Route des Grandes Alpes: Thonon-les-Bains to Nice, 720 km

The Route des Grandes Alpes is the classic Alpine crossing: roughly 720 km from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean at Nice, over more than a dozen high passes, including the Col de l’Iseran (2,764 m), the highest paved pass in the Alps. It is one of the world’s great driving roads — and the high cols open only in summer (roughly June to October). You drive on the right.

Day 1 — Thonon-les-Bains to Beaufort (110 km)

From Thonon-les-Bains on Lake Geneva, climb over the Col des Aravis and Col des Saisies into the cheese country of the Beaufortain.

Day 2 — Beaufort to Lanslebourg over the Iseran (135 km)

Cross the Cormet de Roselend, head up the Isère valley through Val d’Isère, and over the mighty Col de l’Iseran (2,764 m) into the Maurienne at Lanslebourg.

Day 3 — The Galibier and Izoard to Guillestre (145 km)

Climb the Col du Télégraphe and the legendary Col du Galibier (2,642 m), then the lunar Col d’Izoard toward the Queyras.

Day 4 — Vars and the Bonette to the southern Alps (150 km)

Over the Col de Vars and the high Cime de la Bonette — one of Europe’s highest through-roads — down toward the Mercantour and the Alpine south. Sleep in Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, below the south side of the Bonette.

Day 5 — Down to Nice (180 km)

Descend the Var valley through the Mercantour National Park to the Riviera, finishing at the Mediterranean in Nice.

Costs

Use the cost calculator to price fuel and nights for your exact dates. France uses no vignette and the mountain passes are all free; you only pay autoroute péage on the motorways used to reach the Alps, and a few tunnels (such as the Fréjus) if you use them. Over 720 km, fuel is the main cost, plus mountain hotels or refuges. Check each col is snow-free and open, start early, and allow far more time than the distance suggests.

This trip is also in the free Roadcut trip planner: change the number of days and where you sleep each night, pick your vehicle to see the fuel cost, check the weather on the road, and open each day in Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze.