VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
The Route des Grandes Alpes by motorhome: 700 km of passes from Nice to Lake Geneva
Bonette, Izoard, Galibier, Iseran: the mythical Alpine route by campervan or motorhome — duration, season, recommended vehicle and fuel budget.
By Clément Lacaille, editor of Van-Comparator · updated
Linking the Mediterranean to Lake Geneva over the highest passes in Europe: the Route des Grandes Alpes is the definitive French road trip. Roughly 700 kilometres, some fifteen passes including four above 2,500 metres, and an ideal start from Nice.
The route and the season
South to north: the Bonette (2,802 m, the highest through road in France), Vars, the Izoard and its lunar screes, the Lautaret then the Galibier (2,642 m), the Iseran (2,764 m, the highest paved pass in the Alps), and the long descent to Thonon-les-Bains. The big passes only open between June and October — outside that window the route is cut. Allow 5 to 7 days to enjoy it, with short stages: 100-150 kilometres a day is plenty, because average speeds here are alpine.
Which vehicle
Motorhomes manage the hairpins, but comfort varies: a campervan or converted van (€75-160/day) climbs without drama; a semi-integrated (€95-180/day) is still reasonable; a 3.5-tonne A-class runs hot on the 9% ramps. An automatic gearbox helps — see our guide to driving a motorhome for the first time.
A realistic budget
One week in a campervan: €550-950 rental, about €120 of fuel (mountains drink diesel — details in our fuel and tolls guide), €80-140 of nights at altitude stopovers and campsites. Almost zero tolls: the whole route runs on departmental roads. Water and waste services are easy to find: almost every valley town between Barcelonnette and Bourg-Saint-Maurice keeps a serviced stopover.
Insider tip
Cross the passes in the morning: afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer, and cyclists arrive by the hundreds from 10 am. In September the route empties, the high pastures turn gold — it is the finest window of all, and vans rent for about 20% less.
One week in the Alps by motorhome: the realistic itinerary
The Alps are one of the mythical playgrounds of motorhome travel — and one of the worst-planned: every summer, crews discover that "doing the Route des Grandes Alpes in a week" means spending their vacation staring at hairpins. Here's the itinerary seasoned drivers actually recommend.
The great passes open from June to October: outside that window, redraw the route. Drive the passes in the morning (cyclist traffic and afternoon storms), use engine braking on the descents — the brakes of a loaded 3.5-tonner heat up fast — and favor a semi-integrated or converted van under 7 meters: the Galibier's hairpins are far friendlier than in a big A-class. An automatic gearbox is genuine comfort here.
Free checklist: your first campervan trip
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