Col de l’Iseran and Bonneval-sur-Arc

Just past Pont Saint-Charles, the road begins to coil upward and the glaciers of La Grande Sassière fill the windscreen; the temperature drops, the engine settles into a steady hum, and the altimeter slides past 2,000 meters. At Col de l’Iseran, 2,764 m, a viewpoint and a small chapel mark the high point of the Route des Grandes Alpes opened in 1937. The south side unwinds into Maurienne pastures dotted with Tarine and Abondance cattle, and down the valley Bonneval-sur-Arc appears—stone houses with lauze roofs, film locations for Belle and Sebastian, and winter tales from the frozen Arc.

From there, your dedicated driver keeps the pace unhurried: hotel pickup in Val d’Isère, a comfortable Mercedes at your disposal all day, and flexible pauses for photos, short walks, or a chat with a cheesemaker. Choose a picnic by the Fond des Fours area or a rustic table in the Prariond valley while your driver handles timing, parking, and bookings. On the way back, swing up to L’Écot hamlet (4 km above Bonneval) to see its stone bridge and tiny oratory, then pause in Bessans for coffee before the 34‑km climb back to the resort.