Alpine Motorcycle Roadbook · Late May Edition · 2026

Route des
Grandes
Alpes

Annecy → Bourg-d'Oisans → Barcelonnette via the highest passes of the French Alps. 3 days, 12 cols, late-May optimised.

~779 kmTotal Distance
12Mountain Passes
~18 000 mElevation Gain
3Days
4–6Motorcycles
Stage Names for Google Maps
Day 1 — 9 stops
  • 1Annecy
  • 2Col des Aravis
  • 3Col des Saisies
  • 4Cormet de Roselend
  • 5Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard
  • 6Col du Mont-Cenis
  • 7Col du Télégraphe
  • 8Col de la Croix de Fer
  • 9Bourg-d'Oisans
Day 2 — 6 stops
  • 1Bourg-d'Oisans
  • 2Villard-Notre-Dame
  • 3Oulles
  • 4Oz-en-Oisans
  • 5Auris-en-Oisans
  • 6Le Freney-d'Oisans
Day 3 — 9 stops
  • 1Le Freney-d'Oisans
  • 2Briançon
  • 3Col d'Izoard
  • 4Guillestre
  • 5Col de Vars
  • 6Barcelonnette
  • 7Jausiers
  • 8Col de la Bonette
  • 9Barcelonnette
Tip — In Google Maps, use "Itinerary" mode and add each stop one by one. Google Maps routes by fastest road; drag the blue line manually onto the mountain road if needed. For moto-specific routing use Kurviger or Calimoto with the .gpx file.
01
Annecy → Bourg-d'Oisans
Depart 6:00 AM ~460 km 8 cols Galibier & Iseran closed — replaced
TimeStageElevation
6:00 AM Annecy Fuel Fill up here. Last easy fuel before the cols. 446 m
7:45 AM Col des Aravis First pass. Mont-Blanc views on clear days. 1 486 m
9:00 AM Col des Saisies Coffee 360° panorama over the Beaufortain massif. 1 633 m
10:15 AM Cormet de Roselend 3 dams — Roselend, Saint-Guérin, La Gittaz. Turquoise lake, lunar landscape. 1 967 m
11:30 AM Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard Fuel BSM Iseran replacement. Aller-retour French side. Fill up in Bourg-Saint-Maurice before the climb. 2 188 m
1:00 PM Col du Mont-Cenis Spectacular reservoir on the French-Italian border. Fill up in Lanslebourg. 2 083 m
3:00 PM Col du Télégraphe Tight hairpins above the Maurienne valley. Fast descent toward Saint-Jean. 1 566 m
4:15 PM Col de la Croix de Fer Galibier replacement via Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne → D926. Less known, equally spectacular. 2 067 m
6:30 PM Bourg-d'Oisans Overnight Dinner and overnight. GPX off-road loop departs tomorrow morning. 719 m
Fuel stops — Day 1
Annecy (start) · Bourg-Saint-Maurice (before PSB) · Lanslebourg (before Mont-Cenis)
Storm rule
All cols above 2 000 m must be cleared before 1 PM — afternoon storms build fast in late May.
02
GPX Loop — Hidden Roads of Oisans
Depart 9:00 AM ~79 km +5 090 m D+ Narrow back roads
TimeStageElevation
9:00 AM Bourg-d'Oisans Last Fuel No fuel stations on the GPX loop. Fill up here. 719 m
10:00 AM Villard-Notre-Dame Steep climb. Village perched on a cliff with a sheer drop back to the valley. 1 523 m
11:15 AM Oulles — D221 Narrow spectacular road. Quiet hamlet, very little traffic. Go slow — gravel possible in late May. 1 411 m
12:30 PM Oz-en-Oisans — D44B Lunch Balcony village above the valley. Good lunch stop with views. 1 335 m
2:15 PM Auris-en-Oisans — D211A Technical descent on a narrow road. 1 302 m
3:30 PM Le Freney-d'Oisans End of GPX Day 3 departs from this point tomorrow morning. 921 m
Road condition — late May
Secondary mountain roads may carry winter gravel/debris. Ride the first 500m of each track cautiously before committing.
Off-road option
Gorges de Sarenne (rated off-roading area, 4.6★) — 15 min from Le Freney. Add morning half-day before the GPX loop.
03
Le Freney-d'Oisans → Barcelonnette
Depart 7:30 AM ~240 km 4 cols Heading south
TimeStageElevation
7:30 AM Le Freney-d'Oisans Early start. Fuel up before Briançon. 921 m
8:30 AM Briançon Fuel Coffee Highest town in France. Beautiful Vauban old city. Quick stop. 1 326 m
9:30 AM Col d'Izoard ★★ The Casse Déserte — ochre rocks and larch trees. One of the most photographed passes in the Alps. 2 360 m
10:30 AM Guillestre Medieval village. Fast transit toward Vars. 980 m
11:20 AM Col de Vars Wide, flowing road. Open views over the Queyras and Ubaye ridges. 2 108 m
12:15 PM Barcelonnette FUEL CRITICAL Lunch Mandatory fuel stop. No gas station between here and Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée (60+ km). 1 135 m
1:15 PM Jausiers Start of the 23 km non-stop Bonette climb. 1 240 m
2:15 PM Col de la Bonette ★★ Highest paved road in France (2 802 m). Optional summit loop at 2 860 m. Always bring a jacket. 2 802 m
4:00 PM Barcelonnette Overnight Return via Jausiers (~45 min). Great restaurants, relaxed mountain town. 1 135 m
Critical fuel — Day 3
Fill up in Barcelonnette before the Bonette. No station for 60+ km between Barcelonnette and Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée.
Bonette — late May
Open since mid-May. Check sport-passion.fr the evening before. Cold at the summit even in summer — jacket mandatory.
Practical Information
Fuel stops
Annecy · Bourg-Saint-Maurice · Lanslebourg · Bourg-d'Oisans · Briançon · Barcelonnette
Opening check
sport-passion.fr · savoie-route.fr
Verify every evening before the next day
Weather
Windy + Météo France — check at wake-up. If storms before 3 PM → delay or skip high col.
Accommodation
Bourg-d'Oisans (D1 night) · Le Freney or Bourg (D2 night) · Barcelonnette (D3 night) — book ahead in May
Group rules (4–6 motos)
+45 min buffer/day · Wait at each col · Physical rally point · One fuel coordinator
GPS
GPX file compatible with Kurviger, Calimoto, Garmin BaseCamp, TomTom Rider
Off-road — Day 2
Gorges de Sarenne (★ 4.6, 15 min from Le Freney) · Plateau d'Emparis (Natura 2000 — stay on marked tracks)
Gear
Warm layer mandatory above 2 000 m · Rain gear recommended · Mixed tyres for GPX day