I’m about to set off down to the Alps with the bike in the back of the car to ride about a bit and stay in various places - a mix of hotels and B&B’s, maybe camping, depending on the weather. I’ve no itinerary planned as yet, and enjoy just heading where the fancy takes me. (No, "the fancy" isn't my nickname for the bike).
Does anyone want to recommend favourite places to stay or restaurants to eat in?
Obviously, if the places you know and love are so good you don’t want to broadcast them for fear of them being overrun forever afterwards, you can just PM me. I promise not to reveal your secrets.
French Alps - recommended places...?
Re: French Alps - recommended places...?
I went on a CTC holiday where the campsite was right at the bottom of Alpe de Huez, that was nice and Boug de Oisons was nice as well. If you have the car why not try Col de Bonnet? get the T shirt.
Re: French Alps - recommended places...?
My favourite places are:
Le Grand Bornand (great wee village/town) with Tour de France pedigree and half a dozen cols of varying challenge as day rides)
La Grave (settlement half way between Bourne D'Oisans and the Lauteret, at the foot of La Meije, iconic alp). 8 years ago I stayed at a bike hotel there that was really hospitable, multilingual and great food. Can't remember the name; Edelweiss??, but it is a small place.
I'd love to go to Velo Vercors. The mountains of the Vercors range are full of gorges and precipices that cry out to be explored.
Le Grand Bornand (great wee village/town) with Tour de France pedigree and half a dozen cols of varying challenge as day rides)
La Grave (settlement half way between Bourne D'Oisans and the Lauteret, at the foot of La Meije, iconic alp). 8 years ago I stayed at a bike hotel there that was really hospitable, multilingual and great food. Can't remember the name; Edelweiss??, but it is a small place.
I'd love to go to Velo Vercors. The mountains of the Vercors range are full of gorges and precipices that cry out to be explored.
Re: French Alps - recommended places...?
Another vote for Bourg D'Oisans here. The place is a mecca for cyclists with iconic Tour de France climbs all around. We went 2 years ago and camped near Allemond, just down the valley from Bourg. We did Lauteret/Galibier, Alpe d'Huez, Col d'Ornon, Croix de Fer/ Glandon. There's plenty of others too.
Sherwood CC and Notts CTC.
A cart horse trapped in the body of a man.
http://www.jogler2009.blogspot.com
A cart horse trapped in the body of a man.
http://www.jogler2009.blogspot.com
Re: French Alps - recommended places...?
I've stayed here in Bourg d'Oisans a couple of times
http://www.camping-colporteur.com/index_gb.htm
very nice and handy for a lot of climbs.
http://www.camping-colporteur.com/index_gb.htm
very nice and handy for a lot of climbs.
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voiturebalai
- Posts: 12
- Joined: 3 Sep 2010, 9:33am
Re: French Alps - recommended places...?
Thanks chaps, keep ‘em coming.
I stayed for a few days just up the road in La Giettaz last Autumn, pneumatic - did the col des Aravis both ways, Colombière, la Croix Fry... There’s a wonderful view of Mont Blanc from the top of Aravis. And a horrible dark, but thankfully short, tunnel after La Giettaz when you climb from the south (as well as two others down in the gorges).
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, round the other side of the lumpy bits from Le Bourg-d’Oisans, is a great alternative to base yourself for the cols most of you chaps mention. I rented a place that turned out to be right at the foot of la Croix de Fer, but walking distance from the town centre. It’s nice to have a choice of places to eat in the evening, if you don’t fancy cooking.
Both rental places offered independent apartments in the proprietors’ homes, and the second one gave me one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had in a B&B. Enough carbs to at least help you stagger out the door in the morning (or provoke the stagger in the first place): a whole baguette, croissants (plural), brioche or pain au lait, biscottes, cereal bars, fruit, yoghurt, jam, cheese... Bear in mind I was there alone...
I hesitate to name either of the places I stay, for selfish reasons - (I want to be able to go back and not find them permanently booked!) - but if anyone wants to have them, I’ll send links via PM.
Oh, I also found a decent hotel right in the heart of Barcelonette, handy for the col de la Bonnette, if anyone's interested: Hotel de la Placette. They have a lock-up garage nearby where you can store your bikes, but I saw at least two guys take theirs into their rooms and nobody seemed bothered.
I stayed for a few days just up the road in La Giettaz last Autumn, pneumatic - did the col des Aravis both ways, Colombière, la Croix Fry... There’s a wonderful view of Mont Blanc from the top of Aravis. And a horrible dark, but thankfully short, tunnel after La Giettaz when you climb from the south (as well as two others down in the gorges).
Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, round the other side of the lumpy bits from Le Bourg-d’Oisans, is a great alternative to base yourself for the cols most of you chaps mention. I rented a place that turned out to be right at the foot of la Croix de Fer, but walking distance from the town centre. It’s nice to have a choice of places to eat in the evening, if you don’t fancy cooking.
Both rental places offered independent apartments in the proprietors’ homes, and the second one gave me one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had in a B&B. Enough carbs to at least help you stagger out the door in the morning (or provoke the stagger in the first place): a whole baguette, croissants (plural), brioche or pain au lait, biscottes, cereal bars, fruit, yoghurt, jam, cheese... Bear in mind I was there alone...
I hesitate to name either of the places I stay, for selfish reasons - (I want to be able to go back and not find them permanently booked!) - but if anyone wants to have them, I’ll send links via PM.
Oh, I also found a decent hotel right in the heart of Barcelonette, handy for the col de la Bonnette, if anyone's interested: Hotel de la Placette. They have a lock-up garage nearby where you can store your bikes, but I saw at least two guys take theirs into their rooms and nobody seemed bothered.
Re: French Alps - recommended places...?
TrevA wrote:Another vote for Bourg D'Oisans here. The place is a mecca for cyclists with iconic Tour de France climbs all around. We went 2 years ago and camped near Allemond, just down the valley from Bourg. We did Lauteret/Galibier, Alpe d'Huez, Col d'Ornon, Croix de Fer/ Glandon. There's plenty of others too.
I did this very thing this summer - superb.
Re: French Alps - recommended places...?
The nicest town with access to lots of great and famous climbs is St Jean de Maurienne. It's at the foot of the Croix de Fer which you can climb directly and also via the Col du Mollard nearby. The Col du Glandon is just up the road as is the Col de la Madeleine too. Don't miss les lacets de Montvernier
http://www.maurienne-tourisme.com/fr/il ... rnier.aspx. It's not long but you can continue to the Col du Chaussy although it's a bit dull after the first part. The col de l'Iseran is also doable but it is a very long day, but there is a local train to Modane (no need to book) which makes it a comfortable day. Col du Mont Cenis is a longish day direct from S J de Maurienne but again is easy from Modane. Not only all these , for the Col du Galibier is not far either and you get to climb it from the north side via the Col du Telegraphe which is the tough way (the south from col du lauteret is not the hard man's way
Hotel d'Europe is a nice hotel, the owner is a cycle nut and does the round of Iseran, Roseland and return via the north side of the Madeleine. You could do that too. I also stayed in the Hotel Bernard about 5 years which was cheap and simple and good value.
The town of S J deMaurienne is a much nicer town than Bourg d'Oisans which I think is a bit a dump and touristy, whereas S J de M is a little working town (aluminium industry) and has a tiny Cathedral with lovely wooden carvings on the miserichords. Add in a visit to the local digestif maker "Le Mont Corbier" and take a bottle home too.
http://www.maurienne-tourisme.com/fr/il ... rnier.aspx. It's not long but you can continue to the Col du Chaussy although it's a bit dull after the first part. The col de l'Iseran is also doable but it is a very long day, but there is a local train to Modane (no need to book) which makes it a comfortable day. Col du Mont Cenis is a longish day direct from S J de Maurienne but again is easy from Modane. Not only all these , for the Col du Galibier is not far either and you get to climb it from the north side via the Col du Telegraphe which is the tough way (the south from col du lauteret is not the hard man's way
Hotel d'Europe is a nice hotel, the owner is a cycle nut and does the round of Iseran, Roseland and return via the north side of the Madeleine. You could do that too. I also stayed in the Hotel Bernard about 5 years which was cheap and simple and good value.
The town of S J deMaurienne is a much nicer town than Bourg d'Oisans which I think is a bit a dump and touristy, whereas S J de M is a little working town (aluminium industry) and has a tiny Cathedral with lovely wooden carvings on the miserichords. Add in a visit to the local digestif maker "Le Mont Corbier" and take a bottle home too.