France has more good motorcycle road per square kilometre than anywhere else in Europe, and the reason is that it has four separate mountain systems plus a Mediterranean coast and still maintains its rural roads properly. The single answer to where to ride is the Route des Grandes Alpes, 720 km (447 miles) from Thonon-les-Bains on Lake Geneva to Menton on the Mediterranean, crossing a chain of high cols including the Iseran at 2,770 m. But France is much more than its Alps: the Vosges, the Jura, the Massif Central, the Pyrenees, Provence and Corsica are all separate touring destinations. This guide covers the roads worth building a trip around and the rules that shape one.
How French riding divides up
The French Alps in the south-east are the headline: the highest paved passes in Europe, a formal touring route linking them, and a season that runs roughly June to October. The Pyrenees along the Spanish border are lower, greener and considerably quieter, with a longer season. The Massif Central in the middle of the country is the most underrated riding in France — volcanic uplands, gorges, and empty D-roads. Provence and the Mediterranean south offer moderate-altitude limestone riding with a very long season. The Vosges and the Jura in the east are compact ridge-and-forest regions that make excellent long weekends. And Corsica is its own thing entirely.
The practical implication is that France rewards choosing a corner rather than a lap. A fortnight is enough to ride the Alps properly, or the Pyrenees and the Massif Central, but not both.
Top roads in France
| Road | Distance or scale | Character | From / to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Route des Grandes Alpes | 720 km (447 miles) | The classic Alpine traverse, a chain of high cols | Thonon-les-Bains to Menton |
| Col de l'Iseran | 2,770 m (9,090 ft) | Highest paved pass in the Alps, clears only after mid-June | Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Bonneval |
| Col du Galibier | 2,642 m (8,668 ft), via Lautaret at 2,058 m | Bare high-Alpine crossing with a summit tunnel | Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne to Briançon |
| Col de la Bonette | Col 2,715 m, Cime loop 2,802 m | Highest asphalted road in France, lunar summit loop | Jausiers to Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée |
| Col d'Izoard | 2,360 m (7,740 ft), closed October to early June | The Casse Déserte scree pinnacles on the south side | Briançon to Guillestre |
| Alsace Wine Route | 170 km (106 miles) | Vineyard villages at the foot of the Vosges | Marlenheim to Thann |
| Route Napoléon | Col Bayard high point 1,246 m | Historic 1932 tourist route through the Pre-Alps | Golfe-Juan to Grenoble |
Open the Route des Grandes Alpes in Google Maps — Thonon-les-Bains to Menton via Briançon, ready to send to your navigation.
The Alps
The Route des Grandes Alpes is the organising idea of French motorcycling. Construction started in 1909, the route opened in 1913, it was fully paved by 1937 and given its current name in 1950. Over 720 km it crosses a chain of named cols from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean, and riding it end to end in four or five days is one of the standard European touring ambitions. Our Route des Grandes Alpes guide covers staging it.
Timing is the thing that catches people out. The full route is reliably open between June and October. Most passes clear by the end of May, but the highest — Iseran, Galibier and Izoard — are typically clear only after mid-June at the earliest. Plan an early-season trip around that reality rather than hoping.
The individual cols each have their own character. The Col du Galibier at 2,642 m is reached over the Col du Lautaret at 2,058 m from the south and the Col du Télégraphe from the north, and its 363-metre summit tunnel dates from 1891 — the Galibier and Lautaret guide covers both. The Col d'Izoard at 2,360 m is closed from October to early June and is worth riding from the south for the Casse Déserte alone, a field of scree and weathered rock pinnacles that looks like nothing else in the Alps; see the Izoard guide. And the Col de la Bonette at 2,715 m carries a summit loop around the Cime de la Bonette at 2,802 m, the highest asphalted road in France, detailed in the Bonette guide.
Provence and the Mediterranean south
South of the Alps the altitude drops and the season lengthens. Mont Ventoux stands alone at 1,910 m with three paved approaches, the Gorges de la Nesque cuts a balcony road along a limestone canyon, and the Luberon carries a dense network of village roads — all covered in our Provence guide.
East of there, the Gorges du Verdon is the biggest canyon in the region and has rim roads on both sides, making a full-day loop that is one of the best single days of riding in France. It gets its own treatment in the Gorges du Verdon guide.
Linking the two areas to the Alps is the Route Napoléon, which traces Napoleon's march north from Golfe-Juan after landing from Elba in March 1815. Inaugurated as a tourist route in 1932, it runs through Grasse, Castellane, Digne, Sisteron and Gap and tops out at the Col Bayard at 1,246 m. The southern half is the good half.
The east, the centre and the Pyrenees
The Vosges give you two things at once: the Route des Vins d'Alsace, a 170 km signposted itinerary through 119 wine-growing communes from Marlenheim to Thann, and the Route des Crêtes, 88 km of ridge road built during the First World War and topping out at the Col du Grand Ballon at 1,341 m. Vineyard villages at the bottom, mountain riding at the top — the Alsace Wine Route guide covers combining them.
The Massif Central is where French riders go when they want empty roads. The volcanic country around the Puy de Dôme, the Cévennes to the south, and the Gorges du Tarn between them add up to a week of riding with a fraction of the traffic the Alps carry. It is also considerably cheaper.
The Pyrenees run the Spanish border from Atlantic to Mediterranean, with a chain of cols that carry far fewer visitors than their Alpine equivalents. The season is longer, the weather wetter on the Atlantic end and dry towards the Mediterranean, and the border crossings into Spain make for easy two-country loops.
Corsica deserves a specific mention. The island's road network is narrow, technical and slow — averaging 40 km/h is realistic — and the D81 along the west coast past the Calanques de Piana and the climb to the Col de Bavella under its granite needles are the two roads everybody names. It rewards a full week rather than a long weekend.
The rules that shape a French trip
Low emission zones. This is the one that catches foreign riders out. France operates ZFE low emission zones and, unlike Germany's equivalent, they apply to motorcycles. Two-wheelers need a Crit'Air sticker, with the category set by Euro standard and registration date. From January 2026 all French cities above 150,000 inhabitants are required to operate a zone. The sticker is ordered from the official French government issuing site and delivered by post, so allow time before departure.
Pass seasons. High Alpine cols are seasonal and the dates move. The Izoard is closed from October to early June; the Galibier is closed through winter; the Iseran clears late. Check the current status of each pass with the departmental road service before committing, and carry a valley alternative.
Tolls. French autoroutes are tolled, with motorcycles in a reduced class. Booths are awkward on a bike — keep a card accessible rather than digging through a jacket. Rates are set by concession and revised regularly, so check current tariffs rather than working from an old figure.
Equipment rules. France has specific requirements for riders, including approved gloves, and enforces them. Check the current national rules before travelling rather than assuming your home country's standards transfer.
Fuel. Rural stations are frequently unattended and card-only, particularly on Sundays and in the Massif Central and Pyrenees. Some readers reject foreign cards. Fill up in towns rather than relying on a village pump on a Sunday afternoon.
Gear notes for riding in France
France demands more of a navigation setup than most European countries because the good roads are small D-numbered routes that change number at department boundaries, and because coverage disappears in Alpine valleys and Massif Central gorges. Building the day as a waypoint route rather than a start and an end is what keeps you on the roads you came for — our route planning guide covers the method, and the navigation setup guide covers caching it offline before you leave the hotel wifi. A permanent riding system screen is easier to read in Alpine glare than a phone, and if you are still clamping a handset to the bars, the case against phone mounts is worth reading before a trip with this much vibration in it.
The altitude range is the other thing. A Route des Grandes Alpes day can run from 500 m in a valley to 2,770 m on the Iseran, with air temperature and tire pressure both moving substantially across that span. Our explainer on cold weather pressure loss covers the physics, and a TPMS sensor shows it live rather than leaving you to guess at the top of a col. The MT100 bi-directional charger handles the long days between reliable sockets, and a JADO S6 puts navigation, pressures and dual cameras on one screen — useful on roads where a camper van cutting a hairpin apex is a routine event.
FAQ
What is the best motorcycle route in France?
The Route des Grandes Alpes, 720 km from Thonon-les-Bains to Menton across a chain of high cols. Allow four to five days and ride it between June and October when the highest passes are clear.
When do the French Alpine passes open?
Most clear by the end of May, but the highest — Iseran, Galibier and Izoard — are typically open only after mid-June. The Izoard is closed from October to early June. Check departmental road status before travelling.
Do motorcycles need a Crit'Air sticker in France?
Yes. French ZFE low emission zones apply to two-wheelers, and the sticker must be ordered from the official government site and delivered by post. Allow time before departure.
Where should you ride in France to avoid crowds?
The Massif Central and the Pyrenees. Both offer excellent mountain and gorge riding with a fraction of the traffic the Alps carry in July and August, and the Pyrenees have a longer season.
How long do you need for a French motorcycle tour?
A fortnight rides the Alps properly, including the Route des Grandes Alpes and time in Provence. A week suits the Vosges and Jura, the Massif Central, or Corsica on its own.
