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
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 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.
| Period | Operation |
|---|---|
| April 19 → June 30 2026 | Weekends (Fri, Sat, Sun) + public holidays and long weekends |
| July 1 → September 15 2026 | Every day |
| September 20 → November 3 2026 | Weekends + public holidays |
| 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.
Four 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.
70 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.
Open 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.
Starting 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.
A small free car park at each viewpoint. They fill up fast around midday in summer: arrive early in the morning.
Large car park near the beach and canoe rental spots; price and capacity are not officially published. Details on our dedicated page. Learn more →
| 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.
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.
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. Timetables are seasonal and limited — check them at zou.maregionsud.fr. Everything is covered in our guide to the Verdon without a car and the Getting there & transport page.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. Timetables are seasonal and limited, so check them at zou.maregionsud.fr before you go.