A week from the north to the south of the range, from the citadel of Besançon to the Col de la Faucille, by way of the Royal Saltworks, the Arbois vineyards, the Baume blind valley, the Hérisson waterfalls and the lakes plateau. Short legs on toll-free roads leave time for walking and for tasting Comté cheese and vin jaune.
| Days | Stop | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Besançon | Start |
| Day 2 | Arbois | 52 km · 1h05 |
| Day 3 | Lons-le-Saunier | 52 km · 1h05 |
| Day 4 | Doucier | 29 km · 35 min |
| Day 5 | Saint-Claude | 54 km · 1h |
| Day 6 | Les Rousses | 52 km · 55 min |
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
May to June and September to October: the Hérisson is at its fullest in spring and it is less crowded than in August. In winter, the Haut-Jura can be under snow from late October to early May, winter tyres or chains are compulsory from 1 November to 31 March in mountain municipalities, and the Baume caves are closed.
🚗 52 km · 1h05 of driving from Besançon
N83 south, with a detour on the D17 to the Royal Saltworks at Arc-et-Senans, then the D121 and N83. No motorway.
🚗 52 km · 1h05 of driving from Arbois
N83 to Poligny, D68 and D5 towards Château-Chalon, D70 and D4 along the floor of the Baume blind valley, then the D471.
🚗 29 km · 35 min of driving from Lons-le-Saunier
D471 towards Champagnole, stopping at the Roches de Baume viewpoint, then the D4 and D39 to Lake Chalain.
🚗 54 km · 1h of driving from Doucier
D90 and D74 via Le Frasnois, D75 along the lakes, D678 via Saint-Laurent-en-Grandvaux, then the D437 down to Saint-Claude.
🚗 52 km · 55 min of driving from Saint-Claude
The winding D436 via Septmoncel, the D936 via Mijoux, then the D1005 over the Col de la Faucille (1,320 m), with snow possible from October to May.
Head straight to Arbois via the Royal Saltworks without staying in Besançon, then drive through Saint-Claude on day four to sleep in Les Rousses. Nights: Arbois 1, Lons-le-Saunier 1, Doucier 1, Les Rousses 1.
| Hire in Besançon, June | ≈ €52 a day |
|---|---|
| Hire in Besançon, March | ≈ €43 a day |
| Small car, annual average | ≈ €41 a day (Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
| Your own car | The simplest option. There is no low-emission zone on the route, so no Crit'Air sticker is required. |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | A city car or compact for the blind valleys and the hairpins of the Haut-Jura; winter tyres from November to March. |
| Where to pick it up | In Besançon, in town or at the TGV station, then return it in Besançon, about 2 hours from Les Rousses. |
| Border | Les Rousses is right on the Swiss border: check that the rental contract allows you to leave France. |
| Age | At Europcar, from 18 with 1 year's driving experience; under 26, €40 a day extra. |
⚠️ From 1 November to 31 March, check that the hire car has winter tyres or chains: they are compulsory in mountain municipalities.
Jura: 350 km of roads raised back to 90; Doubs: 1,048 km. Motorways 130, 110 in the rain.
From 1 November to 31 March in designated mountain municipalities. Tyres with the alpine symbol, otherwise chains on board.
Camera cars driven by private operators outside the Île-de-France. Radar detectors are banned: up to €1,500 and 6 penalty points.
0.2 g/l on a probationary licence. Up to 0.8 g/l: €135 and 6 penalty points; above that, a criminal offence.
Winter driving conditions on a four-level scale and webcams along the Jura's roads.
Besançon, Lons-le-Saunier and Saint-Claude are not low-emission zones (ZFE): no Crit'Air sticker required.
Probationary licence: 110 on motorways, 100 on dual carriageways, 80 elsewhere.
≈ €2.15 per litre of unleaded SP95-E10, €2.40 for diesel (national averages, 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 →
⛽ 239 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €40 at September 2026 prices, to share between passengers.
National averages from French government data. Prices vary widely between stations: compare on prix-carburants.gouv.fr before filling up.
| On the route | No motorways: the N83, N5 and departmental roads are free |
|---|---|
| Getting there, A36 and A39 | Toll motorways (APRR), prices on voyage.aprr.fr |
| Hérisson waterfalls car park | €5 up to 1 hour, €10 for 1 to 4 hours, €15 beyond; charges apply from April to 30 September |
| Doucier beach (Lake Chalain) | €5 per vehicle in July and August (2025 price) |
| Domaine de Chalain | €8 per vehicle in season (2025 price) |
| Citadel car park, Besançon | €0.70 an hour, €7 a day maximum |
| Citadelle de Besançon | €13.50 from 1 April to 1 November 2026, €9.50 off season |
| Saline royale d'Arc-et-Senans | €15 from April to October, €13 from November to March |
| Maison de Louis Pasteur and Maison du Comté | €9 and €9.40 per adult |
| Grottes de Baume | €10.50 per adult |
| Fort des Rousses, maturing cellars | €11.80 per adult, booking required |
| Musée de la Pipe et du Diamant | €6 per adult |
| Grottes de Baume | Open only from 1 April to 30 September |
|---|---|
| Road to the Domaine de Chalain | Closed from 1 November to 8 March |
| Col de la Faucille and Haut-Jura | Snow possible from late October to early May |
| Mountain municipalities | Winter tyres or chains from 1 November to 31 March |
| Hérisson waterfalls trail | Open all year; ice and slippery steps in winter |
| Maison de Louis Pasteur | Open from February to 1 November 2026 |
| Citadelle de Besançon | Annual closure in January, from 5 January to 6 February 2026 |
| Musée de la Pipe et du Diamant | Closed Monday and Tuesday from September to June |
Allow a week for this crossing of 6 stages and 6 nights, from Besançon to Les Rousses: the Royal Saltworks, Arbois, Château-Chalon, Baume-les-Messieurs, the Hérisson waterfalls, the lakes, Saint-Claude and the Col de la Faucille. In 5 days, head straight to Arbois and skip the night in Saint-Claude. Drives are short, rarely more than an hour.
With your own car, about €40 of petrol at September 2026 prices for roughly 250 km from stage to stage, around sixty euros including the return to Besançon, with no tolls at all on the route. Hiring in Besançon, add about €360 in June (€52 a day) or €300 in March. The main admissions come to about €75 per adult.
Yes, from 1 November to 31 March, in designated mountain municipalities: winter tyres with the alpine symbol, or chains or snow socks on board. The Haut-Jura, from Les Rousses to the Col de la Faucille (1,320 m), can be under snow from late October to early May. Road conditions are published on inforoute39.fr, with webcams.
At the Éventail car park, near the Maison des Cascades in Menétrux-en-Joux, via the D326 from Doucier. It is pay-and-display every day from the first weekend of April to 30 September: €5 up to 1 hour, €10 for 1 to 4 hours, €15 beyond. The trail is 7.4 km there and back; allow about 3 hours.
Yes. At Doucier beach, swimming is lifeguarded in July and August from 11:00 to 18:00, parking €5 (2025 price). At the Domaine de Chalain, the south beach is lifeguarded from 1 July to 31 August, parking €8. Petrol engines are banned: you can hire pedalos, paddleboards and canoes.
May to June and September to October. In spring and after rain, the Hérisson is at its fullest. The Baume caves only open from April to September and Doucier beach is only lifeguarded in July and August. In winter, the Haut-Jura is under snow, the road to the Domaine de Chalain closes and winter equipment becomes compulsory.
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/jura · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
