France, Auvergne Rhone Alpes
Possibly the best placed city in Europe for driving, with the Alps, the Ardeche and the Beaujolais hills all close.
First instinct from Lyon: head east into the Alps.
Scored roads in range
12
Nearest great road
71 mi
Best rated nearby
9.6 / 10
Shortest full loop
5 hr 2 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 20 April 2026
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 45 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
90 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
75 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
78 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
91 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
75 mi away · Isere, France
Twenty one numbered switchbacks, each hairpin named for a Tour de France stage winner.
13.8 km · 8.6 mi · Atlas rating 8.8 / 10
150 to 400 km from the centre
Leave early, take the long way back and make a day of it.
Roughly 11 hr 1 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
139 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
109 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
158 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
113 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
186 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
159 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
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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