A one-week loop from Nancy, via Épinal and the lakes of Gérardmer, Longemer and Retournemer, then the whole Route des Crêtes, from Lac Blanc to the Vieil Armand, before the Ballon d'Alsace. You stay up in the mountains and on both their slopes, away from the Wine Route, without paying a single toll.
Road route calculated from the stops (OpenStreetMap). Driving times assume no stops and no traffic: add time for photo breaks.
June to September: the Route des Crêtes is clear and the Navette des Crêtes shuttle runs (weekends in June and September, daily in July-August in 2026). In winter, several sections of the Route des Crêtes close as soon as snow falls, and winter tyres or snow chains are compulsory from 1 November to 31 March in mountain municipalities.
🚗 105 km · 1h40 of driving from Nancy
The toll-free A33 and the N4 to Lunéville, then the D9 south and the N57 to Épinal. No tolls.
🚗 40 km · 40 min of driving from Épinal
D11 east, then D417 via Le Tholy to the lake.
🚗 52 km · 1h of driving from Gérardmer
D67 along Longemer and Retournemer, D417 to the Schlucht, the Route des Crêtes to the Col du Calvaire, then down via Le Wettstein.
🚗 75 km · 1h30 of driving from Munster
D417 to the Schlucht, D430 via the Hohneck and the Markstein, D431 via the Grand Ballon and the Vieil Armand, then down to Cernay.
🚗 94 km · 1h40 of driving from Thann
D34 and D466 via Masevaux and Sewen, up to the Ballon d'Alsace, D465 towards Saint-Maurice-sur-Moselle, then N66 and N57 via Remiremont.
🚗 107 km · 1h20 of driving from Plombières-les-Bains
Sleep in Nancy, reach Gérardmer via Épinal on day two, then drive from Gérardmer to Thann via the lakes and the whole Route des Crêtes. Nights: Nancy 1, Gérardmer 1, Thann 1, Plombières-les-Bains 1.
| Car hire in Nancy, April | ≈ €48 a day |
|---|---|
| Car hire in Nancy, January | ≈ €38 a day |
| Small car, annual average | ≈ €37 a day (Kayak, Sept. 2026) |
| Your own car | The simplest option: no tolls and no restrictive low-emission zone on the route. |
|---|---|
| Vehicle | A small or compact car for the narrow mountain roads; winter tyres from November to March. |
| Where to pick it up | In Nancy, where Kayak lists several hire companies, then back to Nancy: no one-way fee. |
| Age | With 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 snow chains: compulsory in Munster and Thann.
Schlucht-Calvaire is given over to cross-country skiing; Rainkopf-Markstein-Grand Ballon is not cleared of snow and closes as soon as conditions require.
Almost everywhere: 235 km raised back to 90 in the Vosges, 16 in the Haut-Rhin, none in Meurthe-et-Moselle.
From 1 November to 31 March in mountain municipalities, including Munster, Thann, Orbey and Sewen.
0.2 g/l on a probationary licence. Up to 0.8 g/l: €135 and 6 penalty points; above that, a criminal offence.
Unmarked camera cars driven by private contractors outside the Île-de-France. Radar detectors are banned: up to €1,500 and 6 penalty points.
Winter conditions and webcams for the Vosges passes on the Alsace side; the Inforoute88 portal on the Vosges side.
From Lac Blanc to the Grand Ballon since 30 May 2026: weekends in June and September, daily in July-August.
Nancy, Épinal and Thann are not among the low-emission zones (ZFE) with restrictions: no Crit'Air sticker required.
Probationary licence: 110 on motorways, 100 on expressways, 80 elsewhere.
≈ €2.15 a litre for 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 →
⛽ 473 km at 7 l per 100 km: about €70 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 | None: toll-free A33, N4, N57, N66 and departmental roads |
|---|---|
| Getting there, A31 | Free from Metz to Toul, toll further south (Gye toll plaza, APRR) |
| Ballon d'Alsace car parks | Free, at the summit and at the foot of the slopes |
| Hartmannswillerkopf Historial | €7 per adult in 2026, €6 under 18, free under 10 |
| Imagerie d'Épinal, workshops | €9.50 without audio guide, €12 with |
| Musée de l'École de Nancy | €7.50; €9 with the Villa Majorelle |
| Maison du Fromage, Gunsbach | €9 per adult, €5 for ages 4 to 14 |
| Route des Crêtes, Schlucht-Col du Calvaire | Closed in winter, given over to cross-country ski trails |
|---|---|
| Route des Crêtes, Rainkopf-Markstein-Grand Ballon (D430, D431) | Not cleared of snow, closed as soon as road conditions require |
| D431 Uffholtz-Freundstein, descent from the Vieil Armand | Not cleared of snow, closed in snow or ice |
| Mountain municipalities of the Haut-Rhin | Winter tyres or snow chains from 1 November to 31 March |
| Hartmannswillerkopf Historial | Open daily until 13 November |
| Villa Majorelle, Nancy | First floor closed for works since 21 September 2026 |
| Imagerie d'Épinal, workshops | Open Tuesday to Saturday only |
| Musée de l'École de Nancy | Closed Monday and Tuesday |
Allow a week for this loop of 6 stages and 6 nights from Nancy: Épinal, the lakes of Gérardmer, Longemer and Retournemer, Lac Blanc, the Route des Crêtes, the Grand Ballon, the Vieil Armand and the Ballon d'Alsace. In 5 days, sleep in neither Épinal nor Munster. No day involves more than two hours' driving.
In your own car, about 500 km including the loop, so some €70 of fuel at September 2026 prices, with no tolls at all on the route. With a hire car from Nancy, add at most €340 for the week (€48 a day in April, the most expensive month according to Kayak). The entry fees listed come to about €33 per adult.
In winter, in sections and with no fixed date. Between the Col de la Schlucht and the Col du Calvaire, it gives way to cross-country ski trails. From the Rainkopf to the Markstein and the Grand Ballon, it is not cleared of snow and closes as soon as snow requires, as does the descent from the Vieil Armand towards Uffholtz. Check on inforoute.alsace.eu.
Yes, from 1 November to 31 March, in the mountain municipalities designated by the prefects: Munster, Thann, Orbey, Sewen and Masevaux-Niederbruck are among them on the Haut-Rhin side. Winter tyres with the alpine symbol, otherwise snow chains or snow socks on board. The A35 and A36 motorways and a few main roads are exempt.
Yes, the Navette des Crêtes: 9 coach routes between Lac Blanc and the Grand Ballon. In 2026, it resumed on 30 May and runs at weekends in June and September, and daily in July and August. Handy for a point-to-point hike without going back for the car.
June to September: the Route des Crêtes is clear, the Navette des Crêtes runs and the Vieil Armand Historial opens daily, until 13 November. In winter, several ridge sections close as soon as snow falls, and winter tyres or snow chains become compulsory from 1 November to 31 March in mountain municipalities.
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/vosges · by Pierrick, updated 1 October 2026
