Where to stay for hiking in Mercantour Park?

Hi, I’ll be arriving in Nice from Quebec on June 20th. I’m planning to rent a car for 7 days to do day hikes in Mercantour Park. Which village would be best to stay in? Saint-Martin-Vésubie? Barcelonnette? Or split my time between both to access different areas of the park and avoid too much driving? Also, are there hikes in lush, flower-filled valleys (like alpine meadows)? Thanks, Sylvie

Hi! Barcelonnette is a larger town than Saint-Martin-de-Vésubie, so there are more accommodation options. When it comes to hiking opportunities, there’s no shortage of them. If you’re staying in Barcelonnette, don’t miss the impressive Fort de Tournoux

Thanks Mathews. If I stay in Barcelonnette, is it realistic to do a hike around Saint-Martin-Vésubie (round trip in the same day)? It doesn’t seem too far, but the roads might be winding. That’s why I was thinking of spending a few days in Saint-Martin and then moving on to Barcelonnette.

Hi, If you want to hike in the Mercantour, don’t stay in Barcelonette—you’re at least a 3-hour drive from Saint-Martin-Vésubie! Saint-Martin-Vésubie is great for the western part of the park. I also suggest Tende, way over in the east—it’s the best spot for hiking in the Vallée des Merveilles.

PS: From Nice, Tende isn’t that far (about 1 hour 45 minutes by car). https://mercantour-parcnational.fr/fr/des-decouvertes/destination-parc-national-du-mercantour/vallees-des-merveilles-et-de-fontanalba

That doesn’t seem too far, but the roads might be winding. That’s the reason

Hi Sylvie, yeah, absolutely—the roads aren’t easy to use. I’d still recommend getting a hiking map, though.

Okay. Is there a tourist office in Saint-Martin (or Tende, as Djalma suggested) where I can get a hiking map?

For the tourist office, I don’t know. Check on Google. For maps, if you can go to Montreal, there’s the Aux 4 coins cardinaux shop on Ontario Street. Otherwise, at La Cordée on Sainte-Catherine, they sell maps of France. Otherwise, depending on where you arrive in France, you can find hiking maps at Vieux-Campeur stores.

In France, you can find 1/25,000-scale hiking maps in supermarkets like Leclerc or sports stores such as Decathlon or Intersport. In Nice, you’ll find them no problem!

Hello, If you want to hike in Mercantour, don’t stay in Barcelonette—you’re at least a 3-hour drive from Saint-Martin-Vésubie! Saint-Martin-Vésubie is great for the western part of the park. I’d also suggest Tende, way over in the east—it’s the best spot for hiking in the Vallée des Merveilles.

PS: From Nice, Tende isn’t that far (1h 45 by car). https://mercantour-parcnational.fr/fr/des-decouvertes/destination-parc-national-du-mercantour/vallees-des-merveilles-et-de-fontanalba

Hi Jean-Michel, I ended up booking an apartment in Saint-Martin-Vésubie for 4 nights. I was planning to rent a car, but I’m wondering if it’s possible to do hikes from Saint-Martin without one. Are there several hikes that start from the village, or buses that go to the trailheads? Thanks, Sylvie

Hi there,

Is it possible to go hiking from Saint-Martin without a car? Are there several hikes that start from the village or buses that go to the trailheads?

yes, there are hiking options from Saint-Martin, but the best is to head up to the La Colmiane resort... I’ve never taken them, but I’m pretty sure that in summer (July/August) there are buses and free shuttles to get up to the resort. At the resort, a chairlift runs to take you to the summit, and from the station, tons of hikes are possible.

Thanks for your reply! Unfortunately, I’ll be in Saint Martin from June 20th to 24th. I guess the chairlift will still be closed 😢.

Are there several hikes that start from the village or buses that go to the trailheads?

Hi, no need for a bus to get to the trailheads—there are tons that start right from Saint-Martin de Vésubie. Again, you can plan your hike on the geoportail website. Or buy a topo map that shows the trails.

Thanks Mathews! The only downside is that it’ll be trickier to get to the Vallée des Merveilles without a car. Yeah, it’s always essential to have a good map! I’m also subscribed to AllTrails.

Hi again! To reach the Vallée des Merveilles, you need to go to Nice and take the train to Tende. Get off at Saint-Dalmas and then head up to the Refuge des Merveilles.