Suggested Route from Troyes to Grenoble

[smileydaz]

I recently posted and got some great advice on a trip I am planning to the Alps in June however I am struggling to find a good route to get us from Troyes to Grenoble. I have all day to do the journey and therefore am ideally looking to avoid the Autoroute where possible.

Also on the way back I need to get from Thonon Les Bains to Troyes and again have a full day to do it

Any ideas or advice would be appreciated.

 

[Giles]

I've been touring for many years, and whilst I do know some of the well trodden alpine / pyrenean routes, I don't know a specific route that will help you here.

When I do tour, I play with michelin regional maps (the yellow ones - 1:200,000) and my sat nav. You can normally get a feel just by looking at the map, which roads to avoid and which will be good roads.

Over the years I've found some absolute corkers, and not really by chance - my map instincts have been right.

So I would say, get yerself a couple of relevant regional maps, the green highlighted (scenic) roads are normally exactly that and pick what looks like a nice route south from Troyes and you'll probably be bang on the money.

 

[smileydaz]

Thanks Giles, I do have a range of Michelin maps covering the Rhone Alps and the Cote D Sur and I agree they paint a pretty good picture, maybe I need to get one covering that area too.

 

[spm0912]

I'm going that way in May. I've plotted a route using the motorcycle atlas france and michelin green routes.

Troyes-Dijon on D671 and D971
Then heading to Bourg en Bresse (no obvious decent route)
B en B to Aix Les Baines mainly on the D8
A les B to Grenoble on the D512

You'll need to get a map to link all these roads up, plenty of scenic roads round here though!

 

[Wapping]

Get yourself a map, see sticky. Without a map, you are lost.

Also get yourself the Michelin 'Grande Itineraries' map and follow the green Bis Tourist routes (see the same sticky) they are made for doing what you are doing.

 

[Rasher]

We went the opposite way last year, and did so on the main roads, I do not know what the "better" routes are like, but you may consider just getting there in half a day and then going out for an afternoon foray.

More details are here

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=279972

About 2/3rds of the way down.

The Hotel was amazing value, so if you ain't sorted one yet I can highly reccomend this place

http://www.le-castel-fleuri.fr/en/

We paid an unbelievable £55 for the room, probably the best value Hotel I have ever stayed in.

 

[Wapping]

In a day, with an early start and no flower pressing en-route, I would go:

Troyes
D944 Chaource
D944Tonnerre
D905 Ancy-le-France
D905 Montbard
D980 Semur-en-Auxois
D980 Precy-sur-Thil
D980 Saulieu
D15 / D4 / D981 Autun
D994 Toulon
D994 Digoin
D982 Marcigny
D982 Roanne
N7 / N82 / D1082 St Etienne
D1082 / D620 Valence
M'way A49 Grenoble

------------

As an alternative (and probably quicker route) after Autun

Pick up the N80 / D980 on the diagonal to Macon
D1079 Bourg-en-Bresse
D1075 / D1504 Chambery
D1006 / D520 / A49 (motorwary, short hop)
Grenoble

All done from looking at an on-line Michelin map, hosted on ViaMichelin's website.

http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/web/Routes

What I did was ask ViaMichelin for the basic route. I then looked at how the start and end points related to each other. It was clear that the Rhone River (very big) and Lyon (France's second city) get in the way, the A6 motorway running down the middle. To the east of the motorway the map shows it gets very congested, not least as the geography of the region gets squeezed between the Alps and the Rhone. The trick was then to find some D roads ('Great roads, mate') that would still get me near enough to where I want to go, without touching the Atlantic coast, avoiding too many left-right-left niggardly turns down small roads and (most importantly) still allow me to crack on. I have ridden both routes several times in both directions, along with other variations on a theme. Get your maps ready......

Impossible to do without a decent map.

 

[smileydaz]

Wapping, that's fantastic advice and thanks for taking the time to work this out for me. It certainly looks exciting and doable....thanks again, I really appreciate it!!

By god, this websire is good aye!!!!

 

[stolzy]

Also on the way back I need to get from Thonon Les Bains to Troyes and again have a full day to do it

Then you've got a great ride ahead of you.

Thonon-> Geneva-> Gex-> St Claude -> Champagnole-> Gray -> Langres -> Chaumont -> Bar -> Langres

Everything from nadgery passes in the Jura to open countryside

When you get to Langres, you should order andouillette in a small local restaurant.

 

[Giles]

When you get to Langres, you should order andouillette in a small local restaurant.

Is that a wind up ????

It must be one of the most disgusting things you can put on a plate. (Other than Wappings foul fermented fish thing..)

 

[Wapping]

It certainly looks exciting and doable....

The trick is to remember the roads you went down, when you come back home.

What I do is highlight the route I took on a map, marking in bits that I might change if I did it again and / or how long it took. Then, when plotting another journey, I could look at a map, compare the roads and know reasonably well that they are maybe similar. It's only possible if you have a decent map, of course.

Enjoy your jaunt and let us know how you get on, please.