6 days starting and ending in Geneva

Wonkey donkey

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Now Wapping calm down, calm down as I have tried my best to avoid the usual route planning questions that are asked without researching but there is so much info and choice out there I need to appeal to the Gser massive for help.

So two of us are getting the bike shuttle at end of June to Geneva and then have 6 days to explore. Seriously looked at ride magazine routes, and others, and there are a bloody shed load. Happy to do some passes but after 2 or 3 I feel they are all the same so after something different as well. Route Napoleon looks a good shout and maybe even going down to Monaco? Happy to cover 150-200 miles a day and not looking to have a base, we will find hotels etc on route.

We are of course near France,Switzerland, Italy, Etc so I really am struggling with this trip. Any recommendations, help greatly appreciated.

Cheers
 
I can thoroughly recommend the Horshoe Pass. Popular at the weekends with bikers and cyclists. Open most of the round unlike some other passes and a great cafe at the top :thumb :D

I have been considering doing the bike shuttle thing, maybe next year. have a great trip :thumb
 
Down RDGA via Barcelonnette and Col de la bonnette, and over to Castellane. Take a couple of nights at each of those towns, and do some of the other cols and perhaps Gorge de Verdon. Back up the Route Napoleon to Geneva.

Note that Geneva itself has an emissions restriction in it.
 
Do as Blackal suggests, if you haven’t done it before.

There’ll be passes on both roads but you’ll be riding with some purpose, rather than just riding around in circles from Geneva.
 
I had a similar query from a reader (or it may have been you or your mate) as our Bikeshuttle tour was based on an eight-day turnaround - this year it's changed so you get five full days plus the afternoon after it arrives and morning before it leaves. That trip avoided doing the RDGA and Route Napoleon – definitely not pass after pass, but plenty of them and more besides (woods, gorges, volcanoes, rolling hills, etc). Instead it heads off through the Vercors, the Ardeche, over to Millau, and into the Auvergne. From there the original version looped up, through Burgundy and Champagne, round through the Vosges to Besancon and back down through the Jura – but it's possible to simplify it, going more directly from the Auvergne to Besancon in two days rather than three
Day 5: Thiers to Langres
Day 6: Langres to Besancon
From Besancon it's the same run back through the Jura to the Bikeshuttle base hotel as the original tour. Of course, if you wanted to get straight to the hotel the night before the Bikeshuttle arrives, you could go straight from Langres to Thoirry (the Bikeshuttle base). But as long as you're there for 11-11:30 on the final, seventh day, you'd be fine – so you could ride the fuller route - though of course it does depend on your flight time home.
 
I had a similar query from a reader (or it may have been you or your mate) as our Bikeshuttle tour was based on an eight-day turnaround - this year it's changed so you get five full days plus the afternoon after it arrives and morning before it leaves. That trip avoided doing the RDGA and Route Napoleon – definitely not pass after pass, but plenty of them and more besides (woods, gorges, volcanoes, rolling hills, etc). Instead it heads off through the Vercors, the Ardeche, over to Millau, and into the Auvergne. From there the original version looped up, through Burgundy and Champagne, round through the Vosges to Besancon and back down through the Jura – but it's possible to simplify it, going more directly from the Auvergne to Besancon in two days rather than three
Day 5: Thiers to Langres
Day 6: Langres to Besancon
From Besancon it's the same run back through the Jura to the Bikeshuttle base hotel as the original tour. Of course, if you wanted to get straight to the hotel the night before the Bikeshuttle arrives, you could go straight from Langres to Thoirry (the Bikeshuttle base). But as long as you're there for 11-11:30 on the final, seventh day, you'd be fine – so you could ride the fuller route - though of course it does depend on your flight time home.

Wasn't me Simon but appreciate the info. Normally ok with route planning but overwhelmed with the choice around there.
 
Wasn't me Simon but appreciate the info. Normally ok with route planning but overwhelmed with the choice around there.

No worries. It's surrounded by some of the best riding in Europe - but there is too much choice! That's why the trip we planned deliberately went into the Alps then back out to other areas - just to show what's available beyond the obvious option, which could feel like the only option (no matter how good it is). I know a lot of people use the Bikeshuttle to get into Italy: you can get to the Dolomites or Stelvio, have a few days there, then still get back. Switzerland's Five Passes route (Grimsel, Furka, St Gotthard, Neufennen, Furka, Susten – or in reverse) is really easily do-able from there… Too much choice. But the good news is that pretty much all the choices are great - you can't go wrong!
 
If you don't want pass after pass consider the Italian lakes, Maggiore, Lugano and Como. Very nice places to stay and eat when on the road. Fantastic scenery and villages. A good choice if you are unfortunate enough to run into bad weather. Invariably sunny south of the Alps if the weather is bad further north
 
I'd agree with the above.
If you've never ridden the RDGA and Route Napoleon then you can't get better,in my opinion.

If you have 6 days spare then I would probably take two and a half days to ride the RDGA,staying in somewhere like Valloire and then Col de Turini or Sospel.Something like this. (probably won't show correctly due to seasonal road closures.

These were routes I did last year but will give you an idea .


Then ride around and up to Castellane.

Stay two nights which will give you a day to play around the Gorge du Verdon.
I'd recommend the Nouvel Hotel du Commerce as first choice.

Ride anti-clockwise around the Gorge but try include the Route des Cretes which will give you the best view.It's a bugger to show on the route but its the D23 turn off just before La Palud sur Verdon .Then just follow it until you re-join the D952 :



Then ride up the Route Napoleon,but after Digne,take the D900A/D7 through the Clue des Barles.

Before you get to Grenoble,bin the RN and head up past Die and over the Col de Rousset and then over to the Col de la Machine.

Perhaps stay at the hotel there and then ride the Combe Laval first thing the next day when it's quiet,then head back towards Geneva,with only one more night to stop somewhere.
 
Route de Crete has a one-way section - is that the correct direction for that part? I can't remember.

Yup.Can't actually see the Route des Cretes on the map but its definitely ride-able anti clockwise from Castellane,ie ride west over the Routes de Cretes and then take the bridge over the Lac de St Croix before heading up to Aiguines and ride the south rim eastwards.

Aiguines is a great place for lunch and the short stretch of road immediately before it is probably my favourite road anywhere.

I don't remember it being one way and it certainly shows it as being two way here :

684341-diaporama.jpg
 
You are right about the direction, but "Belv du Tileul" is one way for a section. (to the right of the map). See the single direction arrow.

(it is close to that bistro at the side of the gorge)

Agreed - Alguens is a great stop, although last year we stopped for coffee and had to pay in advance....... Unusual, but suspect that they had experienced drive-offs?
 
Excellent lads, I'm looking at visiting some of these parts this year after my October dash to the Vercors last year, and as the OP overwhelmed with choices !! This helps a lot so thank you
 
Now Wapping calm down, calm down as I have tried my best to avoid the usual route planning questions that are asked without researching but there is so much info and choice out there I need to appeal to the Gser massive for help.

So two of us are getting the bike shuttle at end of June to Geneva and then have 6 days to explore. Seriously looked at ride magazine routes, and others, and there are a bloody shed load. Happy to do some passes but after 2 or 3 I feel they are all the same so after something different as well. Route Napoleon looks a good shout and maybe even going down to Monaco? Happy to cover 150-200 miles a day and not looking to have a base, we will find hotels etc on route.

We are of course near France,Switzerland, Italy, Etc so I really am struggling with this trip. Any recommendations, help greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Route Napoleon recommended, MONACO stay away feckin waste of time total bore nothing to see here, took an hour in traffic to get in to town and then couldnt even find a space to park two bikes :eek:
 
Excellent lads, I'm looking at visiting some of these parts this year after my October dash to the Vercors last year, and as the OP overwhelmed with choices !! This helps a lot so thank you

It's a great area.I've been every year for some time now.Going again in April and setting up camp in Castellane.Taking my Tmax I think as always fancied joining the locals for lunch in Antibes on a big scoot,plus it should be fun riding down the RN on such a bike.
 
Yes. You need to go clockwise. I forgot last year and tried to do it anti-clockwise. Had to turn round and do it again. Not a hardship, even if it did waste (quite a bit of) time - if you turn right in the middle of Paluds, you get about two-thirds of the way round before you run into the no-entry/one-way bit...
 
Spot on that that section is one way only.

I’ll create a gpx version of the route (in the correct direction) and drop a warning into it.
 


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