How to get to the Alpes de Haute Provence?

How to get to the Alpes de Haute Provence: by car, bus, plane, carpooling, motorbike, bicycle... You have a choice of access and means of transport...

How to get to the Alpes de Haute Provence by car or motorbike?

The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region is easily accessible by car or motorbike, with several routes leading directly to the department's must-see attractions. From the south, the A51 motorway is your best option. From the north, head via Lyon or Grenoble, then continue via Gap. You can also pick up the A51 motorway. Scenic routes, such as the Route Napoléon, also connect to the main tourist towns and villages.

Coming from the South of France

How to get to the Alpes de Haute Provence department (department 04) from the South, take the A51 motorway then:

for the Ubaye Valley: exit at La Saulce, then direction Barcelonnette,
for the White Serre-Ponçon valley: exit at Peyruis then follow Digne-les-Bains and Seyne,
for the Pays de Forcalquier/Montagne de Lure: exit at La Brillane then direction Forcalquier,
for Val d'Allos/Haut-Verdon: exit at Peyruis, direction Digne-les-Bains then Nice and from the Côte d'Azur take the RN202 or the RN85 (Route Napoléon),
for the Pays de Verdon: exit at Manosque, direction Valensole, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and Castellane, from the Côte d'Azur take the RN85,
for the Durance and Bléone Valleys: exit at Manosque, Peyruis or Sisteron, depending on where you are staying.

Coming from the North of France

Coming from the North to reach the Alpes de Haute Provence department, via Lyon, Grenoble, reach the Col de Lus-la-Croix-Haute then:

for the Ubaye Valley: reach Gap, then direction Barcelonnette,
for the White Serre-Ponçon valley: reach Gap, then head towards Barcelonnette and take the D900 towards Digne-les-Bains and Seyne,
for the Pays de Forcalquier: reach Sisteron, take the A51 motorway and exit at Aubignosc or La Brillanne depending on where you are staying,
for Val d'Allos/Haut-Verdon: reach Sisteron, take the A51 motorway and exit at Aubignosc, take the direction of Digne-les-Bains then Nice and direction Allos,
for the Verdon region: reach Sisteron then take the A51 motorway, then either
- exit at Aubignosc then follow Digne-les-Bains and Castellane (Route Napoléon) to reach the Gorges du Verdon,
- exit at Manosque towards Valensole, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie for the lakes and Gorges du Verdon
for the Durance and Bléone Valleys: reach Sisteron, take the A51 motorway and then follow the direction of Digne-les-Bains or Manosque depending on where you are staying.

If you come from Nice

Follow the Napoleon road, RN 202, via Puget-Théniers, Entrevaux.

Coming from Italy

Colle di Monginevro (Col de Montgenèvre) /Claviere (North), Colle della Maddalena (Col de Larche) / Cuneo (South) then follow the directions above.

Information on road conditions in department 04

What are the traffic conditions in the Alpes de Haute Provence?

Traffic Conditions : visit the site inforoute04.fr to find out everything about traffic conditions on the roads in the department.

You will find

all traffic conditions on the departmental road network of the Alpes de Haute Provence (disruptions, opening and closing of mountain passes, major works, etc.)
but also practical information for organizing your trips (safety advice, tonnage limitations, etc.).

Mountain passes

Please note that some passes are closed during the winter.
The Col d'Allos, the Col des Champs, the Col de la Cayolle, the Col de la Bonette Restefond, the Col du Corobin, the Col de Fontbelle, the Pas de la Graille, the Route des Crêtes. In winter, the Col des Champs road becomes the cross-country ski trail of the Ratery 1700 Nordic ski area.

The opening and closing dates of passes and roads obviously depend on weather conditions.

Winter equipment

Think about your winter gear!

In the Alpes de Haute Provence, every year since 2020, from November 1 to March 31, you will need to have removable anti-slip devices (snow chains or socks) or equip your vehicle with Winter tires.

The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region is one of 34 mountain departments subject to this requirement. 182 of the 198 municipalities in the 04 department are affected.

Electric mobility

The Alpes de Haute Provence Energy Union is deploying a network of charging stations for electric vehicles, offering a genuine electromobility service throughout the Alpes de Haute Provence department.

Electric mobility service in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region, an information and service portal. Find charging stations for your car.

Cartography

Which maps should you use to find out how to get to and explore the Alpes de Haute Provence?
To plan your trips or hikes in the department, here are some essential references:

MICHELIN Departmental 334 : Road and tourist map of the Alpes de Haute Provence (scale 1:50).
MICHELIN National 709 : Road map of South-East France (scale 1:500).
IGN : Alpes de Haute Provence – Hautes Alpes (scale 1:150).
IGN TOP 25 : numerous TOP 25 maps for your hikes (scale 1:25).

How to get to the 04 without a car

How to get to the Alpes de Haute Provence without a car?

Coming and moving around the region with Sud Mobilité

Route planner for you to find the means of transport best suited to your needs. How to get from point A to point B? How to get to your accommodation or place of visit?

Using this calculator, prepare your itinerary to travel to a destination using all means of public transport in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region (train, TER, BUS, etc.) but also carpooling (Blablacar), car or bicycle.

This tool is offered by the South Region.

By train or bus

If you prefer public transport, several train and bus lines allow you to reach the main towns in the department, such as Digne-les-Bains, Manosque or Sisteron.
Check the timetables to plan your trip and how to get there.

Coming by coach

How to get to the Alpes de Haute Provence by bus?

The coaches of the ZOU regional transport network cover the entire territory of the Alpes de Haute Provence (department 04) and serve towns and small villages.

for the Ubaye Valley: Barcelonnette – Lines 68 (from Marseille) and 535 (from Gap).
for the Blanche Valley: Seyne – 68 (from Marseille)
for the Pays de Forcalquier : Forcalquier and the Luberon Regional Natural Park: Line 65 (Marseille Forcalquier via Manosque)
for Val d'Allos/Haut-Verdon: 430 between Thorame-Haute and Allos
for the Verdon region: Verdon Regional Natural Park, Gréoux-les-Bains, Valensole, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, Castellane – line 67 (Marseille Riez via Gréoux) then 450 (Riez Castellane)
for the Durance Valley: Manosque – Lines 65, 66, 68, 69 – Sisteron: Lines 69, 400
for the Bléone Valley: Digne-les-Bains - Lines 51 (Nice Digne-les-Bains Airport), 68 (Marseille Barcelonnette via Digne), 66 (Marseille Digne-les-Bains Airport via Manosque and Aix TGV), 52 Digne-les-Bains Grenoble (only Fridays and Sundays during school term)

Coming by train

How to get to the Alpes de Haute Provence by train?

From Paris:

By TGV, Paris-Valence then Grenoble-Gap connection or coach connections to the Vallée Blanche Serre-Ponçon, the Ubaye Valley, the Val d'Allos, the Durance and Bléone Valleys.
By TGV, Paris-Avignon connection with coach connections to the Pays de Forcalquier, Digne-les-Bains and Val d'Allos.
By TGV, Paris-Aix-en-Provence TGV Gare de l'Arbois connection with coach connections to the Pays de Forcalquier, Digne-les-Bains and Val d'Allos.

Departing from Marseille or Nice :

By TER, several daily connections to Sisteron with coach connections to all the valleys.

And from Nice :

The "Train des Pignes", a Provence railway, tourist train, connects Nice to Digne-les-Bains every day, via the Pays d'Annot-Entrevaux, the Haut-Verdon Valley, and the Asse Valley.

Carpooling and cycling

Carpooling is a convenient and economical way to travel in the region. Cycling enthusiasts, meanwhile, can take advantage of numerous cycle paths to explore the department at their own pace.

Join the ski resorts in winter in department 04

How to get to the ski resorts of the Alpes de Haute Provence without a car?
Take a train or bus to the ski resorts. There are two options for reaching the ski resorts by bus.

ZOU! Snow, snow on the bus

ZOU! Snow, snow by bus: directly from the plane or TGV to the ski resorts of the Alpes de Haute Provence and the Southern Alps.

Val d'Allos by train + bus

The train + bus offer takes you to the Val d'Allos ski resorts throughout the winter season. Departing from Nice and Digne-les-Bains.

Arriving by plane – 4 international airports

Marseille-Provence Airport is just a 1-hour drive from the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region. It offers both domestic and international flights. Another smaller airport, located in Nice, is also an option.

Marseille-Provence Airport in Marignane, then join the Val de Durance motorway (A51) towards Sisteron.
Nice Côte d'Azur Airport, then take the National Road RN202 to reach Digne-les-Bains.
Toulon/Hyères Airport, join the A50 motorway towards Aix-en-Provence, then the Val de Durance motorway (A51) towards Sisteron.
Avignon-Provence Airport, join the A7 motorway towards Aix-en-Provence, then the Val de Durance motorway (A51) towards Sisteron.

Access and transport via the Mediterranean Sea

The nearby ports of Marseille, Toulon, and Nice offer regular connections to other Mediterranean ports. These maritime hubs make it easy to combine a sea voyage with an exploration of the Alpes de Haute Provence.

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