Col de la Bonette: open by day only, and the Cayolle shut for works until 19 October

What's happened

The Col de la Bonette, at 2,715 m the high point of the road between Jausiers in the Ubaye and Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, was closed on the evening of Tuesday 6 October 2026 after snow and a sharp drop in temperature. The closure covered the RM2205 between Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage and the col, on the Alpes-Maritimes side.

The Département des Alpes-Maritimes and the Nice Côte d'Azur metropolitan authority reopened it in both directions from 10am on Wednesday 14 October. It now closes every night between 8pm and 10am for the rest of the season, and the loop road round the Cime de la Bonette above the col, the bit that takes you to 2,800 m, is closed to traffic until the spring.

There is no date for the full winter closure. It comes with the first heavy snowfall, and in most years that is late October or November. The road only reopened for 2026 on 30 April.

The Cayolle, too

The Col de la Cayolle, the other high road out of Barcelonnette towards the coast, is closed in both directions for roadworks on the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence side between Uvernet-Fours and the col. The closure runs from Monday 5 October to Monday 19 October 2026.

Until then, the only way from the Ubaye over to the Var and Nice is the Bonette by day, or the long way round by the Col d'Allos, which had no closure notice on 15 October.

What to do

• Cross the Bonette between 10am and 8pm, and aim for the middle of the day. The barriers at each end are locked overnight whatever the weather.
• Check the Alpes-Maritimes road service on the morning you travel. Its site is inforoutes06.fr and its free hotline is 0 805 05 06 06. A closure after fresh snow can come with no notice.
• Don't plan on the summit loop. The view from the Cime de la Bonette is for next year.
• Riding? It is below freezing at 2,700 m by late afternoon in October, and the north side holds ice in the shade. Heated grips and a spare layer are not optional.
• From 1 November, cars in the mountain communes of both departments need winter tyres or chains on board under France's winter equipment rule.