boven zeeniveau. Wanneer je doorrijdt naar Nice eindigt de route op 10 m boven zeeniveau. Bij de noordelijkste etappe van de route kan je ook de imposante Mont Blanc in de verte aanschouwen, de hoogste berg van de Alpen van maar liefst 4810 m hoogte. Daarna rij je via de 1968 m hoge Cormet de Roselend naar het eindpunt van deze etappe, Bourg-Saint-Maurice, op 800 m hoogte. Route des Grandes Alpes: Steady gradients with magnificent views Day 3 Bourg Saint Maurice – Aussois: The Iséran

Right after you've devoured the magnificent Col de la Colombière, the Route des Grandes Alpes dunks into the heart of this enchanting scenery through the famous villages of Grand-Bornand and La Clusaz, and of course the Col des Aravis, and its fairytale landscape. Today, the roads are totally paved and the quality ranges from excellent to patchy. For the most part the road surface is smooth. However, featuring mountain roads there are inevitably going to be some areas that have suffered from freeze thaw action. Is Route des Grandes Alpes open? All that remains is to let yourself roll down further into the sun-drenched valley of Serre Chevalier. Overnight stay in Le Monêtier les Bains. Route variant Endless herds of larches and pines can barely hide the impression that time seems to have come to a standstill - turning this one into a glorious riding experience.This legendary Geneva to Nice cycling tour starts in the lovely town of Thonon-les-Bains on the shore of Lake Geneva and ends in Menton on the Côte d’Azur (not far from Nice). De Franse staat was al aan het einde van de 19de-eeuw begonnen met de verbindingswerken, en in 1911 organiseerde de Touring-Club de France al de eerste rit over een deel van de route.