Val d'Isère

A transitional stage it may be, but what an ending it provides, coming from the north, as, once you’ve ridden past Tignes Lake and its gigantic dam, you arrive at Val-d'Isère, one of the most famous of all ski resorts. In its exceptional setting on the edge of the Vanoise National Park, Val-d’Isère is both one of France’s most prestigious ski resorts and a marvellously polished village. It also serves as a kind of base camp for the highest pass along the Route des Grandes Alpes®, the Col de l’Iseran (2764m). Do consider staying here a few days, alternating between cycling, hiking and just drinking in the local atmosphere.

Head out to conquer one of the giants along the Route des Grandes Alpes®, the Col de l’Iseran pass (2764m)! A summer link between the Savoie region’s two great upper valleys, the Tarentaise and the Maurienne, this is without doubt one of the most beautiful passes in the whole of the Alps, as well as boasting the highest Alpine road pass. Even in summer it may be lined with piles of snow. Certainly you’ll feel high up in the mountains, enjoying breathtaking views! On the Maurienne side, or rather, the Haute Maurienne – Vanoise side, before arriving at Val-Cenis, you cross Bonneval-sur-Arc, a member of the association of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, its houses topped by stone tiles, and Bessans, a magnificent place for cross-country skiing and biatholons, internationally renowned for these sports.