Vercors by Motorcycle: Combe Laval, the Gorges de la Bourne and the Cliff Roads

The Vercors is a limestone fortress south-west of Grenoble: a high plateau of forest and meadow, ringed by cliffs that drop hundreds of metres to the valleys of the Isère and the Drôme. Getting onto the plateau meant cutting roads into those cliffs, and the result is some of the most spectacular roads in France. They are not high, but they are carved into rock walls, tunnelled through overhangs and hung above gorges in ways you will not find elsewhere.

This loop of around 180 kilometres starts and ends at Pont-en-Royans on the western edge and takes in the best of them.

Planning the loop

Pont-en-Royans, Saint-Jean-en-Royans and Villard-de-Lans are the best bases. The Vercors is a short ride from Grenoble and Valence, and it makes an excellent first or last stop on a trip to or from the high Alps. The loop below runs clockwise, which puts Combe Laval on the descent: the best way to see it.

The route, section by section

Pont-en-Royans. Start with a look at the village itself: its houses hang over the Bourne on the cliff, painted in faded colours, with wooden balconies over the water. It is one of the most photographed villages in the region.

The Gorges de la Bourne to Villard-de-Lans (about 25km). From Pont-en-Royans the D531 climbs east up the Gorges de la Bourne. The road is cut into the side of the gorge, with overhanging rock above, the river below and several short tunnels. It is narrow in places, and the rock overhang is low enough that tall vehicles keep to the middle of the road, so stay well right and watch for oncoming campervans. Past Choranche, with its show caves, the gorge narrows and the road climbs on to the plateau at Villard-de-Lans, a mountain resort.

Across the plateau to Vassieux and the Col du Rousset (about 50km). From Villard-de-Lans ride south across the plateau through La Chapelle-en-Vercors and on to Vassieux-en-Vercors. The plateau is high meadow and forest, with long, open roads. Vassieux was destroyed in fighting in 1944, when the plateau was a stronghold of the French Resistance; the memorial and museum above the village tell the story. From Vassieux ride south to the Col du Rousset, where the road goes through a tunnel and emerges on the southern edge of the Vercors with a sudden view down over the dry hills of the Diois toward Die. The hairpins below descend to Die if you want to extend the loop.

Through the Forêt de Lente to Combe Laval (about 35km). Ride back north to Saint-Agnan and turn west through the Forêt de Lente, a huge forest of beech and fir on quiet, twisting roads, to the Col de la Machine. Here the D76 begins its descent through Combe Laval. The road is cut into a vertical cliff above a vast amphitheatre of rock, with tunnels through the overhangs and only a low wall between you and a drop of several hundred metres. It is narrow, and vehicles over 3.5 tonnes or 3.5 metres high are banned. Stop at the pull-ins near the top for the view, then take the descent slowly to Saint-Jean-en-Royans.

Saint-Jean-en-Royans and the Grands Goulets (about 30km). From Saint-Jean, ride back to Pont-en-Royans. The road through the Grands Goulets gorge, once one of the most famous cliff roads in France, was closed after rockfalls, and traffic now passes through a tunnel instead; the old road is closed and gated. You can still ride the D518 up through the Petits Goulets, a short, dramatic gorge, and the tunnel to Les Barraques-en-Vercors.

The Route de Presles (about 25km). To finish, take the D292 from Pont-en-Royans up to Presles. This is another road cut into the cliff, climbing in tight bends above the Bourne valley with sheer rock above and huge drops below. It is a favourite with climbers, whose crags line the road. From Presles, ride back down to Pont-en-Royans, or carry on north toward the Isère.

Rules and road information

There are no tolls on the loop. Several Vercors roads are narrow, with weight and height limits for large vehicles, and some close for maintenance, rockfall work or in winter. The Drôme and Isère departmental road services and the Vercors tourist office post closures; check them before you ride. French rules require gloves for riders and passengers, a helmet with reflective stickers, and a high-visibility vest carried on the bike. Speed limits are enforced with cameras, including on some departmental roads.

When to go

May to October. The plateau sits at around 1,000 metres and higher, with snow in winter, and the Col du Rousset and the high forest roads can be closed in snow or cold into spring. June and September are best. July and August bring more traffic, and thunderstorms build on the plateau in the afternoon.

The roads

The cliff roads are narrow, with rockfall debris on the road after rain or frost, and tunnels that are dark and sometimes wet. Watch for oncoming vehicles in the narrow sections, and stop rather than squeeze past. The plateau roads are wider and quieter, but cattle and logging lorries share them. Fuel is available in Pont-en-Royans, Saint-Jean-en-Royans, Villard-de-Lans and La Chapelle-en-Vercors, but not on the cliff roads.

Riding the cliff roads

The cliff roads ride better slowly. Use the pull-ins for photos rather than stopping in the road, as the bends are blind and the road is narrow. In the tunnels, open your visor or lift your sunglasses before you go in, keep to the right and use dipped headlights. Expect walkers and climbers parked at the roadside near the crags, cyclists on every climb, and coaches on the Gorges de la Bourne. If you meet a larger vehicle where the road is narrow, stop and let it come through: on a ledge road, the rock wall is the safe side.

Where to stay

Pont-en-Royans and Saint-Jean-en-Royans for the western cliffs, Villard-de-Lans or La Chapelle-en-Vercors for the plateau. See our biker hotels in the French Alps and the wider list of places to stay in France. From the Vercors, the Route Napoléon starts in Grenoble, the Route des Grandes Alpes is a short ride east, and the Ardèche gorges are about two hours south-west.