Hautes-Alpes, France
Col d'Izoard runs Briancon to Guillestre in Hautes-Alpes, France, France. The road is at its best before the first coaches arrive, so staying within a few minutes of the start is worth more than a smarter hotel an hour away. Check the season before you book. Closed roughly November to April.
Base town
Briancon
Road length
20.5 mi
Driving time
1 hr 2 min
Rating
9.5 / 10
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. Hotel results are live and filtered for parking, late arrival and an early start. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 26 March 2026
Hotels
Tracing the road between your start and finish
0%About 20 seconds left
The road
Hairpins through larch forest give way to the lunar Casse Deserte, a surreal high altitude finale.
Closed roughly November to April
Nearby
13 mi away
Remote high altitude pass to the Italian frontier with tight ribbons and stark empty scenery.
15.5 mi away
One of the Alps' highest paved passes, remote and narrow near the French border.
18.6 mi away
A gentler Alpine link road with sweeping meadows between two harder edged giants.
21.7 mi away
A broad glacier flanked highway linking the Romanche and Guisane valleys beneath the Meije massif.
23 mi away
A gravel topped final stretch of tight hairpins made famous by the Giro d'Italia.