Cycling Alpe d’Huez
(and surrounds):
your ultimate guide

Cycling Alpe d’Huez: Routes

The challenge in the French Alps is not finding rides (there are so many!) but finding the best ride for you: the Alpe d’Huez route you’ll never forget. So, what motivates you?

The famous Alpine cols? The best Alpine cycling climbs? The most epic landscapes? The hidden gem? Pushing yourself to the limit or taking time to enjoy the scenery?

We’ve got Alpe d’Huez cycle rides that tick all these boxes, including some of the best climbs in the Alps. All within easy access of lovely Bourg d’Oisans.

Alpe d’Huez cycling climb

14km 1120m

Col d’Ornon loop

111km 2540m

Col de Sarenne

57km 1980m

Croix de Fer and Glandon

42km 1650m

Lauteret and Galibier

48km 2390m

Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans

33km 1250m

Villard-Reculas loop

34km 910m

Top tips

Don’t miss the car-free days during July and August each year. Plan your Alpe d’Huez bike adventure carefully and you can ride the big names (including Alpe d’Huez, Croix de Fer and Col de Sarenne) without the hassle of cars! More details

You could also consider taking part in one of the many sportives/gran fondos in the region during your Alpe d’Huez cycling holiday. Of these, the notorious La Marmotte Granfondo Alpes is the most famous (this article delves into the detail of the Marmotte and this is a Q&A on the event).

Another huge challenge is the 700 kilometre Route des Grandes Alpes. Or perhaps you want to take on an Everest on Alpe d’Huez challenge?!

Family cycle routes in the French Alps

The Alpe d’Huez road climb means this area isn’t ideal for family cycling, especially with young children. When tackling the cycling routes of the Bourg D’Oisans area it’s difficult to avoid the mountains, and the valley rides follow a main road.

Older children who are confident cyclists may be able to tackle some of the less ferocious routes mentioned above, perhaps La Bérarde after St-Christophe-en-Oisans or the Col de Ornon. But take it easy. You don’t want to put them off!

Alps cycle tours

If you’d like some help with organising your trip to the Alps, check out our article on the best bike tours in the Alps. You might also be interested in our tips for how to pick the best bike tour company for your needs and the different kind of French cycling holidays out there.

Accommodation

Which town to stay in?

When tackling Alpe d’Huez in France, we’ve stayed in both Bourg d’Oisans and in Alpe d’Huez village itself previously. If you’re debating whether to stay in the valley in Bourg d’Oisans (or one of the other small towns) or at the top of the mountain in Alpe d’Huez village, there are various factors to consider. Which Alpe d’Huez cycling accommodation to choose also depends on what kind of holiday you’re after. There’s more on the pros and cons in our Alpe d’Huez accommodation article. 

The rides in this guide are grouped around Bourg d’Oisans, because on balance, we thought that would be most useful to anyone reading this. From Bourg d’Oisans you’ll find the following rides within easy reach: Alpe d’Huez, Col du Glandon (south side), Col de la Croix de Fer (south side), Col de Sarenne and Col du Galibier.

Which hotel/accommodation to stay in?

To make this (rather long) article more readable, we’ve moved our specific accommodation tips into this article on hotels/accommodation in Alpe d’Huez and the surrounding towns. If there’s anywhere you’ve stayed while sampling Alpe d’Huez road cycling that you think we’ve missed, do let us know in the comments below or by email!

Bike hire

There are plenty of options regarding road bike hire for Alpe d’Huez and Bourg d’Oisans cycling. There are options in Bourg d’Oisans at the base of Alpe d’Huez, and in the village at the top of the mountain. Cycles et Sport is the most prominent name you’ll see in Bourg d’Oisans, though our hosts at Chalet Ribot recommended Cycle Huez over Cycles et Sport.

We didn’t use bike hire on our visits, but we did pop into both shops (who each helped us in different ways with our Everesting attempt on Alpe d’Huez!). Which shop you use will probably come down to whichever is more convenient for where you’re staying. It might also be helpful for you to know that Cycle Huez is run by an English speaking couple.

Bourg d’Oisans
Cycles et Sports, Bourg d’Oisans Rue du Général de Gaulle +33 (0)4 76 79 16 79	A good variety of bikes including Scott Pinarello F8 carbon road bikes. You can also stock up on kit and energy food, and there is a repair shop too.	From 47-89€ per day, depending on the bike.
Bike Experience 21, Bourg d’Oisans 28 Rue Aristide Briand +33 (0)7 84 68 60 92	Has a large selection of bikes of different sizes and quality levels to meet most needs.	Please enquire.
Alpe d’Huez
Cycle Huez, Alpe d’Huez Place Joseph Paganon, Quartier Le Vieil Alpe +33 (0)9 51 43 89 86	Wilier GTR 2017/2018, carbon, shimano ultgra compact groupset, 11-22 cassette. Bikes are supplied with a saddle bag containing a spare tube and tyre levers, a pump mounted on the frame. All have two bottle cages (except the XXS frames). Also provides bike servicing and repairs.	1 day – 50 euro 2 days -100 euro 3 days – 140 euro 4 days – 180 euro 5 days – 215 euro 6 days – 250 euro 7 days – 275 euro
Saint Jean de Maurienne
SPORT 2000 / Espace Mondo Vélo Av du 8 Mai 1945 +33 (0)4 79 83 07 25	Also has mountaineering and other equipment rentals, as well as sports and fashion items for sale.	Please enquire.

Tips:

• For cycling in the Alpe d’Huez region, book your bike in advance, particularly in peak season.
• Take a look at our five questions you should ask before hiring a bike.
• Our ultimate packing list may also help.

Undecided on whether to hire a bike or bring your own? Read this now.

Cycling tours/camps

Sponsored

Do you want to learn to cycle faster in the mountains?

Gran Fondo coaching specialist, Alpine Cols, run coaching camps during the summer months. Check their website for details.

The camp is specifically designed to help you improve your mountain-cycling skills. Alpine Cols say that past clients have seen big gains in their performance at events like the Marmotte, the Etape du Tour and the Haute Route (check out the testimonials towards the bottom of this page).

Alpine Cols pride themselves on bringing together a community of friendly, like-minded, keen amateur cyclists, typically aged 45-65, who want to improve their performance, but also to live well. Expect high quality, personal service both on and off the road.

The maximum group size is 10.

Find out more on Alpine Cols' website.

Find out more about Alpine Cols and their cycling coaching in this article.

When to go

Read our article, Cycling in the Alps: when to go for full details.

Tips

Highway code and travel information

As ever, it’s a good idea to check current travel information before you book and travel. For UK visitors, the UK government travel information pages for France are here.

You should also read and follow France’s highway code.

Maps and books

• IGN has a useful map covering Bourg d’Oisans and Alpe d’Huez at 1:25,000 scale. It doesn’t cover all the climbs you’ll want to do (e.g. Galibier, Glandon, Croix de Fer). Click here to check prices
• If you want to see the whole region, the Michelin Rhone-Alps map is helpful, at 1:200,000 scale. Click here to check prices
• For an awe-inspiring sense of the history and grandeur of the mountains, take a look at Friebe and Goding’s Mountain High and Mountain Higher. We’ve reviewed Mountain High, here.

Good to know

• Cycling the French Alps (and Alpe d’Huez in particular) is demanding and should not be underestimated. Read our cycling Alpe d’Huez tips before you go.
• The Alps fall into eight different countries: France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Slovenia, Liechtenstein and Monaco.

Enjoyed our guide?

We’d love to hear from you – comment below or drop us a line.

Want more road cycling in France? Don’t miss our guides to the best cycling routes in the Alps and other articles on the French Alps, below.

Want to check out some other destinations? How about cycling in Slovenia’s Alps or Austrian Alps?

Or head to our France hub page to find info on lots more regions and inspiring routes in this amazing country. From the legendary Loire Valley, to iconic long distance routes, we’ve got plenty more guides to inspire your next French cycling adventure.