Route des Grandes Alpes

Four unforgettable days through France and Italy on the BMW R1100S

By Morten Vinther

The 6th European R1100S Meeting in Aosta gave five Danish owners an excuse to do something we’d talked about for years: extend the trip with a ride through the legendary Route des Grandes Alpes.

Hugo Sørensen had ridden the route before and volunteered to plan everything. Looking back, we couldn’t have asked for a better guide.

Day 1 – Morteau to Lake Annecy

We met at our hotel in Morteau, but before the adventure even began we had our first challenge.

Michael’s R1100S had arrived by trailer but refused to start. Five owners quickly became five mechanics. After plenty of troubleshooting we agreed the problem was fuel related, but with no obvious solution the bike had to stay behind for a workshop visit the following morning.

That left four of us heading into the mountains.

Within minutes we were riding through a spectacular gorge where the road seemed carved directly into the rock face. From there we crossed the Jura Mountains before skirting around Geneva and reaching our first famous Alpine pass.

Col de la Colombière, well known from the Tour de France, delivered everything we had hoped for. Endless switchbacks, cyclists climbing at walking pace, sports cars working hard uphill—and one that eventually surrendered in a cloud of steam before finally making it to the summit.

Annecy looked magnificent, although the 38°C heatwave made riding through the city a sweaty experience. Thankfully the BMWs handled the heat without complaint.

A little more mountain riding brought us back to the lakeside and our hotel.

Distance: 422 km
Time: 8 hours

The evening ended exactly as it should—with a couple of cold beers.

Day 2 – Higher into the Alps

Although shorter on paper, this proved almost as demanding as the first day.

Fuel became the morning’s challenge. French petrol stations can be surprisingly sparse, and not every pump accepts foreign cards. We diverted from the planned route to find fuel, only to discover we’d ended up back in the same town forty-five minutes later. Fortunately the detour itself turned into an excellent ride.

From Ugine the road followed a cool river valley before climbing steadily through Flumet, Tignes and Val d’Isère.

Eventually we reached Col de l’Iseran.

At 2,770 metres, Col de l’Iseran is the highest paved mountain pass in Europe. Snow still lined the roadside despite the summer heat, while cyclists, motorcyclists and sports cars shared the summit.

The day’s best news arrived at the hotel in Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne.

Michael had found the problem—a failed fuel pump—which had now been replaced. He would rejoin us.

Distance: 265 km
Time: Just over 6 hours
Elevation climbed: Approximately 6,000 metres

Day 3 – The Big Mountain Stage

This was the day every rider had been waiting for.

Barely outside town Hugo indicated right onto a road named Rue du Galibier. Tour de France fans instantly know what comes next.

First Col du Télégraphe.

Then the legendary Col du Galibier at 2,642 metres.

Snow still bordered the road and every corner reminded us why these climbs have become cycling legends.

Descending towards Briançon the landscape changed dramatically. Red cliffs surrounded the road and even the backs of the road signs had been painted red so they blended into the scenery.

As we continued south the mountains slowly gave way to more traffic, more industry and much more heat.

Eventually we joined the motorway along the Mediterranean.

After wasting both time and money at French toll booths, one of us finally noticed the motorcycle lane beside the barrier. From then on we simply rode past while everyone else queued for tickets.

Our destination was Bussana, just inside Italy, where Hugo had somehow found a hotel right by the sea.

Distance: 423 km
Time: 9 hours
Elevation climbed: Approximately 9,000 metres

Unfortunately Michael’s motorcycle wasn’t finished causing problems.

First the ABS warning appeared. Low rear brake fluid solved that issue, but shortly afterwards even more warning lights arrived. Despite having been serviced before the trip, the bike eventually had to be recovered and transported home.

Day 4 – Back to Aosta

The final day was intended as little more than a transfer back to Aosta for the European meeting.

The Alps had other ideas.

Crossing back into France we followed another beautiful valley until roadworks completely blocked the only road through. After an hour’s riding we had no choice but to turn around and retrace our route.

Even Hugo’s GPS had tried to warn us.

The remainder of the day became a long motorway ride across the Po Valley in temperatures above 40°C. It is not something any of us would recommend.

Mechanically the remaining BMWs performed brilliantly.

They all used a little oil, but nothing unusual.

My only issue was a failed headlight bulb. I found a replacement at a fuel station, fitted it while sweating in the heat, and wondered why the light output was so poor.

Later that evening I looked at the packaging.

I’d fitted a 24-volt bulb.

Distance: 490 km
Time: Almost 7 hours

Looking Back

Route des Grandes Alpes fully deserves its reputation.

The roads are spectacular. The scenery constantly changes. Every mountain pass feels different.

The only thing we’d change would be the pace.

The extreme heat meant we stopped only when absolutely necessary. In cooler weather—or with another day or two—we would happily have spent more time exploring the villages and viewpoints along the route.

Huge thanks go to Hugo Sørensen for planning an unforgettable ride.

If you own an R1100S and enjoy mountain roads, this route belongs on your bucket list.