Oisans villages and the Romanche gorges

At 1,380 meters, Villard-Reculas sits across the valley from Alpe d’Huez; Bourg-d’Oisans rests at 717 meters, with just 20 km of old mountain roads threading the narrow Romanche gorges between them. Stone hamlets keep their lauze roofs, communal ovens, and smoke-darkened larch barns. In Besse-en-Oisans, the Alpages Heritage House explains summer transhumance toward the Emparis plateau; in La Garde, you can still trace mule paths on the slope. Expect short drives, a few easy strolls, and tastings of Ferrand blue cheeses and sturdy mountain spinach pies.

Your driver picks you up at your Alpe d’Huez hotel and stays on call until you’re back, keeping the pace unhurried. The route flexes with the day: early market stop in Bourg-d’Oisans, photo break in the Romanche gorges and a nod to the Lac du Chambon hydro works, a scenic climb to Villard-Reculas, then Besse for a Dauphiné lunch in a tucked-away inn. With a private chauffeur in the Oisans, transfers, parking, and waiting are handled while you visit, taste, or simply linger—short hops, more time on the ground.