P'tites Routes du Soleil
Elevation of the route
Waytypes of the cycle route
Surface of the cycle route
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.
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Thonon-les-Bains / Boëge
In Haute-Savoie, between Lake Geneva and the Vallée Verte area, cycle along following the Franco-Swiss border, perched [...]
Boëge / La Muraz
The cycle route continues alongside the Menoge River via the Col des Pitons, heading for Mont Salève (1,335m), a kind [...]
La Muraz / Desingy
Having tackled Mont Salève, you come to one of the easiest stretches along the P’tites Routes du Soleil® cycle [...]
Desingy / Entrelacs
You now come to the Albanais area, marked by curvaceous valleys offering grandiose views of the French Alps. These [...]
Entrelacs / Saint-Jean-de-Chevelu
Climbing to the Montagne de l’Épine, make the most of views from on high over France’s largest natural lake, 18km [...]
Saint-Jean-de-Chevelu / Lépin-le-Lac
You now head from one major French Alpine lake to another! Cycle along this stage to reach the banks of Lac [...]
Lépin-le-Lac / Saint-Pierre-d'Entremont
From Lépin-le-Lac, you ride below the Massif de l’Épine Range to reach Les Échelles. You’re now at the gateway [...]
Saint-Pierre-d'Entremont / Grenoble
Here, the P’tites Routes du Soleil® cycle route guides you into the mountainous lands of the original medieval [...]
Grenoble / Villard-de-Lans
The climb to Saint-Nizier-du-Moucherotte (1,168m) taking you up from Grenoble to the Vercors Plateau is well known for [...]
Villard-de-Lans / Die
Reaching the Diois area via the P’tites Routes du Soleil® promises a complete change of scenery and a southern [...]
Die / Valdrôme
The Diois area certainly won’t provide you with a flat cycling stage! In fact, its charm comes from the contrasts [...]
Valdrôme / Valdoule
From the Haut Diois area to the Oule Valley, the P’tites Routes du Soleil® crosses into the département, or French [...]
Valdoule / Garde-Colombe
The P’tites Routes du Soleil® leaves behind the Oule Valley to enter the Pays Rosannais area. Although this stage [...]
Garde-Colombe / Salérans
Partly covering the Route des Princes d’Orange linking the town of Orange (by the Rhône in the département, or [...]
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 [...]
Sisteron / Digne-les-Bains
From Sisteron, embark on one of the longest climbs along the whole P’tites Routes du Soleil® cycle route. Why not [...]
Digne-les-Bains / Tartonne
While Sisteron marks your arrival in the département of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Pays Dignois lies at the heart of [...]
Tartonne / Saint-André-les-Alpes
The P’tites Routes du Soleil® cycle route takes you quietly into the Parc Naturel Régional du Verdon with its heady [...]
Saint-André-les-Alpes / Saint-Auban
The P’tites Routes du Soleil® offers you a lovely cycling trip here, taking you from the département, or French [...]
Saint-Auban / Les Ferres
The P’tites Routes du Soleil® here makes use of the Tour des Préalpes d’Azur cycle route, crossing the regional [...]
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 [...]
Travellers’ reviews