La Palud-sur-Verdon (village)
FreeFour free zones (Place de l’Église, Avenue de la 5ème DB, Mairie, Jeu de Ballon), plus a dedicated free car park near the shuttle stop. The smart starting point for the Blanc-Martel trail.
Getting around & parking · 2026 season
Shuttles and parking in the Gorges du Verdon
The heart of the gorge has to be earned: narrow roads, car parks that fill up fast, a big hike that doesn’t loop back to its starting point. Here’s how to get around and park in the Verdon in 2026 — the Blanc-Martel shuttle, parking in the canyon, the one-way Route des Crêtes — with the season’s dates, prices and roadworks.
The Blanc-Martel shuttle
The Blanc-Martel trail is a roughly 15 km linear hike, from the Chalet de la Maline to Point Sublime: its two ends are far apart and poorly connected on foot. The Regional Nature Park shuttle solves this puzzle — it drops you off in the morning at the start (La Maline) and picks you up in the afternoon at the finish (Point Sublime). You park for free at La Palud-sur-Verdon, near the stop.
2026 dates
| Period | Operation |
|---|---|
| April 3 → June 28 2026 | Weekends (Fri, Sat, Sun) + public holidays and long weekends |
| June 29 → September 13 2026 | Every day |
| September 18 → November 1 2026 | Weekends (Fri, Sat, Sun) + public holidays and long weekends |
2026 prices
| Trip | Adult | Child < 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Return trip | 8,50 € | 5,50 € |
| One-way trip | 4,50 € | 4,50 € |
Booking online only, mandatory at navette.parcduverdon.fr — no tickets sold on board. 2026 bookings open from the 2nd half of March. 1 to 3 runs per half-day.
Where to park in the heart of the gorge
Couloir Samson — Rougon (RD23a)
Daily rate70 spaces. Pay per day (or subscription), on site. This is the all-day car park on the Point Sublime side: arrival point of the Blanc-Martel trail and starting point for whitewater activities.
Point Sublime — Rougon (RD952)
Paid in seasonOpen 8am-9:30pm, priced by time spent (see grid above), free outside the season. Designed for visits under 3 hours — beyond that, use the Couloir Samson car park instead.
Chalet de la Maline (D23)
Very limited spacesStarting point of the Blanc-Martel trail, left bank (FFCAM refuge, 893 m). Very few spaces: don’t count on leaving your car here in summer — park at La Palud and take the shuttle.
Route des Crêtes — 14 viewpoints (D23)
FreeA small free car park at each viewpoint. They fill up fast around midday in summer: arrive early in the morning.
Pont du Galetas (Lake Sainte-Croix)
Paid in seasonLarge car park near the beach and canoe rental spots; price and capacity are not officially published. Details on our dedicated page. Learn more →
Point Sublime car park pricing grid 2026 (by time spent)
| Duration | Price |
|---|---|
| Less than 15 min | Free |
| 30 min | €1.50 |
| 1 h | €2.50 |
| 2 h | €4.50 |
| 3 h | €6.50 |
| 4 h | €10.50 |
| Full day (up to 8h) | €38 |
| Over 8h / lost ticket | €46 |
Open 8am-9:30pm in season, free outside the season. Source: Verdon Tourisme, 2026.
Driving the Route des Crêtes (D23)
The great panoramic loop of 14 viewpoints above La Palud (free car parks) runs one-way on its section between Jas d’Aire and La Maline, clockwise (signposted from the village). Tunnel clearances are limited: 3.6 m on the sides, 4.3 m in the centre. The road is open from late March to 21 November; the middle section (Pas de Baou → Chalet de la Maline) closes for winter, from 22 November 2026 to 26 March 2027.
2026 roadworks & closures (reconfirm during the season)
- Route des Crêtes — tunnel works. The one-way section is closed from 8am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays and long weekends), from 1 April 2026 to 6 May 2026; then open every day from 7 May 2026 to 21 November 2026.
- Corniche Sublime (RD71, left bank). Open again since 20 August 2026 (afternoon), after a closure for rockslides since 18 August 2026 (cliff-clearing work finished faster than announced). The Col d’Illoire trail isn’t confirmed reopened by this announcement — reconfirm before you go.
And without a car?
The regional ZOU! 450 line (Riez ↔ Castellane) is the bus of the heart of the gorge: it serves Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, La Palud-sur-Verdon and Rougon (Point Sublime), and connects with the Blanc-Martel shuttle. From 1 October 2026, the 450 no longer serves La Palud-sur-Verdon or Rougon (Point Sublime): the heart of the gorge can no longer be reached by bus, and no service runs on Saturdays or Sundays. Castellane is still served all year round, four times a day, by the 51 Nice–Digne line. Measured on 8 August 2026 in the Zou! network’s official open timetables (LOv2 licence). Check the timetables at zou.maregionsud.fr. Everything is covered in our guide to the Verdon without a car and the Getting there & transport page.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to book the Blanc-Martel shuttle?
Yes. Online booking is mandatory at navette.parcduverdon.fr, and there are no tickets sold on board. Bookings for the 2026 season open from the second half of March 2026.
How much does the Blanc-Martel shuttle cost in 2026?
8,50 € for an adult return trip, 5,50 € for a child under 12, and 4,50 € for a one-way trip. These prices are published by the Park for the 2026 season — reconfirm at navette.parcduverdon.fr before booking.
Where can you park for the Blanc-Martel trail?
The best option is to park for free at La Palud-sur-Verdon (dedicated car park near the shuttle stop) and take the shuttle: it drops you off in the morning at the Chalet de la Maline (start) and picks you up in the afternoon at Point Sublime (finish). This solves the puzzle of a roughly 15 km linear hike whose two ends are far apart. The Maline car park has very few spaces.
Is parking at Point Sublime paid?
Yes, in season (roughly May to late September), open from 8am to 9:30pm, with pricing by time spent (under 15 min free, 2h at €4.50, 3h at €6.50, up to €46 for a full day). It’s free outside the season. Since it’s designed for visits under 3 hours, for a full day it’s better to park at the Couloir Samson instead.
Is the Route des Crêtes one-way, and open in 2026?
Yes, the section between Jas d’Aire and La Maline is one-way (clockwise, signposted from La Palud). The road is open from late March to 21 November. In 2026, tunnel works close the one-way section from 8am to 5:30pm, Monday to Friday (except public holidays and long weekends), from 1 April 2026 to 6 May 2026; it is then open every day from 7 May 2026 to 21 November 2026. Reconfirm during the season.
Can you reach the heart of the gorge without a car?
Yes: the regional ZOU! 450 line (Riez ↔ Castellane) serves Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, La Palud-sur-Verdon and Rougon (Point Sublime), and connects with the Blanc-Martel shuttle. From 1 October 2026, the 450 no longer serves La Palud-sur-Verdon or Rougon (Point Sublime): the heart of the gorge can no longer be reached by bus, and no service runs on Saturdays or Sundays. Castellane is still served all year round, four times a day, by the 51 Nice–Digne line. Measured on 8 August 2026 in the Zou! network’s official open timetables (LOv2 licence). Check the timetables at zou.maregionsud.fr before you go.
The Blanc-Martel trail The viewpoints & the Route des Crêtes Getting there & transport State of the Verdon
Check for yourself
The external sources this page relies on, one click away.We would rather you be able to contradict us than ask you to take our word for it.
- Parc du Verdon — navette du sentier Blanc-Martelnavette.parcduverdon.fr
Navette reliant le chalet de la Maline au Point Sublime, et liste des taxis du Verdon tenue à jour par le Parc.
- Zou ! — réseau de transport de la Région Sudzou.maregionsud.fr
Horaires, réservation et lignes régulières de cars régionaux desservant le Verdon.
- Parc naturel régional du Verdonparcduverdon.fr
L'autorité de gestion du territoire : réglementation par milieu (terrestre, aquatique, vertical), bivouac et camping, feu, drone, conseils des écogardes.
3 of these 3 links responded during our last automated check, on 2026-08-30. A broken link is removed, never left in place.