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.
The Spirit of the Route: Stark Cliffs and Southern Scents
This is one of my favourite routes in France because it brings together two contrasting worlds in less than 450 kilometres. You leave the Alpine fortress of the Vercors, shaped by heroic history and sheer cliffs, and gradually enter the warm light of the Diois, the lavender fields of Valensole and the turquoise waters of the Verdon.
Vehicle and Driving Warning: The roads of Combe Laval and the Verdon Gorge do not tolerate speed. They demand attention and put pressure on your brakes. Always favour engine braking on descents.
Grenoble → Vercors Massif → Gorges de la Bourne
Plan: Collect the vehicle at Grenoble TGV station. Climb via Lans-en-Vercors and Villard-de-Lans. Cross the impressive Gorges de la Bourne, where the road winds beneath enormous rock overhangs. Arrive in La Chapelle-en-Vercors.
“The Gorges de la Bourne regularly undergo rock-clearance work. Always check with the tourist office or Inforoute Isère the day before. If the road is closed, the Col de Romeyère is a wonderful wild alternative. For dinner, try Dauphiné ravioles with AOP Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage: a hearty, inexpensive dish costing about €14 in local inns.”
Estimated Budget, Day 1: Fuel €12 · Lunch €14 · Vercors inn €68 · Dinner €22 · Total: €116.
The Cliffside Road of Combe Laval and Pont-en-Royans
Plan: Cross the Col de la Machine onto the legendary Combe Laval road, cut into the cliff between 1861 and 1898. Look down more than 600 metres into the cirque. Descend to Pont-en-Royans, famous for its medieval houses suspended above the River Bourne.
“Combe Laval is a masterpiece of 19th-century road engineering. The road is narrow with low stone parapets. Never stop in the middle of a tunnel to take a photograph: it is very dangerous. There are two protected viewpoints with small pull-outs 300 metres after the Col de la Machine. Visit early in the morning when low light highlights the geological layers.”
Estimated Budget, Day 2: Fuel €10 · Pont-en-Royans water museum €7 · Picnic lunch €8 · Royans guesthouse €72 · Dinner €24 · Total: €121.
Die Valley → Col de Cabre → Sisteron and Its Citadel
Plan: Descend to Die at the foot of the Glandasse mountain. Taste Clairette de Die with an independent grower. Climb the Col de Cabre (1,180 m), marking the climatic boundary with Provence. Arrive in Sisteron, the gateway to Provence, dominated by its formidable rock citadel above the Durance.
“The transition between the Col de Cabre and Sisteron is striking: in less than an hour, fir trees give way to Scots pines, truffle oaks and the first scents of thyme and rosemary. In Sisteron, order Label Rouge Sisteron lamb from an artisan butcher for its incomparable tenderness.”
Estimated Budget, Day 3: Fuel €18 · Sisteron citadel entry €7 · Bistro lunch €16 · Sisteron hotel €70 · Dinner €25 · Total: €136.
Grand Canyon du Verdon and the Route des Crêtes
Plan: Enter Verdon Regional Nature Park via Castellane. Follow the right bank on the famous Route des Crêtes (D23), a one-way circuit from La Palud-sur-Verdon. Stop at La Carelle and L’Escalès viewpoints to watch griffon vultures gliding close to the cliffs.
“Be aware that the 23 km Route des Crêtes circuit contains a mandatory one-way section. Travel clockwise from La Palud-sur-Verdon. If you attempt it in reverse, you will be stopped at the Chalet de la Maline. Bring binoculars to watch climbers on the slabs of L’Escalès.”
Estimated Budget, Day 4: Fuel €15 · Lunch in La Palud €15 · Character guesthouse in the Verdon €75 · Inn dinner €26 · Total: €131.
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and Kayaking on Lake Sainte-Croix
Plan: Spend the morning in the protected village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, famous for the star hanging between two cliffs and its fine faience workshops. In the afternoon, rent a kayak or canoe at Pont de Galetas to paddle the first two kilometres into the gorge on emerald water.
“In July and August, the watersports centre at Pont de Galetas is overwhelmed from 11 am, with queues of more than an hour to rent a kayak at about €22 per hour. Arrive for opening at 8:45 am: you will be first on the water, in complete silence, with morning light reflected in the turquoise surface and no pedalo waves.”
Estimated Budget, Day 5: Kayak rental for 2 hr €35 · Lunch in Moustiers €18 · Moustiers hotel €84 · Dinner €28 · Total: €165.
Valensole Plateau → Manosque → Aix-en-Provence
Plan: Cross the vast expanses of the Valensole plateau. Visit a family distillery producing essential oils from fine lavender and lavandin. Stop in Manosque in the footsteps of Jean Giono, then continue to Aix-en-Provence. Return the car at Aix TGV station or continue towards the Côte d’Azur.
“Lavender on the Valensole plateau peaks between 25 June and 15 July. Harvesting starts in late July and the fields are cut. In September, the fields are green and quiet, without tourists, and distillers sell their essential oils at the best prices.”
Estimated Budget, Day 6: Fuel €16 · Bottle of AOP lavender oil €9 · Bistro lunch in Aix €18 · Total: €43.
Budget Summary for 6 Days
| Stages | Listed Expenses, One Person |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | 116 € |
| Day 2 | 121 € |
| Day 3 | 136 € |
| Day 4 | 131 € |
| Day 5 | 165 € |
| Day 6 | 43 € |
| Indicative Total of Listed Expenses | 712 € |
This amount adds up the items detailed in the stages and is not an all-inclusive budget. Add unlisted meals, transfers and other expenses, and adjust for prices on your dates. Car rental and its insurance are not included.