8 Mountain Passes to Explore in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Col de la Croix de Fer is a high mountain pass in the French Alps linking Le Bourg-d'Oisans and Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. The pass has featured in the Tour de France nineteen times since it was first passed in the 1947 tour when the race was led over the summit by Fermo Camellini. One of the beautiful locations in the area and also a nice picnic spot too.

Col de la Madeleine is a high mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Savoie in France. Madeleine is one of only two roads that crosses the Vanoise Alps. Until the 18th century, it was known as Col de la Colombe. Itconnects La Chambre in Maurienne with La Léchère in Tarentaise. The pass is closed from November to the beginning of June. It has been described as "beautiful, but heartbreaking".

Col des Aravis is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.487m above the sea level, located in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. The pass is traversed by the scenic Route des Grandes Alpes. Col des Aravis is the lowest pass in the Aravis mountain range. The road to the summit is a bit steep. One of the beautiful locations in this area and also a nice place which is blessed with natural beauty.

The Col du Galibier is a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble. It is the eighth-highest paved road in the Alps, and recurrently the highest point of the Tour de France. It connects Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne and Briançon via the col du Télégraphe and the Col du Lautaret. The pass is closed during the winter. It is located between the massif d'Arvan-Villards and the massif des Ceres, taking its name from the secondary chain of mountains known as the Galib

Col du Glandon is one of the beautiful Alpine mountain passes, which most people are very familiar with. It sits on the road connecting Le Bourg-d’Oisans and La Chambre, both often used as bases by cyclists visiting the Alps. It was a place which is flourished with natural beauty and is also a nice trekking destination too. The pass is normally closed from the beginning of November to mid May.

Cormet de Roselend is a high mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Savoie in France. It connects Beaufort in the Beaufortain valley and Bourg-Saint-Maurice in the Tarentaise Valley. On the west side of the pass lies the Lac de Roselend, a reservoir that can be reached by the Col de Méraillet or the Col du Pré. One of the beautiful locations in this area and a nice picnic spot too.

The Little St Bernard Pass is a mountain pass in the Alps on the France–Italy border. Its saddle is at 2188 meters above sea level. It is located between Savoie, France, and Aosta Valley, Italy, to the south of the Mont Blanc Massif, exactly on the main alpine watershed. There is also a Great St. Bernard Pass, famous for giving St Bernard breed its name, and a San Bernardino Pass.

The Route des Grandes Alpes is a tourist itinerary through the French Alps between Lake Geneva and the French Riviera passing over all the high passes of the Alps within France. The lowest pass in altitude on the route of the Route des Grandes-Alpes is the Èze pass with an altitude of 507 meters the highest being the Iseran at 2,770 m.