Getting around the Verdon

Located between 1 h and 2 h 30 from Nice, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille or Toulon, the villages from the springs to the Gorges du Verdon welcome you to unspoilt countryside, without freeways or traffic lights.

Cliff-edge road above the Gorges du Verdon

Vintage car on a road in the Gorges du Verdon

Travelling from the sources to the Gorges du Verdon

From the sources of the Verdon, at the foot of the Col d'Allos, down to the Gorges, the area is explored at the pace of its mountain roads: winding, spectacular, with no motorways and no traffic lights. Take your time here: the journey is part of the trip.

By car, on the Chemins de fer de Provence train, by Zou! bus or by bike: on this page you will find travel times between our villages, tips for driving and parking, and every way to get around without a car.

On the road

By car: travel times and roads

Our environment is unspoilt, but our roads are winding: go by driving time rather than distance.

Travel times between our main villages

Village	Allos	Annot	Castellane	Colmars	Entrevaux	La Palud	St-André
Allos	–	55 min	1h10	10 min	1h10	1h40	40 min
Annot	55 min	–	40 min	45 min	15 min	1h25	30 min
Castellane	1h10	40 min	–	1h	50 min	45 min	25 min
Colmars	10 min	45 min	1h	–	1h	1h30	30 min
Entrevaux	1h10	15 min	50 min	1h	–	1h35	40 min
La Palud	1h40	1h25	45 min	1h30	1h35	–	1h10
St-André	40 min	30 min	25 min	30 min	40 min	1h10	–

Approximate times, excluding traffic jams and winter conditions.

Mountain roads

In winter, snow equipment is compulsory on snow-covered roads. Some mountain roads and passes are closed for part of the year, depending on snow and weather: check road conditions before following your GPS.

Road conditions

Once here

Parking and charging

Parking is free almost everywhere in the Verdon; a few very busy sites are regulated in summer.

Lac d'Allos, reached in summer via regulated car parks

As a rule, parking is free throughout the area. Only Place Marcel Sauvaire in Castellane is a blue zone (time-limited parking disc), and the Point Sublime car park charges a fee in July and August.

Lac d'Allos: three car parks along the lake road. La Chaup (free, the last one open to vehicles over 2.10 m high), La Cluite (free) and Le Laus, closest to the lake, which charges a fee and is limited in season: prices and booking in our FAQ.

Electric vehicles: fast charging points have been installed in the villages, from the sources to the Gorges du Verdon, and can be used with or without a subscription.

Lac d'Allos FAQ Charging points

Without a car

By train

The Chemins de fer de Provence Nice ↔ Digne-les-Bains line crosses the area, from the Var valley to the Asse valley.

Chemins de fer de Provence train on the Nice – Digne-les-Bains line

The Chemins de fer de Provence train takes you through the Asse valley around Barrême, the Verdon valley around Saint-André-les-Alpes and Thorame-Gare, the Vaïre valley around Annot and the Var valley around Entrevaux. Line timetable.

Not to be confused with the Train des Pignes steam train, a heritage tourist train pulled by a historic locomotive, which runs in season on the same line between Puget-Théniers, Entrevaux and Annot.

Discover the line Train des Pignes

Without a car

Buses and shuttles

Several regional Zou! bus lines, regular or seasonal, serve the villages of the area.

Zou! lines and shuttles

Click on a line to open its timetable. To reach the Verdon from Nice, Marseille or Avignon: How to get to the Verdon

Regular lines

Shuttles

Thorame-Haute ↔ La Foux d'Allos shuttle: in July and August, and during the Christmas and winter school holidays (zone B). Summer timetable · winter timetable. Information at the Colmars-les-Alpes tourist office.
Blanc-Martel trail shuttle, for hiking in the heart of the Gorges du Verdon

There is no shuttle to Lac d'Allos: access is regulated (see Parking and charging).

Zou! timetables Plan my journey

Soft mobility

By bike

Road cycling, mountain biking or e-bikes: cycling is a great way to travel between our villages and discover the Verdon.

Cyclists on the road around Lac de Castillon

The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is the first French département to be awarded the “Territoire vélo” label by the French cycle touring federation. Legendary passes, lake tours, the viewpoints of the Route des Crêtes: find all our cycling routes and our mountain bike trails.

E-bikes: local rental companies offer mountain bikes and e-bikes, and you can recharge your batteries free of charge at our tourist information offices. Find out more: electric mountain biking.

Accueil Vélo: establishments with the Accueil Vélo label offer cyclists secure bike storage, a repair kit and advice. See also all our cycling providers.

The Verdon by bike Hire a bike

Hire and taxis