Biker-Friendly Places to Stay in French Alps

La Vieille Auberge is by the tourist office in Vars Sainte-Marie, on the climb to the Col de Vars, about 6 km away in a straight line. The Vars is part of the Route des Grandes Alpes: to the south lie Barcelonnette, the Bonette and the Ubaye, and to the north Guillestre and the Izoard, about 25 km away. Embrun and the Lac de Serre-Poncon are about 16 km off. The auberge has a garage for the bikes.

Hotel Le Marronnier is in Rencurel, in the northern Vercors, between Villard-de-Lans and Pont-en-Royans. The Vercors is full of limestone gorges and balcony roads: the Gorges de la Bourne run right past, and the Combe Laval road, cut into a cliff face, is a short ride south-west. Bikes go in a garage, and the owner, a rider, knows these roads. The Vercors plateau is cooler than the valleys below, which helps on hot summer days. Fuel stops are spread out, so fill up in Villard-de-Lans or Pont-en-Royans.

Chalet Solneige is in the hamlet of Pourchery at Vaujany, a mountain village in the Oisans, above the Romanche valley and across from Alpe d'Huez. The road up to the Col du Glandon and the Col de la Croix de Fer starts just below, and Bourg-d'Oisans is the gateway to the Alpe d'Huez hairpins and, via La Grave, to the Lautaret and the Galibier. Parking for bikes is not on record; settle it with the chalet in advance.

Au Moulin d'Antan offers guest rooms in an old mill at Beaumont-en-Diois, in the Diois hills of the Drome, near Luc-en-Diois and the border with the Hautes-Alpes. The roads here are quiet and full of bends: the Col du Rousset leads north onto the Vercors plateau, the Col de Menee crosses to the Trieves, and the Col de Cabre runs east towards Gap and the Route Napoleon. There is a garage for the bikes. Guest rooms like these are small and personal, with breakfast as the main meal; ask about dinner when you book.

Motoferme Chamauche is a farm stay near Chalancon, in the hills of the Drome between the Diois, Nyons and the Baronnies. This is quiet, dry country with narrow roads, small cols and lavender and olive country to the south, far from the traffic of the big Alpine passes. Ask the hosts for local roads; the name says the welcome is aimed at riders. Bikes may stand outside, as no garage is listed, so ask. The Vercors and the Route Napoleon are both within a day's ride.

Hotel de la Mairie is on the Place Barthelon in the old town of Embrun, on its rock above the Durance in the Hautes-Alpes. The Lac de Serre-Poncon starts just downstream, about 12 km away in a straight line, with roads along its shores. The Col de Vars, about 17 km away, and the Izoard via Guillestre are both on the Route des Grandes Alpes, and Barcelonnette lies over the Vars. Embrun's hotel has a garage for the bikes.

Gite Tranquyl is in Barcelonnette, the main town of the Ubaye valley in the southern French Alps, on the Route des Grandes Alpes covered in our guide. Some of the highest roads in Europe start here: the Col de la Bonette to the south, the Col de la Cayolle and the Col d'Allos towards Nice and the Verdon, and the Col de Vars to the north. There is a garage for the bikes, which matters at this altitude. Barcelonnette has fuel, shops and restaurants. The high cols open only in summer, so check before you plan.

Refuge Napoleon sits right at the top of the Col de Vars, one of the passes on the Route des Grandes Alpes, between the Ubaye valley and the Queyras. It is one of the mountain refuges funded by a bequest from Napoleon, and staying at the top of a pass means you get the mountain to yourself once the day traffic has gone. The Izoard to the north and the Bonette to the south are each within about an hour, both covered in our Route des Grandes Alpes guide. No bike parking is on record. Opening depends on the season, so check before you go.

Motorhardfrance is near Crest, in the Drome valley, at the western edge of the Pre-Alps. The Forest of Saou, the roads up into the Vercors and the quiet cols of the Diois are all within an easy ride, and the Rhone valley and the A7 are close if you are travelling north or south through France. Route tips are available, and the name makes clear riders are welcome. There is no garage listed, so sort out bike parking ahead of time. A good stop on the way to or from the Alps or Provence.

Hotel Belvedere is on the Petit Saint-Bernard road above Seez, in the upper Tarentaise, about 5 km in a straight line from Bourg-Saint-Maurice. The Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard, the crossing into Italy and the Aosta valley, is about 7 km away, and the Col de l'Iseran, the highest point of the Route des Grandes Alpes, about 28 km. The Cormet de Roselend climbs from Bourg-Saint-Maurice. The owner rides and offers route descriptions, and there is a garage for the bikes.

L'Escale en Ubaye is in Saint-Pons, just outside Barcelonnette in the Ubaye valley, on the Route des Grandes Alpes. From here the Bonette, Cayolle and Allos passes are all within an hour, and the Col de Vars and the Col de Larche into Italy are close too. Check bike parking with the hosts, since it is not on record. Saint-Pons is quieter than the town centre, while Barcelonnette's shops and fuel are a few minutes away. Plan high-pass days around summer opening dates.

Le Rozet is a guesthouse on the Col d'Allos road at Uvernet-Fours, just south of Barcelonnette in the Ubaye valley, about 5 km away. Both the Col d'Allos, about 7 km away in a straight line, and the Col de la Cayolle start at Uvernet, and the road to the Col de la Bonette climbs from Jausiers, a short way down the valley. The Route des Grandes Alpes is on the doorstep. Bike parking is not on record; check with the hosts.

Chalet la Maitreya is in the hamlet of Le Perrier at Vaujany, high on the slopes of the Eau d'Olle valley in the Oisans. Alpe d'Huez is about 7 km away in a straight line, across the valley, and the Col du Glandon about 13 km, with the Croix de Fer beyond. Bourg-d'Oisans is the start of the Alpe d'Huez hairpins and the road east to the Lautaret and Galibier. Parking for the bikes is not listed, so settle it with the chalet in advance.

Hotel de la Poste is in Corps, on the Route Napoleon (N85) between Grenoble and Gap, above the Lac du Sautet. The Route Napoleon is a classic ride in its own right, with fast sweepers and big views, and from Corps the roads into the Devoluy and the Valbonnais are close. Gap, the Col Bayard and the Route des Grandes Alpes are within easy reach to the south. Bike parking details are not on record, so ask the hotel. Corps is a small town, so dinner options are limited; check meal times.

Le Grand Hotel is on the Place Manuel in the centre of Barcelonnette, the main town of the Ubaye valley. Few towns have so many high passes close by: the Col d'Allos about 11 km away in a straight line, the Col de la Bonette about 14 km, the Col de Vars about 17 km, and the Col de la Cayolle too. The Route des Grandes Alpes runs through the town. Bikes go in a garage, and the owner rides a motorcycle.