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Route des Grande Alpes Route des Grande Alpes
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Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

I haven't been everywhere...
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Photo by Hendi Kaf,
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  #16  
Old 13 Oct 2015
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France

As much GPX as any one could wish for.

France

Specifically:-

The Route des Grandes Alpes
425 miles, two days
See the route
Download the GPX file

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/46.3...!4e1!3e0?hl=en
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  #17  
Old 13 Oct 2015
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have a look at this lot also
Routescentre
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  #18  
Old 13 Oct 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout View Post
France

As much GPX as any one could wish for.

France

Specifically:-

The Route des Grandes Alpes
425 miles, two days
See the route
Download the GPX file

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/46.3...!4e1!3e0?hl=en
Thanks for that Dave, great info. I see that route doesn't include the Col de Bonnette, is it worth a detour do you know, or stick to the "Route" ?
Thanks
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  #19  
Old 14 Oct 2015
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did this a few years ago in a convertable sports car living out a bit of a james bond fantasy

You'll love it, it is spectacular, beautiful and amazing. I did it in 5 days! 2 days driving down, 2 days driving the route and a caffeine fuelled oner on the way back from Nice. Probably couldn't do that these days with all the speed cameras and hideous penalties but I only had 5 days off work. 16 days is more than ample to do some serious exploring as well.

I did it in June and even then we were above the snow line for much of the route. I had the slightly odd sensation at one point of realising I was driving up a road that I had skied down the previous year as a red run!

We camped, but hotels are also available.

You could take your time driving down and save some money by setting the GPS to avoid motorways. you can see some wonderful places entirely by accident that way as you work your way along the A and B roads, and save money on the tolls!
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  #20  
Old 14 Oct 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spud 7 View Post
Thanks for that Dave, great info. I see that route doesn't include the Col de Bonnette, is it worth a detour do you know, or stick to the "Route" ?
Thanks
I hadn't noticed - free stuff like that can't always be "the best".

Anyway, I tend to use a GPS system, if I use one at all, as a guide - much as I use a paper map - so, yes, go visit the Col de Bonnette.

It's worth bearing in mind that many of the French high points/cols do not tend to have refreshment facilities in the same way that, say, the Italians provide - grab a coffee and croissant etc in the valleys and en route to the top.
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  #21  
Old 15 Oct 2015
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walkabout View Post
I hadn't noticed - free stuff like that can't always be "the best".

Anyway, I tend to use a GPS system, if I use one at all, as a guide - much as I use a paper map - so, yes, go visit the Col de Bonnette.

It's worth bearing in mind that many of the French high points/cols do not tend to have refreshment facilities in the same way that, say, the Italians provide - grab a coffee and croissant etc in the valleys and en route to the top.
I apologise if I appeared un gracious, that was certainly not my intention. I'm more than grateful for all the help and suggestions that I'm getting. I was merely wondering if a detour to Bonnette was actually worth the deviation off what is classically known as "the route"
Thanks again
Brian
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  #22  
Old 15 Oct 2015
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C'est la Vie
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spud 7 View Post
I apologise if I appeared un gracious, that was certainly not my intention. I'm more than grateful for all the help and suggestions that I'm getting. I was merely wondering if a detour to Bonnette was actually worth the deviation off what is classically known as "the route"
Thanks again
Brian
Hey, no worries!
Perhaps I posted too sharply - I only wanted to say that the stuff put out for free is not necessarily totally accurate (and that goes for other info of course) but the basic ideas are there and folks can make all manner of uses of the data.

And I was saying that I hadn't looked at that particular GPS route before pointing to the link (I glimpsed at the map for about 3 secs to ensure that I was using the right link) - I was aware of the stuff published by Ride magazine but I can't say that I have used it much. In the case of the Route des GA, for example, I have covered most of it on two and four wheels but not "in one bite" on the same single trip, having mixed it up with other areas of France.
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  #23  
Old 15 Oct 2015
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Thanks Dave,
The ferry is booked and I'm excited already !! (though have to wait till the end of August next year )
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  #24  
Old 16 Oct 2015
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Originally Posted by Spud 7 View Post
Thanks Dave,
The ferry is booked and I'm excited already !! (though have to wait till the end of August next year )
Now you have that route planned well ahead, you can start looking at the Route Napoleon - another one that is in the "Ride" link above.
So named because he moved south to north through France, after escaping from captivity on the Isle of Elba, gathering up support along the way which culminated in the battle of Waterloo (he didn't escape a second time, we sent him to another island in the south Atlantic = St Helena).
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  #25  
Old 14 Feb 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Spud 7 View Post
I was merely wondering if a detour to Bonnette was actually worth the deviation off what is classically known as "the route"

Thanks again

Brian

I'm a bit slow in replying, but I'd say yes. The Col De Bonnette is well worth the effort.
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