915 Km
Medium
Thonon-les-Bains
Nice
P'tites Routes du Soleil®: a gentle alternative to Route des Grandes Alpes®? If you think so, you're on the wrong track! Just over 900 km and more than 17,000 m of ascent - that's no mean feat! However, none of the 25 significant passes exceeds 1400 m, and you can divide the route into 21 stages. What's more, if you opt for electric assistance, the route becomes truly accessible.

Elevation of the route

20091 m 19669 m

Waytypes of the cycle route

Cycle path: 12,33 km By road: 902,33 km Unknown: 0,25 km

Surface of the cycle route

Smooth: 913,82 km Unknown: 1,10 km

La route des Préalpes

P'tites Routes du Soleil® "borders" the western Alps, crossing most of the pre-alpine massifs: Chablais, Chartreuse, Vercors, Diois, Baronnies, Buëch, Préalpes de Digne, de Castellane, de Nice. The Pre-Alps are the cradle of an ancient and solid rural mountain civilization in remarkable balance with the natural environment. As incredible as they are diverse, the landscapes take you from forests to wild plateaus, from lavender fields to hilltop villages... Everywhere, limestone has shaped breathtaking horizons. It's not for nothing that the first UNESCO-listed Geopark was born in Haute-Provence, around Digne-les-Bains.

From north to south or south to north

There are no variants for this beautiful escape in the shape of an arc of a circle, where car traffic remains very reasonable. As with Route des Grandes Alpes®, you can follow P'tites Routes du Soleil® from north to south or south to north. Depending on your level and appetite, don't hesitate to group stages, some of which are less than 40 km long. While the usual precautions always apply in terms of weather, there's little chance of you being surprised by snow, or encountering extreme conditions.

In short, don't underestimate P'tites Routes du Soleil®, but don't hesitate for a second to take up the challenge!

Easier, thanks to the VAE!

To make the route accessible to as many people as possible, the entire route is dotted with VAE (electrically assisted bicycle) recharging points spread out every 30 to 40 kilometers. This means that the group can be made up of people of different levels, some on bikes and others on VAEs. The VAE makes the ascents of the major passes accessible and allows everyone to find their balance between effort and pleasure.

Check out our FAQ by clicking here!

Cycling route ideas on the itinerary

Plan your trip on this cycle route
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35,80 Km
Difficult

Boëge / La Muraz

The cycle route continues alongside the Menoge River via the Col des Pitons, heading for Mont Salève (1,335m), a kind [...]

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43,79 Km
Medium

La Muraz / Desingy

Having tackled Mont Salève, you come to one of the easiest stretches along the P’tites Routes du Soleil® cycle [...]

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42,52 Km
Medium

Desingy / Entrelacs

You now come to the Albanais area, marked by curvaceous valleys offering grandiose views of the French Alps. These [...]

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53,68 Km
Medium

Die / Valdrôme

The Diois area certainly won’t provide you with a flat cycling stage! In fact, its charm comes from the contrasts [...]

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30,60 Km
Medium

Valdrôme / Valdoule

From the Haut Diois area to the Oule Valley, the P’tites Routes du Soleil® crosses into the département, or French [...]

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27,61 Km
Medium

Salérans / Sisteron

There are two marvels to relish on this stage of the P'tites routes du Soleil®: the descent through the bottom of the [...]

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63,94 Km
Medium

Les Ferres / Nice

From the Col des Ferres (a pass at 596m), the P’tites Routes du Soleil® leads you over to the south side of Le [...]

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