Here are the 2 best easily available maps also available on Amazon, Ebay and most book shops.
1. Michelin Regional Guide 523 – Rhone-Alps http://travel.michelin.co.uk/map-523—rhone-alps-scale-1200-000-1146-p.asp
2. Michelin Regional Guide 527 – Provence- Alps – French Riviera http://travel.michelin.co.uk/map-527—provence–alps—french-riviera-scale-1200-000-1145-p.asp

Hope this helps..

Safe trip,

Denis

The map you recomend ‘Great Alps Route Regional Discovery Map: 81024, ISBN : 3282118102426′ does not seem to be available, any other suggestions? I am struggling to find the exact route over its full length.

Thanks and keep up the good work!

Regards
Dave

Glad to know this blog was of some use to you. As for doing the full route from Geneva to Menton in 3 days I would have to say that I wouldn’t recommend it, it’s the guts of 1000km depending on your route and many of the high roads will seriously slow you down even if the weather is ideal, you’d be doing long hard days in the saddle and by far the worst thing is you would not have the time to really enjoy it which would be a real shame!!! The scenery is mind blowing, there are plenty of other bikers from all over the world who are all more then happy to stop for a chat and a bit of tire kicking, and then of course there is the wine and cheese which is all part of the experience!!! To do the full route I’d recomend at least 5 days if your on your own and 10 days for larger groups.

Also, some of the roads are so good you will want to turn round and blast back to do it again. To be comfortable, to enjoy it and of course to do it safely you should look to do no more then 200/250km per day, certainly no more then 300km, of course it depends a bit on your bike, but anything more then that and it becomes more of an endurance test as these roads will test you!!! If your living in Switzerland then I guess your used to high altitudes, but if not don’t forget to remember once you get up over 2000 meters your body gets tired really quickly due to lower O2, and there is absolutely no room for error or dangerous driving due to fatigue on many of these roads. If you miss a turn up here you will have a 1000ft drop to look forward to and a birds eye view before the hard landing

When going through the highest passes 2500+ meters I brought my own packed lunch, this may sound weird, but having a few tins of tuna and a bunch of mars bars in your pack is a good move, between the protein and the high energy choc bars these will really help you stay awake and push on as there are not too many places to stop for lunch or even just to have for an emergency if the weather turns bad and you have to stop in the middle of nowhere. If the weather or clouds come down on you the visability can drop to almost 0 and you may not be able to see your front tire so be prepared just in case you have to stop and wait it out.

If your short on time “3 days” I would seriously consider doing the route in stages, especially if you intend going back in the Spring. The highest passes between Geneva and Briancon will almost certainly be closed in Spring as they were for me on this trip so I’d consider doing this part now while the highest passes are still open, and it will also help you get a feel for the route and what to expect when you head back in Spring when the passes from Briancon heading south will reopen “ aprox last 2 weeks in May. You can do Briancon to Menton/Nice easily in 3 days in Spring on the D902, but also don’t forget the Route des Grande Alps is not an exact route and is only based loosely along the D902, there are plenty of passes running either side of it and in-between which is why I keep going back for more

As for camp sites, I did not see many, very few, and only around the larger towns, keep a look out for roadside signs, mostly DIY jobs leading to auberges and Hotel d’ote, they may be very “rustic” but they are seriously cheap, friendly, full of charm, cheese and great wine. They all cater for bikers, as along with cyclists and hikers we are their bread and butter in the summer months, and many will offer facilities to clean your bike or dry your gear. If your really looking for just camp sites then just pop into a tourist office in the larger towns, or the post office or local grocery shop in the smaller villages as these guys will know everything and everyone in the area. Its also good to know that if there is no camp site near the small villages the wizened old lady in the village shop may well know someone close by willing to rent out a room for the night or a nearby chalet if there is 3 or 4 of you so dont be afraid to ask.

Another tip is never pass a petrol station without topping up, there can be very long stretches between fuel stops on the French side and many close for lunch, so keep this in mind…

Hope this helps…
Have a great trip and let me know how you get on, if you have any good stories of the trip, impressions, good places to stay or advice of your own that you got from it please feel free to write back and I’ll post it here so others can read it and plan their own trips of these great Alpine roads.

Denis