France is an absolute gem which houses about every scenery a man or woman would crave for – even more so if you’ve ever owned a motorcycle. Discover our list of the 5 Best Motorcycle Roads in France. The beautiful coastlines, a bunch of historically undeniably significant spots, the ever-twisting gorges and mountain passes, and an all year round atmosphere one can only dream about. For those who have not yet had the opportunity to discover the country, we’ve selected five roads in various regions of France for you to ride and savour.
Between Nice, Monaco and Menton there are three roads offering spectacular views across the Mediterranean: the Grande Corniche at the top, the Moyenne Corniche in the middle and the Basse Corniche along the coast.
- The Grande Corniche / Napoleon’s road offers views of the Mediterranean on one side and on the other you have rustic villas, pine trees and cacti. The road is twisty, so please watch out for other traffic.
- The Moyenne Corniche (N7) also offers amazing views. Make sure to visit the city of Eze. There are plenty of picture opportunities overlooking Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Cap Ferrat, Villefranche-sur-Mer and Nice.
- The Basse Corniche (N98) takes you past Villefranche-sur-Mer, St-Jean Cap Ferrat, Cap d’Ail, Monaco and Cap Martin. Best to avoid in August due to heavy traffic.
The Routes de la Lavande take you across parts of the Drôme, the Vaucluse and the Alpes de Haute Provence. Riding across small villages surrounded by hills and taking in the scent of fresh lavender is an exceptional experience. In summer, everything revolves around lavender in the area. Lavender distilleries open, flower festivals take place and producers sell their honey, oils, perfume, soaps and dried flowers. Make sure to ride across the region between July and August. That’s the time before the lavender harvest.
The Col de Vars would not classify as the highest col in the area, but it’s worthwhile to include it in a ride as it is in a very beautiful part of the French Alps. It is located between the departments of Hautes-Alpes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, and connects the Ubaye Valley with the Queyras valley and Embrun. With a summit that’s elevated 2.108 meters above sea level and a rather steep climb, it is a challenge – not only for the many cyclists on the slopes, but also for the motorcyclist who’s got to find the appropriate gears. The pass is traversed by the D902 road, which is rather well paved, but nevertheless remains closed from November to April due to snowfall.
This is hands down the most amazing road in the Vercors. The road surface might not be the best you’ve ever witnessed, but the view makes up for it. Riding on it, it’s not hard to see why the Vercors region is often compared to a fortress: separated from its peripheral regions by the steepest of cliffs, the massif’s only connection to the outside world is through a few indentations in the mountain side.
The Combe Laval is one of the most spectacular of its kind: a magistral aureole excavating more than four kilometers into the Vercors mountains. The road rotates around the mountain, going through tunnels and metallic roadways. The construction took place between 1861 and 1898, originally aimed to serving the transportation of timber from the Forêt de Lente to St-Jean-en-Royans.
If you head north in Corsica, you will be able to take a rather coastal road. In your visor, superb panoramic sea and mountain views, beaches, a village with Greek inspirations, and the crossing of a small road between the Calanches which offers you a spectacle of superb reddish hues, with its morphological rocks and in the background the Gulf of Porto.
Of course, there are so many more roads to discover in France. Yet, I hope. you enjoyed this blog post on our 5 Best Motorcycle Roads in France. If you need any more practical informations, do not hesitate to contact us.
