A one-week loop from Rodez through Aveyron's listed villages, Belcastel, Najac, Sauveterre-de-Rouergue and Estaing, as far as the abbey church of Conques, taking in the Roquefort cellars, the Millau Viaduct and the Aubrac plateau. Almost everything is on narrow, winding departmental roads; the only motorway, the A75, is toll-free except for the viaduct.
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
May, June and September: everything is open, with fewer crowds. In summer, the viaduct toll rises to €13.80 and a shuttle links Conques to a car park 2 km away. From November to March, winter tyres or chains are compulsory on the Aubrac and the Lévézou.
🚗 79 km · 1h30 of driving from Rodez
D994 and D285 to Belcastel, then the D997, D911 and D39 to Najac. Narrow, winding roads.
🚗 50 km · 55 min of driving from Najac
Small roads across the Ségala: D39, D905, D911, then the D997 to the bastide.
🚗 147 km · 2h15 of driving from Sauveterre-de-Rouergue
N88 and D911 via Pont-de-Salars, the D993 via Salles-Curan to Roquefort, then the D999 and A75: toll viaduct, exit 45.
🚗 128 km · 2h of driving from Millau
Toll-free A75 to Sévérac, the D28 towards Bozouls, the D987 from Espalion to Aubrac, then the D15 across the plateau.
🚗 72 km · 1h20 of driving from Laguiole
D921 and D22 across the causse to Estaing, the D920 along the Lot valley, then the narrow D42 to Conques.
🚗 40 km · 50 min of driving from Conques
Don't stay overnight in Sauveterre or Conques: visit Sauveterre between Najac and Roquefort, and Conques on the way back from Laguiole to Rodez. Nights: Rodez 1, Najac 1, Millau 1, Laguiole 1.
| Cheapest month, March | ≈ €41 a day |
|---|---|
| Most expensive month, September | ≈ €65 a day |
| Small car, average | ≈ €51 a day (Kayak, Rodez airport, Sept. 2026) |
| Your own car | The simplest option. The A75 is toll-free from Clermont-Ferrand to Béziers, except for the Millau Viaduct. |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | City car or compact: narrow roads in the Lot valley and tight car parks below the villages. |
| Where to pick it up | At Rodez-Aveyron airport, 15 minutes from Rodez, then the full loop: no one-way fee. |
| Age | At Europcar, from 18 with 1 year's driving experience; under 26, €40 a day extra. |
⚠️ At Rodez airport, September costs €65 a day against €41 in March: over a week, the difference is more than €160.
Aveyron's entire departmental road network is back to 90, except on signposted sections. Motorways 130.
Lot valley, the D42 to Conques, the D39 to Najac: slow down and keep right to pass oncoming traffic.
0.2 g/l on a probationary licence. Up to 0.8 g/l: €135 and 6 penalty points; above that, a criminal offence.
The only toll section of the A75, between exits 45 and 46. Summer rate from 15 June to 15 September.
From 1 November to 31 March in 42 communes, including Laguiole, Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac, Pont-de-Salars and Salles-Curan.
Paid. €1 shuttle from the free La Rivière car park, from 6 July to 23 August 2026.
Camera cars driven by private operators everywhere except the Île-de-France. Radar detectors are banned: up to €1,500 and 6 penalty points.
Probationary licence: 110 on motorways, 100 on dual carriageways, 80 elsewhere.
≈ €2.15 per litre of SP95-E10 unleaded, €2.40 for diesel (23 Sept. 2026)
Price recorded in September 2026: it changes every week, sometimes by 10 to 20 cents in a month. Today's price: prix-carburants.gouv.fr →
⛽ 516 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €80 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
National averages based on French ministry data. Prices vary widely between stations: compare on prix-carburants.gouv.fr before filling up.
| Millau Viaduct (A75), car | €11.30; €13.80 from 15 June to 15 September (2026 rates) |
|---|---|
| Rest of the A75, from Clermont-Ferrand to Béziers | Free |
| A20 Vierzon-Brive, if coming from Paris | Free |
| Millau Viaduct rest area | Car park, viewpoint and Viaduc Expo free |
| La Salesse car park, Conques | Paid, by bank card; La Rivière car park free, 2 km away |
| Conques shuttle | €1 return per person, from 6 July to 23 August 2026 |
| Musée Soulages, Rodez | €12 with the Musée Fenaille; free under 18 |
| Roquefort Société cellars | €8.50 for the one-hour tour, no booking needed |
| Royal fortress of Najac | €7 for an unguided visit (2026) |
| Forge de Laguiole | Free self-guided visit, Monday to Friday |
| Aubrac, Laguiole and Lévézou | Winter tyres or chains from 1 November to 31 March |
|---|---|
| Musée Soulages | Closed on Mondays except in July and August, and on four public holidays |
| Roquefort cellars | Cheeses maturing on view from January to June only |
| Millau Viaduct site | Closed on 25 December; viewpoint open day and night |
A week for this loop of 6 stages and 6 nights from Rodez: Belcastel, Najac, Sauveterre-de-Rouergue, Roquefort, the Millau Viaduct, Bozouls, Espalion, Aubrac, Laguiole, Estaing and Conques. With 5 days, sleep in Rodez, Najac, Millau and Laguiole. Add a night in Millau for the Gorges du Tarn or La Couvertoirade.
About €80 of petrol at September 2026 prices for some 600 km, plus €11.30 for the viaduct (€13.80 in summer). Adult admission: Musée Soulages €12, Roquefort Société cellars €8.50, Najac fortress €7. Hiring a car at Rodez airport costs about €290 a week in March and €455 in September.
By car, €11.30 outside summer and €13.80 from 15 June to 15 September, the rates in force since 1 February 2026. It is the only toll section of the A75, between exits 45 (Millau) and 46 (Saint-Affrique, Roquefort). If you only want to look at it, the viewpoint at the viaduct rest area is free.
At the viaduct rest area in Brocuéjouls: free car park, viewpoint open day and night and Viaduc Expo space, reached from the A75 in both directions or by road from Millau, in 15 minutes. Another viewpoint: the troglodyte village of Peyre, on the banks of the Tarn, 10 minutes from Millau.
Yes, from 1 November to 31 March, in 42 communes of Aveyron: winter tyres, or chains or snow socks on board. On this loop, Laguiole, Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac (which the village of Aubrac belongs to), Pont-de-Salars and Salles-Curan are affected. Rodez, Millau, Espalion and Conques are not.
May, June and September: everything is open and the narrow roads are quieter. Until June, you can still see Roquefort cheeses maturing in the cellars. In July and August, the viaduct costs €13.80 and Conques is very busy. From November to March, winter tyres or chains are required on the Aubrac and the Lévézou.
Driving rules, prices and closures checked in September 2026; hotels checked on OpenStreetMap and then on Booking. Rules change: read the official source before you leave, and check your own government's travel advice for the country. Stop photos: Wikimedia Commons, authors and licences under each image.
Off We Gooo road trip guide · offwegooo.com/en/road-trips/aveyron · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
