France, Isere
Ringed by mountains on three sides, with the Vercors balcony roads starting within the city limits.
First instinct from Grenoble: head south west into the Vercors.
Scored roads in range
12
Nearest great road
17 mi
Best rated nearby
9.7 / 10
Shortest full loop
2 hr 16 min
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Every road in the library carries a driving and scenery score set by the same method. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 7 June 2026
Under 60 km from the centre
Close enough for an evening run or a Sunday morning before the traffic wakes up.
Roughly 4 hr 38 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
34 mi away · Savoie and Hautes-Alpes, France
The spine of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a relentless climb to one of driving's holiest summits.
18.1 km · 11.2 mi · Atlas rating 9.6 / 10
23 mi away · Savoie and Isere, France
Turquoise lakes and jagged aiguilles frame this classic crossing of the Grandes Alpes.
30 km · 18.6 mi · Atlas rating 9.2 / 10
35 mi away · Hautes-Alpes, France
A broad glacier flanked highway linking the Romanche and Guisane valleys beneath the Meije massif.
38 km · 23.6 mi · Atlas rating 8.9 / 10
36 mi away · Savoie, France
A punishing Tour de France staple threading pine forest to a panorama of the Vanoise peaks.
19.3 km · 12 mi · Atlas rating 8.9 / 10
60 to 150 km from the centre
Far enough to feel like a proper trip, close enough to be home for dinner.
Roughly 7 hr 44 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
80 mi away · Alpes-Maritimes, France
A looping summit road above 2800 metres that circles the peak itself for maximum theatre.
24 km · 14.9 mi · Atlas rating 9.7 / 10
66 mi away · Savoie, France
The roof of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a stark granite amphitheatre above 2700 metres.
16 km · 9.9 mi · Atlas rating 9.6 / 10
55 mi away · Hautes-Alpes, France
Hairpins through larch forest give way to the lunar Casse Deserte, a surreal high altitude finale.
33 km · 20.5 mi · Atlas rating 9.5 / 10
68 mi away · Hautes-Alpes, France
Remote high altitude pass to the Italian frontier with tight ribbons and stark empty scenery.
22 km · 13.7 mi · Atlas rating 9.3 / 10
81 mi away · Ardeche, France
A dramatic corniche skimming turquoise river bends beneath the Pont d'Arc natural arch.
32 km · 19.9 mi · Atlas rating 9.2 / 10
150 to 400 km from the centre
Leave early, take the long way back and make a day of it.
Roughly 17 hr 1 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
245 mi away · Lombardy and South Tyrol, Italy
Eighty four hairpins stacked above the treeline make this Europe's most theatrical mountain pass.
49 km · 30.4 mi · Atlas rating 9.9 / 10
104 mi away · Var, France
Cliff hugging ledge road staring straight down into Europe's grandest limestone canyon.
24 km · 14.9 mi · Atlas rating 9.6 / 10
243 mi away · Lombardy, Italy
A narrow, unguarded ribbon past Lago Nero that feels wilder than its famous neighbour.
31 km · 19.3 mi · Atlas rating 9.6 / 10
166 mi away · Ticino, Switzerland
A cobbled historic switchback climb that predates the modern Gotthard highway entirely.
13 km · 8.1 mi · Atlas rating 9.5 / 10
105 mi away · Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
A vertiginous loop skimming the canyon rim with balcony viewpoints at every bend.
23 km · 14.3 mi · Atlas rating 9.4 / 10
161 mi away · Valais and Uri, Switzerland
Bond film hairpins skirt the Rhone Glacier on this high, exposed Alpine crossing.
16 km · 9.9 mi · Atlas rating 9.4 / 10
Longer
325 km · 5h 40m
Lavender, limestone gorges and the finest sustained GT road in France.
684 km · 13h 30m
Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean across seventeen alpine cols.
62 km · 1h 50m
The Monte Carlo Rally's night stage, and still the best test of a small quick car in Europe.
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