The Route des Grandes Alpes is a classic summer road that crosses the French Alps from Thonon-les-Bains on Lake Geneva to Menton on the Mediterranean, linking many of the highest passes in the Alps. From Geneva Airport the start is a short drive along the southern shore of the lake, and with a chauffeur from AirportsTransfers.ch you can enjoy the whole route over five to seven days without facing the hairpins yourself.
- Start and finish: Thonon-les-Bains on Lake Geneva to Menton on the Mediterranean
- Famous passes: Colombière, Iseran, Galibier, Izoard, Vars, Cayolle or Bonette
- Season: summer to early autumn only; the highest passes close in winter
- Time to allow: five to seven days with overnight stops
- Good to know: the route is shared with many cyclists and motorcyclists
Origins and character of the route
The Route des Grandes Alpes was conceived in the early 20th century to open up the high Alps to tourism by linking existing mountain roads into a single north-south itinerary. It runs through Haute-Savoie, Savoie, the Hautes-Alpes and the Alpes-Maritimes, crossing a succession of passes, several of them famous from the Tour de France. Rather than a motorway journey, it is about the drive itself: switchbacks, high meadows, glaciers and fortified towns.
Because the highest passes are covered with snow for much of the year, the full route is usually open only from around early summer to the first autumn snowfall. Your chauffeur checks conditions before each stage.
Stage 1: Thonon to the Beaufortain
From Thonon, the road climbs into the Chablais mountains towards Morzine and Les Gets, then crosses the Col de la Colombière into the Aravis range around Le Grand-Bornand and La Clusaz. The Col des Aravis offers a famous view of Mont Blanc. Beyond Flumet, the route crosses the Col des Saisies into the Beaufortain, home of Beaufort cheese, and continues over the Cormet de Roselend, with its lake and dam, to Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
Stage 2: Val d'Isère and the Col de l'Iseran
The road then climbs the Tarentaise valley to Val d'Isère, 180 km and about 2 h 45 from Geneva Airport by the direct route, a lively ski resort that in summer becomes a base for walks in the Vanoise National Park. Above it, the Col de l'Iseran is one of the highest paved passes in the Alps, a stark, high-altitude landscape of rock and snow patches, before the descent to Bonneval-sur-Arc, a traditional stone village in the Maurienne.
The Maurienne valley leads to Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, from where the road climbs the Col du Télégraphe to the resort of Valloire.
Stage 3: Galibier, Briançon and Izoard
From Valloire, the Col du Galibier is one of the legendary climbs of the Tour de France, with sweeping views of the Écrins massif and its glaciers. The descent leads to the Col du Lautaret and down to Briançon, one of the highest towns in France, whose fortifications by the military engineer Vauban are part of a UNESCO World Heritage site.
South of Briançon, the Col d'Izoard crosses the Queyras, passing through the Casse Déserte, an eerie landscape of eroded rock pinnacles and scree. The road then continues over the Col de Vars to the Ubaye valley and Barcelonnette, a town known for its grand villas built by families who made their fortune in Mexico.
Stage 4: down to the Mediterranean
From Barcelonnette, the route crosses into the Alpes-Maritimes via the Col de la Cayolle, or, as a variant, the Cime de la Bonette, whose summit loop is among the highest roads in Europe. The descent follows deep gorges such as those of the Var and the Cians, with red rock walls, towards the Mercantour National Park and the hill villages of the hinterland. The final stretch winds down towards the sea, ending at Menton, close to the Italian border, with its lemon gardens and Italianate old town.
- Plan for short driving days: average speeds on mountain roads are low.
- Carry layers; it can be cold and windy on the passes even in July.
- Book overnight stays ahead in Val d'Isère, Briançon and Barcelonnette in summer.
Booking your Grandes Alpes chauffeur
For this multi-day journey, AirportsTransfers.ch can provide a chauffeur from the start at Geneva Airport or Thonon all the way to Menton, or for selected stages. Fixed prices per vehicle are shown before you pay online by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. Your driver greets you at arrivals with a name sign and tracks your flight. Child seats are supplied on request; a Mercedes V-Class is ideal for families with luggage. Contact +41 78 346 56 77 by phone or WhatsApp, at any hour, to tailor the stages to your pace.
