Biking adventure: on the Durance cycle route

Coming soon: https://www.Biclou.com/parcours/durance/ Starting from Faverges: 900 km over 9 days



Here’s the detailed Durance route starting from Briançon

Hi, are you planning to go through the Col du Parpaillon? I’d recommend bringing a fleece jacket because even in summer it’s cold up there at 2,600 m. If you go through the tunnel, pass quickly—there’s not much room if another vehicle comes through.

thanks but oh no I don’t have the stamina for that anymore as Michel D used to say... my take? I’m 73 now and these days, if I’m not lounging around, I can’t handle the big rides anymore so I keep it low-key to enjoy it more

I take the train from Grenoble to Briançon and then follow the Durance all the way to Avignon before heading back up to Valence where I’ll try to hop on a train

Hello everyone : Right in the middle of prepping for this Bambée train to Grenoble–Valence–Briançon, between strikes, construction work (Grenoble–Valence is under construction and closed!), and mandatory reservations—which I don’t understand at all (not at the station! We’re in shock)

Screw the sniffles : I’m going to cycle from Grenoble to Briançon by bike—100 km, but on the main road—over two days: safer that way... In the end, it’ll take me the same amount of time as the train... and I’ll be less stressed. Stopping in Bourg d’Oisans. I’ll light a candle for the return trip from Valence to Faverges; we’ll see how it goes—otherwise, if the legs still hold up, I’ll pedal.

https://www.biclou.com/parcours/durance/

It’s really SNCF’s fault for making you hate trains

claudio

Hello... Claudio’s back from that bike trek along the Durance—

not even dead! Despite a few sketchy spots, Claudio doesn’t recommend this cycle route.

Way too steep: endless, tough climbs, and all in the blazing heat.

Claudio did it, but he won’t be going back.

Bambee-Durance-2026:

Trip report when it’s up:

https://www.biclou.com/recits/2026-durance/

Coming soon: the story, once it’s cooled off...

Claudio de La Faverges

Well, this bambée actually happened in June 2026: Claudio doesn’t recommend this ride because it’s way too steep and tough. It’s more of a cyclo-sportive than a cyclo-tourist route. Some killer strapetti (steep climbs) that could take out an old, out-of-shape cyclist. The balisage is generally good, though it’s pretty twisty. A few nice viewpoints, of course, the cicadas cheering you on, and roads often equipped with reassuring bike lanes. At a couple of spots, it’d be good to indicate the direction of the route—like in Embrum, where claudio ended up doing three laps of a hellish merry-go-round. The loop was completed, though, via Via Bella, Grenoble, and the Lautaret pass (long, long climb) on a busy road with deadly tunnels. Passage through Avignon was fine, crossing over the Durance. Return trip was smooth, via Viarhona, well-known to Glaude

And here’s the photo report!

https://www.biclou.com/recits/2026-durance/F/index.php

claudio from Faverges

And here we go—a little travel journal entry written in the cool air

https://n28nsuccsad.preview.infomaniak.website/recits/2026-durance/T/telecharger-E.php

Stage 5: Briançon to Gap: 114 km We’re finally at the heart of the matter! It starts off pretty badly because, trying to be clever, we mess up by following a path along the Briançon–Paris railway line. We make a sharp U-turn, but we can’t spot any signage, so we just follow the main road instead. We find the signage again, and the view stretches out along the valley and its surrounding mountains. The going is easy at first, but soon the signage suggests we turn right and tackle a brutal 2 km climb at a 10% gradient. With legs already worn out from the previous days, this climb quickly becomes a struggle and a real punishment. A hastily downed tea at Matcha, a friendly *quinquina* spot, and we’re back on roads with balcony-like views offering stunning scenery. But when we have to climb for 5 km just to reach a perched village, Claudio says, “Enough.” Forget the official route—we rely on instinct to reach our bivouac in Gap after crossing the entire city.