Col de la Madeleine

The Col de la Madeleine crosses the ridge between the Maurienne valley, at La Chambre (73130), and the Tarentaise, at La Léchère (73260), by way of Saint-François-Longchamp and Celliers. The road is written RD 213 by the préfecture, by the La Léchère town hall and by the Département on its roadworks pages — but the Département also wrote RD 9213 in 2023, and cycling sources write D213 on both sides, or D94 for the north ramp from Feissons-sur-Isère.

Three altitudes circulate: 1,993 m per IGN, 2,000 m on the stele and the road signs — also the Tour de France's figure — and 1,984 m, which matches older signage and is still published in 2026 by some sources. We do not pick a winner.

At the col: a car park, an orientation table, two café-restaurants including La Banquise 2000, a shop, coach access and motorhomes allowed. Note that winter access means two different things: the road is closed and snowbound in winter, but the col sits inside the Le Grand Domaine ski area between Saint-François-Longchamp and Valmorel, and the summit restaurant runs all winter — reached by lift or on skis, not by car.

The road is open from late May to early November. In 2026 it opened on 29 May; no closing date is published yet. Be wary of tourist listings announcing “20/05 to 17/11”: that is a composite of past seasons, not a 2026 calendar.