French Alps

Description

French Alps Motorcycle Tour description day by day:

Day 1:  we set off early from Milan to beat the July heat and the traffic heading to the seaside in Liguria out of Milam. Our route takes us across a boat bridge on the river Po and then across the area between Lombardy and Piedmont that produces the superb risotto rice. Just before we reach Turin we hop on the autostrada and make our way to Susa. Our first French Alpine pass awaits. It’s the Moncenisio pass at 2083m. Not the highest but very beautiful with its great twisty road, lake and pyramid shaped church. Just one more minor pass, Col du Télégraphe, into Valloire for the first night in France.

Day 2: An amazing day!! two of the most beautiful passes in France: Col du Galibier at 2642m with its 360° view from the top parking lot, and Col d’Izoard which offers a taste of the Italian Dolomites for its rock formations and scenery. We have also a visit to the town of Briançon, famous for its sun clocks, and to Chateau Queyras before reaching our final destination in Barcelonnette for the day. We’ll have 3 nights here and two amazing loop rides.

Day 3: Our first loop ride is short but sweet. We ride over Col du Larche, or in Italian, Colle della Maddalena, into Italy, and then over the Col de la Lombard back into France before tackling the BIG one! Col de la Bonnette at 2808m. The actual pass is lower at 2715m, but then they recently built the Rue de la Cime de la Bonnette which reaches over 2800m.

Day 4: This is a long day, so an early start makes perfect sense. We head for Digne les Bains and then reach the amazing Lavanda fields near Valensole. The flowering of the lavender in early June is at its peak. What a sight! From here the Gorges du Verdon await. A deep canyon which offers amazing views. The road veers back north and along the Gorges du Daluis and over Col de la Cayolle back into Barcelonnette.

Day 5:  After our third night in Barcelonnette it’s time to leave and head for a stunning area known as Vercors. This area is known for its balcony roads carved into the side of the mountains offering spectacular views of the valleys and peaks. We end our day in the town of Grenoble.

Day 6: We leave Grenoble and head for Mont Blanc. We’ll be aiming for Courmayeur in Italy at the foothill of the highest mountain in Europe 4812m. On our way to Courmayeur we shall ride the col de la Croix de Fer, the Lacets the Montvernier (an incredible sequence of switch backs), Col de l’Iseran at 2764m (4m higher than Stelvio) and the Petit St Bernard. An other  amazing ride for the motorcycle tour of the French Alps

Day 7: If the weather is clear then it’s really worth taking the Skyway rotating cable car right to the top of Mount Blanc. The views from the height of 3466m are amazing and well worth experiencing.
From Courmayeur first we ride to the top of the Great St Bernard pass. We then come back the same way and reach Cervinia. From Cervinia it’s possible to admire the back of the Matterhorn (see pic below). Once we regain the valley our next stop is Milano unfortunately on the highway. Our French Alps motorcycle tour is over. We’ll hand over the bikes and get ready for the farewell dinner. You should then consider the Swiss, Italian and Austrian alps motorcycle tour in the future to complete your Alps riding.

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any questions or doubts about this motorcycle tour feel free to contact Francesco on tours@cimt.it or via whatsapp on +39 335 793 8218