DAY 1
Le Puy-en-Velay / Pont-en-Royans - 206km
Please let us know if you will be arriving the day before.
You will go to St-Agreve sandwiched between the massifs of Meygal and Mezenc, and then begin the famous descent from Lamastre to Tain l’Hermitage where you can stop for a break to visit the Cité du Chocolat Valrhona. You will have the Vercors Regional Nationa Park and the Gorges du Nan in the distance as a backdrop.
This first day will end in Pont-en-Royans with a visit to the water museum and its famous water bar with a collection of over 1,800 bottles! If the chocolate made you thirsty, you will undoubtedly find what you are looking for with a menu of over 50 different waters to taste !
DAY 2
Pont-en-Royans / Villard-de-Lans - 206km
As the crow flies, the distance between Pont-en-Royans and Villard-de-Lans is about 16km but as you are in the North of the Vercors Regional Nature Park, you will have to do a very 3-dimensional 137km ride to make the same journey !
Here’s what you have on the menu: The route des Petits et Grands Goulets, the Chapelle en Vercors, the Col de Carri, the Col de La Machine, the Combe Laval, the Col de Gaudissart, The Col du Rousset, the Col de Toutes Aures, the Gorges de la Bourne then Villard-de-Lans with a Norman hole to visit the Choranches caves. Enjoy your meal !
DAY 3
Villard-de-Lans / l'Alpe d'Huez - 219km
Departure towards Grenoble then the Romanche valley. If you are a cinema buff, in Livet-et-Gavet, you will be immersed in the atmosphere of the film "The purple rivers" by Mathieu Kassovitz with the famous Keler Pavilion which served as the backdrop during the filming.
It is by the Défilé de Maupas, sandwiched between the Belledone massif and the Grandes Rousses that you will begin the ascent of the Glandon pass. A long descent follows to reach St Jean de Maurienne, not without having made a detour on the bends of Montvernier just for fun. The loop will continue on the foothills of the Arvan river to St Sorlin d'Arves, then the Croix de Fer pass, and another descent via the Défilé de Maupas. From there, you will take the vertiginous road between Villard-Reculas and the village of Huez.
Is it necessary to present the 21 bends of the Alpe d'Huez? It is by the last 6 of these bends that you will reach « Sun Island », the nickname given to this mountain resort.
DAY 4
L'Alpe d'Huez / Val d'Isère - 203km
By taking the direction of the Col de Sarennes, you will enter the Ecrins national park. You will no doubt see marmots, chamois and ibex along your way.
From the village of La Grave, the Meije looms over you from its 3984 meter altitude. This is where one of the most fascinating episodes in the history of world mountaineering was written by the mountain guide Pierre Gaspard. In 1877, he was the first person to open the way up to this summit.
The road trip will continue with a succession of passes with evocative names: Le Lautaret, Le Galibier and the Telegraph.
The Ecrins National Park will then be behind you as you see the contours of the Vanoise National Park emerge in the distance. At the Iseran pass, at an altitude of 2,764 meters, you will be on the highest road pass in the Alps. Val-d'Isère will conclude this day.
DAY 5
Val d'Isère / Megève - 167km
Take one last look through your rear-view mirror as you leave the Vanoise National Park. Now you are heading towards the Beaufortain with the Chapieux valley, the Roseland lake and the Saisies Pass.
Throughout this road trip, you will have the opportunity to branch off here and there in the direction of Petit St Bernard pass, St Guérin…
With this in mind, you can see that the mileage you cover is highly likely to change !
DAY 6
Megeve / Thônes - 140km
Did you have a restless night and wake up at dawn ? This is a phenomena called the Mont Blanc effect.
With an altitude of more than 4800m, Chamonix, the Aiguille du Midi, the Mer de Glace, Mont Blanc could well be considered the roof of western Europe !
You will, no doubt, feel humbled by the sheer size of the landscape. It was here,at 4am on the 8th August, 1786 that Michel Gabriel Paccard and Jacques Balmat began their journey up the mountain, to reach the summit after 6pm.
As you sit in front of 190 Place de l’Eglise, in front of the Maison de la Compagnies des Guides de Chamonix, you will soak up the atmosphere of the mountains.
A short section that will give you time to take the Aiguille du Midi cable car at the end of the morning and eat at an altitude of 3842 meters as close as possible to Mont-Blanc, then head back to Thônes, the Capital of Aravis… and Reblochon (well-known french cheese) !
DAY 7
Thônes / Crémieu - 214km
Direction Venice. The Venice of the Alps, Annecy of course!
It will the “beach side” of Annecy. And now, you will discover the “mountain side”. The Massif des Bauges Regional Natural Park, with the Semnoz mountain followed by the Pont de l’Abime which has a height of almost a 100 meters.
You will get back to the “beach side” as you ride along le lac du Bourget. Your final ascent of the day will be Le Grand Colombier and you will be able to stop and admire the splendid Glandieu waterfall before making your way calmly back to the medieval town of Crémieu.
DAY 8 rest
Crémieu
Several options are available to you for this day of rest: Either enjoy a relaxing break, near the Rhône or Ain rivers, or in a swimming pool, or discover the many tourist spots that exist in this region.
The list is of course not exhaustive but here are some ideas:
Without your motorbike: the medieval city of Crémieu is rich in a truly exceptional architectural heritage, the first traces of which date back to the 12th century. Enthusiasts of old stone will love it !
With your motorbike: The medieval city of Pérouges, the Balme caves, the Ambronay Abbey, the Brou monastery, a jewel of the flamboyant Gothic style, the Allymes castle, the ornithological park of Villars-les-Dombes, Lyon with its traboules in the St Jean district, its Notre Dame de Fourvière basilica, its gastronomy… The list is very long !
Crédit photo : "Cloître des Augustins de Crémieu" by FrenchHope is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
DAY 9
Crémieu / Romanèche-Thorins - 158km
This day has a gentle start that will take you to Beaujolais.
As you cross the Dombes with more than a thousand ponds, the birds will be your travel partners !
As you progress, kilometer after kilometer, from castle to castle, the landscape begins to change. Vineyards become more and more frequent. Wine lovers will gradually recognize the famous names : Beaujolais, Brouilly, Régnié, Morgon, you will also have made a detour via Crie Pass.
You will end this day in in Romanèche-Thorins with a visit to Hameau Duboeuf, the largest theme park on wine in Europe, and Oenoparc du Beaujolais. Don’t panic! You won’t have to drive. Your hotel is only a short walk from the park.
DAY 10
Romanèche-Thorins / Vichy - 207km
Now you’ll be turning the wine into water as you leave Romanéche-Thorins towards Vichy, the famous spa resort, but before that, you will be visiting Charlieu which is rated among the “100 Most Beautiful Detours of France” where you can stop and admire the sculpted tympana of the old Benedictine abbey. The tympana that you will see in the monk’s church is actually the most ancient example of Burgundian Roman art found to this day in France. You will also have the time to stroll through the town with its half-timbered houses.
Next, you’ll be crossing the the magnificent Roannais country which will lead you to the La Roche castle, an emblematic monument of the Loire Gorges built in the 13th century.
You find yourself now between Les Bois Noirs to the South and the Assise forest. At last it’s time to enter the Auvergne. If you need to quench your thirst, you’ll be stopping in St Yorre and Vichy.
DAY 11
Vichy / Clermont-Ferrand - 143km
Time for a little historical note on the region: Auvergne owes its name to the Arvernes, one of the most powerful and richest tribes of ancient Gaul. Centuries have reshaped the region, from the early Middle Ages to the Napoleonic Empire.
There are hundreds and hundreds of castles that have been left to us as our heritage. The route of the Castles of Auvergne is very long and crosses the 4 departments of Haute-Loire, Le Cantal, Puy-de-Dôme and the Allier. They punctuate your route as you head to the Gorges de la Sioule.
You have seen a lot of water the past few days and you’re about to see some more as you visit Volvic famous for its water of the same name. However, don’t drink too much of it because next you’ll be going to “Volcanic Wines” near Chateaugay.
The adventure will end in Clermont-Ferrand, and what an adventure, with a visit to « L'Aventure Michelin » !
DAY 12
Clermont-Ferrand / Le Mont Dore - 130km
After strolling through the alleys around the splendid Gothic cathedral of Clermont-Ferrand, you will enter the Chaîne des Puys with the volcano of the Puy de Dôme, the first natural site listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in mainland France.
The midday meal will be waiting for you at the summit (Ascent by funicular and meal included in the price).
This trip will continue in the Massif du Sancy with a visit to two of the Five Majors of Auvergne Roman Art : the Notre-Dame d'Orcival Basilica and then the St Nectaire church. You’ve probably already heard of the famous St Nectaire cheese.
On this trip you will also come across many beautiful lakes: Guéry lake, Chambon lake and Pavin lake to name but a few.
A range of volcanic mountains and therefore a range of thermal baths, like Mont-Dore with its neo-Byzantine-inspired thermal baths, classified as a historic monument since the mid 19th Century. It is here that you end your journey.
DAY 13
Le Mont Dore / Lacapelle-Viescamp - 207km
Always heading south, you will tour Puy du Sancy via the Chastreix Sancy National Nature Reserve and continue with the Sagnes de la Godivelle Nature Reserve. You will then arrive in Cantal. Be warned! It’s not unheard of for people to fall in love with this area and never leave !
The Monts du Cantal with Pas de Peyrol and Puy Mary passing by the Cirque du Falgoux to reach the small village of Salers will be a delight for your eyes! From there, you will join part of the Auvergne Castles Route where you’ll see the imposing Anjony castle in Tournemire dominating the green valley of the Doire. You will then head to the Sédaiges castle, a true flagship of the neo-Gothic architecture of Cantal.
DAY 14
Lacapelle-Viescamp / Le Puy-en-Velay - 222km
Before your departure, take a look at the riverbed of the Jordanne River which runs through Aurillac. Legend has it that it contains gold flakes that people used to use as currency to purchase Spanish copper from the pilgrims returning from the St James’ Way. The local craftsmen used it in the making of umbrellas of great repute: the Carré d’Aurillac.
Passing from one river to another, it won’t be long before you arrive at the Truyère and its gorges. After travelling down winding roads to get there, you will find yourself standing on a steep rocky outcrop with a resplendent view of the Alleuze Feudal Castle and the town of St Flour. It’s worth a stroll through the historical center of town to discover the wonders of this Cluniac city.
Your next stop will be with Gustave Eiffel's construction: the majestic Garabit viaduct, 564 meters long and 122 meters high. The trip will continue with the discovery of the Margeride plateau made infamous by the Beast of Gevaudan.
Our last thought is for your arms. As if they had not had enough turns to endure since the first day of this trip, now they will have to deal with the ascent of the Peyra Taillade pass with its (occasionally) 14% slope. This concludes the “Moto Tour Auvergne Rhone Alpes” roadtrip.
DAY 15
Le Puy-en-Velay
Your road trip is over. It’s time to say goodbye after a last breakfast together.
A guided tour of Puy-en-Velay as well as access to the Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe rock and to the Virgin are possible if you wish to spend more time looking round.
Feel free to contact us for more information on this visit.
MAP - Moto Auvergne Plaisir reserves the right to modify the itinerary without notice as provided in the GTC and CDV
Non-contractual program.
The daily descriptive maps briefly represent the routes and are in no way the detailed GPX files that will be provided for the road trip.