France, Hautes-Alpes, France
A broad glacier flanked highway linking the Romanche and Guisane valleys beneath the Meije massif.
Length
38 km
In miles
23.6 mi
Driving time
57 min
Atlas rating
8.9 / 10
The run
Le Bourg-d'Oisans to Briancon, following the D1091. Drive it in either direction, though the views usually favour the climb.
Season
Occasional winter closures in heavy snow
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 5 March 2026
Nearby
3 km away
Col du Galibier
The spine of the Route des Grandes Alpes, a relentless climb to one of driving's holiest summits.
27 km away
Col de la Croix de Fer
Turquoise lakes and jagged aiguilles frame this classic crossing of the Grandes Alpes.
28 km away
Alpe d'Huez
Twenty one numbered switchbacks, each hairpin named for a Tour de France stage winner.
35 km away
Col d'Izoard
Hairpins through larch forest give way to the lunar Casse Deserte, a surreal high altitude finale.
43 km away
Col de la Madeleine
A punishing Tour de France staple threading pine forest to a panorama of the Vanoise peaks.
52 km away
Colle delle Finestre
A gravel topped final stretch of tight hairpins made famous by the Giro d'Italia.
Plan around it
Curated drives
France, Provence & Alpes
Route Napoléon
Lavender, limestone gorges and the finest sustained GT road in France.
France, French Alps
Route des Grandes Alpes
Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean across seventeen alpine cols.
France, Côte d'Azur
Col de Turini
The Monte Carlo Rally's night stage, and still the best test of a small quick car in Europe.
Longer journeys