Swiss sub-series · Jura · via the Besançon / Belfort free stop

Creux du Van — the Jura's Rock Amphitheater

A near-perfect 1400m-diameter cirque with sheer 150m limestone cliffs, ibex on the rock faces, and a genuine rim-hike loop — reached via Besançon or Belfort, both a short honest hop away rather than a detour.

~500–520 km
Meudon → Noiraigue
~65–80 km
Besançon/Belfort → there
~14 km / 4h
Full rim + gorge loop
≈ €300–330
Total budget

Why this works from the Besançon/Belfort free stay

Creux du Van sits in the Val-de-Travers, canton of Neuchâtel — practically next door to the Lac de Neuchâtel trip already in this series (see that file), just up in the hills above it rather than on the lakeshore. Meudon-la-Forêt → Besançon is ~410–420 km, ~4h20 mostly on the A6/A36 (source: cartes-2-france.com, ~414 km/4h23). From there it's a genuinely short final hop: Besançon → Noiraigue is ~62 km, under 1 hour (source: toponavi.com), via Pontarlier and the Val-de-Travers cantonal roads (D437/H10) — the same corridor as the Neuchâtel trip. Belfort is a slightly longer last leg (~80 km) but a shorter drive out from Meudon. Either way, this is honestly a simple weekend rather than a trip needing much extra distance once the free stay bridges the long haul.

Swiss vignette: the D437/H10 route through Val-de-Travers (La Cluse-et-Mijoux, Les Verrières, Fleurier, Couvet, Noiraigue) is cantonal road, not motorway — no vignette needed for this specific route, same as the Neuchâtel trip. The CHF 40 (≈€43, valid 14 months) vignette only applies if you detour onto the A5 near Yverdon or other green-signed motorways. Since it covers 14 months, it's worth buying once if you're doing other trips in this Swiss sub-series. Source: Swiss customs (BAZG).

Route & Charging

LegDistanceNotes
Meudon-la-Forêt → Besançon~414 km, ~4h20A6 to Beaune, A36 "La Comtoise" into Besançon. Toll ≈ €33–35.
Besançon → Noiraigue~62 km, ~50 minD437/N57 via Pontarlier, then H10 cantonal road through Val-de-Travers. No motorway, no vignette.
(Alt) Belfort → Noiraigue~80 km, ~1h10Via Montbéliard, Le Locle, cantonal roads — slightly longer last leg but Belfort is closer from Meudon by road.
Charging: Besançon has multiple fast-charging options along the A36 corridor before the final hop; the nearest Tesla Supercharger to the destination itself is the Neuchâtel (Marin-Épagnier) site, 16 stalls up to 250 kW — about 25 km from Noiraigue, useful before heading home. Source: Tesla Supercharger — Neuchâtel.

Day-by-Day

Thu evening

Meudon-la-Forêt → Besançon (or Belfort)

~414 km, ~4h20 · A6 + A36, toll ≈ €33–35

Load the bike inside (front wheel off, no range penalty) and leave after work. Arrive late evening, free night at your free stay.

Fri (remote)

Besançon/Belfort — no driving

Full remote workday from the free stay. No drive today. Free night again.

Fri evening / Sat

→ Noiraigue: rim hike & gorges

~62–80 km, under 1h15 · park at the fire-service parking lot (parking des pompiers) in Noiraigue

Either drive over Friday evening after logging off, or Saturday morning. The classic route starts at the Noiraigue village car park, climbs to Ferme Robert (a working alpine farm-restaurant, good spot for a coffee or a plate of local cheese), continues to Pré-aux-Bœufs, and reaches the rim of the cirque. The full loop around the amphitheater plus the Gorges de l'Areuse is roughly 13–14 km and about 4 hours, moderate difficulty with real elevation gain (~500m); a shorter rim-only loop is closer to 4.4 km / ~1h20 if you want just the viewpoint and back. The 150m sheer cliffs enclose a genuinely striking 1400m-diameter natural bowl.

Wildlife: alpine ibex were reintroduced here in 1965 and a resident population of roughly 20 animals is regularly visible on the rock faces; chamois also live on the cliffs. This is one of the more reliable spots in French-speaking Switzerland to actually see ibex up close without a zoo. Source: AllTrails — Creux du Van, MySwitzerland — Creux du Van.
Honest note on camping here: the reserve itself, including the Ferme Robert parking area, is a designated Zone of Tranquillity for wildlife — wild camping and bivouacking right at the site are explicitly banned and enforced (signage went up specifically because the Ferme Robert lot had become an informal campground). Don't plan to sleep at the trailhead. Source: ArcInfo — "Stop au camping sauvage".
Free overnight (a short drive away, not at the site): the free public Château de Môtiers parking, ~8 km down the valley, has no facilities but is a legitimate free overnight option, and there's a forest-clearing spot with fire allowed near 48 Grande Rue, Môtiers. Paid fallback: espaceVAL in Couvet — 10 dedicated camping-car spots with water and electricity for CHF 15/night (≈€16), with a CHF 9 breakfast option; or Camping du Val-de-Travers in Fleurier, roughly CHF 16 + 6/person + 6 for electricity (≈CHF 40/≈€43 for two). Source: loisirs.ch — espaceVAL Couvet, val-de-travers.ch.
Sun

Splurge morning, then back to Besançon/Belfort

Return drive ~62–80 km

Second coffee/meal stop at Ferme Robert if you didn't the day before, or a short second hike if legs allow — the rim viewpoints look different in morning light. Treat this as your comfort meal: a plate of local Val-de-Travers absinthe-cured trout or a hearty Jura-style meal at Ferme Robert or in Môtiers (birthplace of absinthe — a small absinthe-tasting stop is a fun, cheap extra). Drive back to Besançon/Belfort in the afternoon for the free night.

See also: if you want to extend this into a fuller week, this pairs naturally with the existing Lac de Neuchâtel trip — same region, same free-stay anchor, lake and vineyards down in the valley versus cliffs and ibex up in the hills. Either works as a standalone weekend, or combine both across a longer stay.

Mon (remote)

Besançon/Belfort — no driving

Remote workday, decompressing before the long drive home. Free night.

Tue

Besançon/Belfort → Meudon-la-Forêt

~414 km, ~4h20 · A36 + A6, toll ≈ €33–35

Home in time for Wednesday.

🚲 Bike Notes

The bike travels inside the Model Y with the front wheel off — no roof or hitch rack, no range penalty, per the Car Camping, Food & Bike Guide. The terrain around Creux du Van itself is steep hiking country, not really rideable — but the Val-de-Travers valley floor and the Areuse gorge cycle paths down toward Neuchâtel make for a good easy spin if you want to stretch different legs after the rim hike.

💰 Budget Breakdown

CategoryHow it's calculatedCost
TollsMeudon↔Besançon round trip via A6/A36, ≈€34/leg≈ €68
Charging≈1,000 km total (incl. local hops) × ~0.17 kWh/km ≈ 170 kWh, mixed French/Swiss Supercharger rates≈ €72
Lodging2 free nights at the free stay + 1 night at espaceVAL Couvet (CHF 15 ≈ €16) as the paid fallback near the trailhead≈ €16
Groceries (self-cooked, bought in France before the border)~5 days × €10–12/day≈ €55
Comfort meal splurgeFerme Robert or Môtiers, local Jura dish + absinthe tasting≈ €30–35
MiscParking, trail snacks, incidentals≈ €20
Total€300–330
Swiss vignette, if buying anyway: add €43 once — not needed for this specific route but valid 14 months and reusable across the rest of this Swiss sub-series.