The French ''Route des Cols'' through the Pyrenees!

Travelling to the South of France by motorhome, and in doing so ride to no less than 34 remarkable cols? It's possible with the Route des Cols! With this route, you'll drive from the West- to the East Coast of France in almost a 1000 kilometres. Since you're driving through the Pyrenees, you'll be guaranteed to have fantastic views and see some stunning landscapes. We already laid out the route for you!

If you want to travel this route by motorhome, we advise you to travel around 150 kilometres a day. This way, you can travel a couple of kilometres every day, but also see many of the sights that come your way. Adjust the route to what suits you and your trip best. We start the route at Hendaye, where you can unwind for a while. You could also visit the 17th-century fort. You could stay with your motorhome at Gare des deux Jumeaux. Then, get in your motorhome and start an amazing trip!

From Hendaye you travel to Saint-Jean Pied-de-Port, which is about an hour drive. This is also your first stop for the day. This old village was conquered by the Spanish army in 1512, which led to a lot of fighting for decennia long. Luckily, the city held much of its medieval charm. The citadel is also definitely worth a visit. After this, you travel to Mount Larrau. One of the best things to do here is de Passerelle d'Holzaré, a stunning hiking trail. For cyclists, the Col Bagargi is a highlight one should not miss out on. There are lots of small rivers here that lend themselves perfectly for a nice picknick. Ultimately, we'll arrive with our motorhome in Arette, where you can stay the night at Aire de camping car d'Aretta.

- Be amazed by the wonderful sights of Mount Larrau!

When you exit Arette, you'll arrive at Col de Marie Blanque within minutes. This is a mountain pass in the French Pyrenees. This pass is best known from cycling stages, such as in the Tour de France, for example. Though many passes in the Pyrenees connect to Spain, this one connects the east and the west of France together. We travel from one col straight to the next, namely the Col d'Aubisque. This col is often rode in combination with the Col du Solour. Between these two cols you'll find Cirque du Litor, a steep limestone rock. After a day full of impressions, you can park your motorhome in Argeles-Gazost.

A little drive away from Argeles-Gazost you'll find Luz-Saint-Sauveur. This is where the ascend to the Tourmalet starts. This is a climb of 19 kilometres up a very steep hill. After this, we drive up to the Col du Tourmalet. This col is amazingly popular, no other mountain is climbed as much as the Tourmalet. The village of Sainte-Marie de Campan is the perfect place to start this famous ascend. When you continue with your motorhome, you'll encounter a few pretty villages such as Bagnéres-de-Luchon. This village is known for its thermal spa's. Perfect for a relaxing day out! Ultimately, you can park your motorhome at Lac de Badech, and spend the night there.

- Park your motorhome at Lac de Badech and enjoy the views!

We get back to the cols straight away! The Col de Menté is also known from the Tour de France and the Route du Sud. You can also easily access ski slopes from here, in case you decide to travel the route in the winter. From Col de Menté we travel to Col de Portet d'Aspet. In 1995, Italian cyclist Fabio Casartelli fell here during the Tour de France, and died because his head hit a concrete block. The accident happined just before the last turn, in a very steep curve. After these two cols, you'll drive to the villages Castillon-en-Couserans and Arrian-en-Bethmale, all the way to Seix, where you can stay overnight.

- At Seix you can unwind from the busy last couple of days

The next day you'll leave Seix. You'll come across many different villages, where you can stop and enjoy everything that France has to offer. After driving for a while, you'll end up at the cave of Niaux. This cave is famous for it's big and round room, where prehistoric people left murals. Murals of horses, deers and bisons are on display here. Ultimately, you drive to Les Cabannes, where you can park your campervan and take a moment to enjoy all the imposing mountains to be seen in this area.

Let's get back to the mountain passes! Port de Pailhéres is the first one you encounter when driving from Les Cabannes to Mont-Louis. This one has been ridden five times in the Tour de France so far. After that, drive on to Mont-Louis. The municipality is a settlement town with a training centre for French commandos. The fortifications of Mont-Louis are part of the World Heritage List Fortifications of Vauban. From here, drive a little further over the beautiful bridge Pont Séjourné and eventually you will arrive at Gorges de la Carança in Thues-entre-Valls. This is a breathtaking mountain gorge. You hike along deep chasms with beautiful views and over wobbly suspension bridges. Eventually, you can also spend the night here by campervan.

- You can park your motorhome in the middle of the mountains at Les Cabannes!

We arrived at the last part of the route. A little while from Thues-entre-Valls, you'll find the village of Villefranche-de-Conflent. Here lies Fort Libéria. You continue your way up to Prades, which is the capital of the province Conflent. You'll find multiple stunning riviers here, and the Saint-Pierre church is also definitely worth a visit. Just below Rodés you'll find the next col: Col de Ternére. Travel down south from here and you'll end up in Prunet-et-Belpuig. From here, you'll just have to travel east for a while, which will lead you to Port Vendres. Here, you can stay at L'Anse des Tamarins.

- Travel along the coast on the way to your last stop: Port Vendres

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