col de la bonette

Wether you ride a motor bike or a racing bicycle, the Col de la Bonette should be in the top 5 of any year's Bucket List. Pick Spring or autumn and pick a clear day to do the climb. If you are lucky and make it to the top in one piece, you'll possibly be able to see the Mediterranean!

Rode up from Nice - big climb- also rode up from North side - great scenery. Lots of rock falls on lower slopes / gorges on the south side. No gift shop at or anywhere near the top - top itself a bit bare - but a great col.

I cycled up this hill from Jausiers. It is a 24km climb and took me 3 hours. It's a very scenic ride with varying landscape as altitude is gained. The climb is not steep. Its pretty chilly on top and you need some warm gear. The descent is pretty thrilling!

Did this trip on a motor bike with a group of friends. It is full of stunning views and as a French "folly" quite intriguing.

We did something like 20 passes in 5 days in 60s British sports cars, and the Col de la Bonette was the highest and the best, an extraordinary little road winding up into the heavens. Not sure you're supposed to drive up round the last single-track loop, but if you do, there's a little path right up to the very top where on a clear day you must get among the best views in Europe.

No matter how you travel to the highest road in Europe - by bicycle, bike, car or on foot - the experience will be great! views are wonderful, marmots ready for entertainment.However try to go off season as the traffic jam on top can be painful and ruin your last 100's m.

Too bad that there were many cars stopped there, but with a small walk you can reach the highest point of the Col de la Bonette and the landscapes are extraordinary.

I rode over the old col de la Bonette 7 years ago in going the Nice-Geneva route but did not take in the loop to the 2802m point that time. On this occasion I did. It is completely bonkers. According to 'Mountain High' it is 15% and certainly felt like it, especially as it is high and came after 2000m of continuous climbing from before Isola. Good to have done it but probably won't do it again.For anyone doing the Route des Grandes Alpes I would recommend sticking to the Col de la Cayolle which is a great climb and should not be missed.

Cycled this last year on my solo and loved it so much that this year I brought my wife and tandem. It's a fantastic alpine climb of about 25km from Jausiers, with an even better 25km descent! I set off at 07:30 to avoid the mid-day heat and this meant that I was the only person on the hill until the very top.

We were driving from Nice to Grenoble. The fastest way is to take the A roads around the Alps, but the best way by far is to go over the Col de la Bonette. It's incredibly beautiful, not overrun by tourists and at least in June not particularly sketchy/dangerous. My favorite part was just seeing the alpine valleys that have long since been abandoned by the one sheep herder than once lived there. The surrounding roads (how you get to or out of there) are also incredible. I spent 9 days in France and my favorite day might have been this day. Also I prefer the southern approach so if you are coming from Jausier then make sure you drive over and then back. Note that Google Maps/gps is likely to underestimate how long it takes to get through the Alps since you aren't likely to consistently drive the posted speed limit. Also gas gets a little sparse around the Col de la Bonette so try not to drop below a quarter of a tank. As note there are no facilities on the climb. Also plan for 4 or 5 scenic stops on the way up. Do bring a jacket as temperature dropped from 24 to about 8.

This is one of the highest roads in Europe. If you get to do the loop at the top you will pass 2,800m above sea level. The views are amazing, but really this is about the driving.You have to have at least some skill, the roads are wide enough for two cars but when the drops off the side of the road are this high it suddenly feels a bit narrower. We did it in June, as the snow was melting it looked great, the grass was so green, still some snow around, plenty of Marmots, blue sky and then the stark, bare rocks at the top. A feeling of accomplishment as well as total enjoyment from the drive and the view. A must for anyone who loves to drive and my favourite road.

Scared myself witless with final part of the climb and about 2 miles of the descent. (2808m) highest road in France

If you want real adventure driving, without catching dysentery or getting shot by angry freedom fighters, the Col de La Bonette is about as good as it comes in Europe.We drove up to the summit in August. Even at this time, it was blowing a gale and there was torrential rain and sleet.We began in Jausiers and initially the route is not unlike mid-Wales or Scotland and you wonder what all the fuss is about.Gradually, the terrain changes and climate becomes first Alpine and then true high mountains. The rain lashed down in torrents and small rock falls spilled across the road. There was nothing that couldn’t be negotiated in a family car but we were glad that we had a 4x4.Being English, some of the highlights were regular sightings of eagles and even more regular views of large, fat marmosets watching us watching them.Towards the peak, the rain changed to sleet and the wind really picked up. It would be melodramatic to say that the driving was dangerous but certainly it required care and concentration.There is a tiny bit of parking at the summit and on the day we were there it was deserted except for two tough Belgian bikers. All four of us enjoyed looking at the thick storm clouds blowing along the valley beneath us: truly spectacular.The descent towards Nice was just as good as the climb. Again, the key to enjoying the experience is to take things nice and steady and stop a lot to enjoy stunning views.

Have a fear of heights so the run up was a bit stressfull but once over the col and heading down towards Jausiers the scenery was just stunning and not a sheer droptastic

The "Col de la Bonette" is one of the highest mountain pass in the Alps. It is said, it is indeed the highest asphalted road in Europe. It's is actually a loop where you can stop and admire the french-italian alps at 2802 meters above sea level (9,192 feet). Be sure to drive safely, the "Col de la Bonette" is minutes away from a lovely town called Jausiers. But the road is narrow and filled with closed curves. Make sure you are well rested and pay attention to signs. Do not drive there if it's snowing as probably the road will be closed!!!Once you get up there, be sure to enjoy one of the best landscapes you'll ever see. You are able to see mountains after mountains, 360° around. La Tour de France, the international bike competition, used this peak four times during competition. Can you imagine how hard it is to climb to that altitude in a bike!!!On the top you'll find a rock with a sign, explaining when the road was built and it's exact altitude. You can sit, relax, have lunch there and enjoy nature at its best.