Amounts, distances and journey times are indicative. Check prices, timetables, reservations and access conditions with providers for your dates. The tables add up the listed expenses and do not guarantee a total trip cost.
Overview and Practical Logistics
This nine-day circuit is for people who love real mountains: steep hairpins, cold mornings at altitude, Alpine cheese lunches and hikes above 2,000 metres. It can be driven by car, ideally a compact model because the pass roads have many narrow sections, or partly combined with TER trains and regional coaches in Savoie and the Hautes-Alpes.
A Golden Rule for Mountain Travel: Never plan more than 110 to 130 kilometres of driving per day in the Alps. Actual average speed rarely exceeds 38 km/h because of elevation changes, cyclists and stops to enjoy the view.
Annecy and the Lakeside Cycle Route
Plan: Arrive in Annecy in the morning by direct TER from Lyon or Geneva. Settle into the old town. Rent a hybrid bike for the 42 km cycle route around the lake. A swimming stop at Angon beach and a visit to Menthon-Saint-Bernard château are recommended.
“In high season, bike rental shops right outside the station or on the Pâquier charge €32 to €38 a day. Walk 600 metres towards Avenue de Cran: local workshops rent excellent, serviced bicycles for €16 to €18 a day. Ride anticlockwise (Annecy → Sévrier → Doussard): the Talloires climb then follows a protected route, and the sunlight catches the Tournette cliffs at their best angle.”
Estimated Budget, Day 1: Hybrid bike €18 · 2-star hotel or guesthouse €82 · Savoyard salad lunch and set-menu dinner €36 · Total: €136.
Annecy → Col des Aravis (1,486 m) → Chamonix Valley
Plan: Leave via Thônes, the home of farmhouse Reblochon. Climb the Col des Aravis for outstanding views of Dôme du Goûter and Mont Blanc. Descend to Megève, then continue through Saint-Gervais-les-Bains into the majestic glacial valley of Chamonix.
“Do not stop for lunch in the upmarket resorts of Megève or La Clusaz. At the top of the Col des Aravis, stop by Sainte-Anne chapel and walk to the nearby Alpine farm. You can buy half a wheel of AOP Reblochon made that morning for €8.50 with a piece of rye bread. It is the best mountain lunch imaginable.”
Estimated Budget, Day 2: Fuel €15 · Reblochon and bread tasting €12 · Chamonix bistro dinner €28 · Walking hostel in Chamonix €45 · Total: €100.
Chamonix: Grand Balcon Nord and the Mer de Glace
Plan: Take the first cable car to Plan de l’Aiguille (2,310 m). Follow the panoramic Grand Balcon Nord trail towards Montenvers, overlooking the entire valley. See the Mer de Glace and the dramatic retreat of Alpine glaciers. Walk down to Chamonix via the Caillettes trail.
“The complete Aiguille du Midi and Montenvers train package currently costs over €78 per adult. If you want to walk and enjoy the scenery without crowds of tourists in flip-flops at 3,842 metres, buy a one-way ticket to Plan de l’Aiguille (about €24) and walk down from Montenvers. You save €54 per person and enjoy the tranquillity of the ridges.”
Estimated Budget, Day 3: One-way cable car €24 · Packed picnic €9 · Hostel in Chamonix €45 · Savoyard fondue dinner €26 · Total: €104.
Beaufortain and Turquoise Lake Roselend
Plan: Descend towards Albertville, then climb into the unspoilt Beaufortain. Stop in Beaufort to visit the dairy cooperative's ageing cellars. Continue to Cormet de Roselend (1,968 m) and its turquoise reservoir surrounded by flowering Alpine meadows. Stay overnight in the upper Tarentaise valley at Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
“Summer or Alpine Beaufort, made between June and October with mountain-pasture milk, is undoubtedly the king of Alpine cheeses. At the Beaufort cooperative it sells for €22 to €26 a kilo depending on its 18- to 24-month ageing, half the price in Parisian or Swiss delicatessens. Have it vacuum-packed for your next hikes.”
Estimated Budget, Day 4: Fuel €14 · Beaufort cheese and fruit €18 · Tarentaise guesthouse €74 · Dinner €25 · Total: €131.
The Roof of the Alps: Col de l’Iseran (2,770 m) and the Maurienne
Plan: Travel through Val-d’Isère and climb spectacularly to the Col de l’Iseran, the highest paved mountain pass in the French Alps. Continue into Haute-Maurienne to explore the preserved village of Bonneval-sur-Arc, with its stone houses and slate roofs, and the imposing Esseillon forts at Aussois.
“PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO DATES: The Iseran usually opens only in the second or third week of June and closes with the first October snow. If you travel in May, the pass is closed and the required detour via Chambéry adds more than 190 km! Crossing before 9 am avoids queues of motorcyclists and overheating motorhomes.”
Estimated Budget, Day 5: Fuel €22 · Lunch in Bonneval €16 · Maurienne inn €68 · Dinner €24 · Total: €130.
Col du Galibier (2,642 m) and the Giants of the Écrins
Plan: Leave Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, cross the Col du Télégraphe and climb the legendary Col du Galibier. Enjoy a 360-degree view of the Meije glacier and the peaks of Écrins National Park. Descend to the Col du Lautaret (2,058 m) and stop at its Alpine garden.
“The Galibier summit tunnel avoids the final 80 metres of climbing, but it is narrow and controlled by traffic lights. If your vehicle is not too wide and the weather is clear, take the historic pass road above the tunnel. The summit viewpoint offers one of the most moving panoramas in the Alps. Bring an insulated windbreaker: even in July, temperatures in the wind are often around 4°C.”
Estimated Budget, Day 6: Fuel €18 · Alpine garden €8 · Refuge lunch €15 · Hostel in Le Monêtier-les-Bains €62 · Dinner €22 · Total: €125.
Briançon: Europe's Highest Vauban Fortress Town
Plan: A day without a long drive, giving both vehicle and passengers a rest. Explore Briançon's upper town, fortified by Vauban in the 17th century and listed as UNESCO World Heritage. Walk along the Grande Gargouille and discover the fortifications. For the Fort des Trois Têtes, check the tourist office's visiting and reservation arrangements.
“Briançon is a historic garrison town that has kept its mountain spirit. Avoid the expensive paid car parks in the upper town. Leave your vehicle in the free Champ de Mars car park or near the station below, and walk up along the rampart path: the view over the Durance valley is outstanding.”
Estimated Budget, Day 7: Fortifications entry €7 · Open-faced mountain-style sandwich lunch €14 · Briançon hotel €70 · Dinner €24 · Total: €115.
The Hidden Queyras and the High Village of Saint-Véran
Plan: Enter the Guil gorges and explore Queyras Regional Nature Park. Visit Saint-Véran, whose motto is “the village where roosters peck at the stars”. Traditional larch-log houses and historic sundials.
“The Queyras is probably the most unspoilt region of the Southern Alps. It enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine a year. If you like mountain honey, buy a jar of larch honey directly from beekeepers in Molines or Arvieux: a rare product found almost nowhere else in Europe.”
Estimated Budget, Day 8: Fuel €15 · Honey and local crafts €14 · Saint-Véran guesthouse €78 · Half-board dinner €26 · Total: €133.
Down to Grenoble and Home by TGV
Plan: Return via the Col du Lautaret and the Romanche valley along the Meije, arriving in Grenoble in the early afternoon. Return the rental car or board a direct TGV to Paris or Lyon, or a connection towards Austria.
“From Grenoble, direct TGV InOui trains reach Paris Gare de Lyon in 3 hr 08 min, and fast TER services reach Lyon Part-Dieu in 1 hr 22 min. Book your TGV ticket when sales open 90 days ahead to get fares of €29 rather than €95 at the last minute.”
Estimated Budget, Day 9: Fuel €20 · Lunch on the road €16 · Advance TGV ticket Grenoble–Paris €35 · Total: €71.
Summary: Budget for 9 Days per Person
| Stage / Day | Distance / Type | Accommodation | Food | Daily Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1: Annecy & Lake | 42 km (cycling) | 82 € | 36 € | 136 € |
| Day 2: Col des Aravis – Chamonix | 92 km (road) | 45 € | 40 € | 100 € |
| Day 3: Mont Blanc Hike | 11 km (hiking) | 45 € | 35 € | 104 € |
| Day 4: Beaufortain & Roselend | 78 km (road) | 74 € | 43 € | 131 € |
| Day 5: Col de l’Iseran – Maurienne | 115 km (road) | 68 € | 40 € | 130 € |
| Day 6: Galibier – Écrins | 84 km (road) | 62 € | 37 € | 125 € |
| Day 7: Vauban's Briançon | 0 km (rest day) | 70 € | 38 € | 115 € |
| Day 8: Queyras & Saint-Véran | 75 km (road) | 78 € | 40 € | 133 € |
| Day 9: Lautaret – Grenoble | 118 km (return) | — | 16 € | 71 € |
| ESTIMATED TOTAL BUDGET FOR 9 DAYS (1 person) | 1 045 € | |||
This amount covers only the expenses listed above. Add car rental, insurance, travel to the starting point and any unlisted expenses. When travelling as a pair, divide only costs that are genuinely shared.