SnifferTrek
Grandes Alpes.
Seven nights. Geneva to Cannes.
Passes, not the motorway.
Seven nights from Geneva to Cannes: Megève, Val-d'Isère, Briançon, Guillestre, Barcelonnette, Saint-Martin-Vésubie. What stays: Iseran in the morning, Casse Déserte, the Bonette loop – and the sea only at the end.
The route
Seven nights · one chain of passes
Geneva to Cannes. A valley each evening, not the col itself.
- 1 night
Megève / Grand-Bornand
Aravis · arrive
- 1 night
Val-d'Isère / Séez
Roselend · before Iseran
- 1 night
Briançon
Iseran + Galibier
- 1 night
Guillestre / Queyras
Izoard · short stage
- 1 night
Barcelonnette
Vars · before Bonette
- 1 night
Saint-Martin-Vésubie
Bonette · last mountain night
- 1 night
Cannes
Turini · sea
The motorway is plan B if a pass is closed – not the route for getting to know it.
Getting there
Car from Switzerland · or fly Geneva + rental car
Start in Geneva, then the passes. The motorway is plan B if a col is closed.
Own car from Switzerland
Geneva as the start – then the passes, not the A41 to Grenoble.
Tolls only as motorway plan B
Fly Geneva + rental car
GVA in the morning, keep day one short – Megève or Grand-Bornand.
Rental car from about €50 / day
Return from Nice
Cannes as the finish, drop the car at NCE – or continue along the coast.
Check one-way fees
Chapter 1 · Savoie
Leave Geneva – first pass night
Start in Geneva: bags, fuel, pass weather. If you flew in, do not add Iseran the same day – that comes later, fresh.
Day one stays under 160 km: Col des Gets, Colombière, Aravis. Photo stop, cheese, no rush. GPS wants the motorway to Albertville – decline.
Einmal Genf um zehn verlassen und um sechs noch den Aravis «schnell» – Nebel, Gegenverkehr, schlechte Fotos. Seitdem: vor drei ankommen, Dorf, Bett. Der Pass wartet.
- 1 Nacht Megève / Grand-BornandSuche nach Dorfhotel mit Parkplatz – nicht nur Wellness-Palace.Megève · Tourismus
Megève · erste Nacht
Chapter 2 · Beaufortain
Roselend – and reach the valley in time
Col des Saisies, then Cormet de Roselend: reservoir, hairpins, bikes. Don’t just drive through – ten minutes at the dam, then Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
Up to Val-d'Isère or stay in Séez. Séez is quieter and often cheaper; Val-d'Isère saves height before Iseran.
Am Roselend stehen bleiben, obwohl die Karte «nur noch eine Stunde» sagt. Die Stunde wird zwei. Val-d'Isère bei Tageslicht ankommen war die bessere Entscheidung als noch den Iseran «mitzunehmen».
- 2. Nacht Val-d'Isère / SéezSéez im Isère-Tal, wenn Hotels oben voll oder teuer sind.Val-d'Isère
Lac de Roselend
Chapter 3 · Haute Maurienne
Iseran in the morning, Galibier after lunch
Col de l'Iseran (2770 m): highest paved Alpine pass. Go early. Windproof, not just a T-shirt. If closed: valley via Modane, still check Galibier.
Down to Bonneval-sur-Arc, then Télégraphe and Galibier. Pause in Valloire – coffee, not only fuel.
Oben am Iseran war die Luft dünn und der Parkplatz voller Aufkleber. Fünf Minuten Stille hinter der Kapelle – dann runter. Am Galibier später derselbe Wind, andere Farbe. Briançon am Abend: Stein, enge Gassen, endlich flach.
- 3. Nacht BriançonAltstadt oder Cité Vauban – Parken klären vor der engen Zufahrt.Briançon
- SperrungenIseran und Galibier können bis Juni Schnee haben – routedesgrandesalpes.com am Vorabend.Route des Grandes Alpes
Col de l'Iseran
Chapter 4 · Queyras
Short stage – Casse Déserte
After two hard days, keep it short: Briançon over Col d'Izoard to Guillestre. Casse Déserte is why – moonscape, set a timer.
Night in Guillestre (practical) or Château-Queyras (castle, quieter).
Am Izoard wollten wir «nur durch». Dann die Casse Déserte: grau, still, ein Radfahrer ohne Begleitwagen. Zwanzig Minuten später wussten wir, warum Tag 4 kurz sein muss.
- 4. Nacht Guillestre / QueyrasChâteau-Queyras wenn ihr Burg und Stille wollt, Guillestre für Tankstelle und Bäckerei.Queyras
Col d'Izoard
Chapter 5 · Ubaye
Vars – and Barcelonnette without rush
Col de Vars links Queyras and the Ubaye. Short distance, full concentration.
Barcelonnette: Mexican villas, a square to walk. Fifth night. Cayolle only if Bonette looks doubtful tomorrow.
In Barcelonnette zuerst die Villen fotografiert, dann gemerkt: der Ort ist zum Ankommen da, nicht zum Abhaken. Ein Eis, ein Platz, Bett vor zehn.
- 5. Nacht BarcelonnetteZentrum oder leicht ausserhalb mit Parkplatz – Ubaye-Tal ist die Basis vor der Bonette.Ubaye
Südalpen vor der Bonette
Chapter 6 · Mercantour
Bonette – and the last mountain night
Cime de la Bonette (2802 m) is Europe’s highest paved road if you ride the short loop on top, not only Restefond.
South to Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, then Saint-Martin-Vésubie. Sixth night – last in the mountains.
Oben die Schleife: ein Schild, Wind, ein Paar mit Thermoskanne. Unten im Vésubie roch es nach Harz und warmem Stein. Da war klar: morgen Meer, heute noch Berg.
- 6. Nacht Saint-Martin-VésubieKleine Hotels, früh buchen im Juli. Alternative: Saint-Dalmas oder Isola.Vésubie
Cime de la Bonette
Chapter 7 · Sea
Turini, Nice – and Cannes as the finish
Last col: Turini, then down. Nice only if you still have legs – ten minutes on the promenade, no city programme. The target is Cannes.
Seventh night by the water: Le Suquet. Skip festival week. Want more coast: our Riviera report.
Vom Turini sahen wir das Meer zuerst als Streifen. In Cannes dann Salzwasser in der Luft – nach sechs Bergnächten wirkte die Croisette fast zu glatt. Suquet war richtig: steil, alt, nah am Wasser.
- 7. Nacht CannesSuquet oder westlich der Croisette – Festivaltermine prüfen.Cannes
- DanachCôte d'Azur gestaffelt (Mougins, St-Tropez-Region) – eigener Bericht, nicht an Tag 8 quetschen.Côte d'Azur
Cannes · siebte Nacht
At a glance
Less motorway. More cols.
Col des Aravis / Colombière
Cormet de Roselend
Col de l'Iseran
Col du Galibier
Briançon · Vauban
Col d'Izoard · Casse Déserte
Map
Must-sees & nice-to-sees
Blue = must-do. Grey = if you still have time. Tap a marker for a short tip.
Stay
Seven valleys. Seven nights.
Move seven times, keep stages short. Booking.com first (affiliate): one night each in Megève/Grand-Bornand, Val-d'Isère/Séez, Briançon, Guillestre/Queyras, Barcelonnette, Saint-Martin-Vésubie, Cannes. Or Hotels.com.
Night 1
Hotels in Megève
Village hotel with parking – Grand-Bornand as a quieter alternative.
Search on Booking.comAlternative to Megève
Hotels in Grand-Bornand
Closer to Aravis/Colombière – good after a late Geneva arrival.
Search on Booking.comBefore Iseran
Hotels in Val-d'Isère
Saves height the next morning – quieter in summer than in ski season.
Search on Booking.comValley alternative
Hotels in Séez
Cheaper than Val-d'Isère, 20–25 minutes extra before Iseran.
Search on Booking.comAfter Galibier
Hotels in Briançon
Cité Vauban or just below – sort parking before the narrow old town.
Search on Booking.comQueyras
Hotels in Guillestre
Practical (fuel, bread). Château-Queyras if you want the castle and quiet.
Search on Booking.comBefore Bonette
Hotels in Barcelonnette
Centre with parking – early start for the Cime.
Search on Booking.comLast mountain night
Hotels in Saint-Martin-Vésubie
Small, book early in July. Isola as a fallback.
Search on Booking.comSea finish
Hotels in Cannes
Suquet or west of the Croisette – skip festival week.
Search on Booking.com
Some links to Booking.com, Hotels.com and tours are affiliate links – if you book, we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
FAQ
Questions about the Route des Grandes Alpes
Why 7 nights instead of 5 days?
Five days rush Iseran or Bonette, or skip valley hotels. Seven nights: one place each evening, two hard pass days, one short Queyras stage in between.
When are the passes open?
Often mid-June to mid-September, depending on snow. Check Iseran, Galibier, Izoard and Bonette the evening before on routedesgrandesalpes.com.
Start in Geneva or Thonon?
Geneva is practical (flight, rental car). The classic lakeside variant starts at Thonon/Évian – a few extra kilometres, the same first passes.
Do you need a car?
Yes. This is a driving route over cols. Trains reach the valleys, not Iseran and Bonette in this order.
Megève or Grand-Bornand?
Megève has more hotels. Grand-Bornand is closer to Aravis/Colombière and often quieter after a late Geneva arrival.
Val-d'Isère or Séez?
Val-d'Isère saves height on the Iseran morning. Séez in the valley is cheaper – add 20–25 minutes.
What comes after Cannes?
If you want more coast: our Côte d'Azur report with Nice, Mougins and the Saint-Tropez area – don’t bolt it onto the same day.
What stays: Roselend by the lake, Iseran in cool air, Casse Déserte, the Bonette loop – and Cannes only when the mountains are behind you.
What stays: Roselend by the lake, Iseran in cool air, Casse Déserte, the Bonette loop – and Cannes only when the mountains are behind you. The Côte afterwards: a report of its own, not day 8.