Route nationale 618 or RN 618 was a French national road linking

Saint-Jean-de-Luz Saint-Jean-de-Luz (; eu, Donibane Lohitzune,Donibane Lohitzune
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

) to

Argelès-sur-Mer Argelès-sur-Mer (, literally ''Argelès on Sea''; ca, Argelers de la Marenda or ; oc, Argelers de Mar), commonly known as Argelès, is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in the administrative region of Occitania, France. It i ...

(on the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

). En route it crossed many of the famous passes in the

Pyrenees The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to ...

, immortalized by the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

; hence its name was the "''Route of the Pyrénées''". In 1970, the road was down-graded and is now the RD 918 from Saint-Jean-de-Luz to

Arreau Arreau (; oc, Àrreu) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France. It is situated on the former Route nationale 618, the ''Route of the Pyrénées''. Arreau is at the crossroads of the Louron valley and the Aure val ...

and the RD 618 from Arreau to Argelès Plage.

Itinerary

The places named in ''italic'' are mountain passes used in the

Saint-Jean-de-Luz Saint-Jean-de-Luz (; eu, Donibane Lohitzune,Donibane Lohitzune
Cambo-les-Bains Cambo-les-Bains (; eu, Kanbo) is a town in the traditional Basque province of Labourd, now in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It lies on the south-western bank of the river Nive. Cambo-les-Bains station has rail ...

Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (literally "Saint John t theFoot of hePass"; eu, Donibane Garazi; es, San Juan Pie de Puerto) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It is close to Ostabat in the Pyrenean footh ...

''Common with the former RN 133'' * Larceveau-Arros-Cibits *

Mauléon-Licharre Mauléon-Licharre (; , Occitan: Maulion e Lisharra), or simply Mauléon, is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in southwestern France. It is the capital of the Soule (''Zuberoa'') historical Basque province. It is home to t ...

* Issor ''Common with RN 134'' *

Lurbe-Saint-Christau Lurbe-Saint-Christau (; oc, Lurbe e Sent Cristau) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. See also *Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department The following is a list of the 546 communes of th ...

Arudy Arudy (; Gascon: Arudi) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of south-western France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Arudyens'' or ''Arudyennes''. The commune has been awarded o ...

''Common with the former RN 134^BIS'' *

Laruns Laruns (; oc, Laruntz) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France. It is situated at the confluence of two mountain streams, the Gave d'Ossau and its tributary, the Valentin. Formerly part of the provi ...

*''

Col d'Aubisque The Col d'Aubisque ( oc, Còth d'Aubisca) (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the Pyrenees south of Tarbes and Pau in the department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the Aquitaine region of France.Chany, Pierre (1988), La Fabuleuse Histoire du T ...

'' *'' Col du Soulor'' *

Arrens-Marsous Arrens-Marsous (; oc, Arrens e Marçós) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France. In the village, the ''Maison du Val d'Azun'' is an information centre and small museum of the area. Geography Climate Arrens-Ma ...

Argelès-Gazost Argelès-Gazost (; oc, Argelèrs de Gasòst) is a commune and a subprefecture of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France. The Pyrénées Animal Park is located in Argelès-Gazost. Population See also *Communes of the Hautes ...

''Common with the former RN 21'' *

Luz-Saint-Sauveur Luz-Saint-Sauveur (; oc, Lus e Sent Sauvaire) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitania region of south-western France. It lies on the river Bastan, a tributary of the Gave de Pau. Locals simply call it Luz, the city ...

Barèges Barèges (; oc, Varètja, , in the Gascon dialect) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, administrative region of Occitania, southwestern France. It is situated in the valley of the Bastan on the former Route nationale 618 (the " ...

*''

Col du Tourmalet Col du Tourmalet (; elevation ) is one of the highest paved mountain passes in the French Pyrenees, in the department of Hautes-Pyrénées. Sainte-Marie-de-Campan is at the foot on the eastern side and the ski station La Mongie two-thirds of ...

'' *

Sainte-Marie-de-Campan Campan (; oc, Campan) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region of south-western France. Geography Campan stands in a valley of the same name at the confluence of the rivers Adour and Adour de Payolle. It is s ...

*''

Col d'Aspin Col d'Aspin ( oc, Còth d'Aspin) (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the French Pyrenees in the department of the Hautes-Pyrénées. It connects Sainte-Marie-de-Campan, in the upper Adour valley, with Arreau, on the River Neste. Details of the cl ...

'' *

*''

Col de Peyresourde The Col de Peyresourde ( oc, Còth de Pèira Sorda) (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees on the border of the department of Haute-Garonne and Hautes-Pyrénées in France. It is situated on the D618 road between Bagnères-de-L ...

'' *

Bagnères-de-Luchon Bagnères-de-Luchon (; oc, Banhèras de Luishon), also referred to as just Luchon, is a commune and spa town in the Haute-Garonne department in the Occitanie region of south-western France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Lucho ...

''Common with the former RN 125'' *

Saint-Mamet Saint-Mamet (; Gascon: ''Sent Mamet'') is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Haute-Garonne department The following is a list of the 586 communes of the French departme ...

*''

Col du Portillon The Col du Portillon () (elevation ) is a mountain pass in the Pyrenees on the border between France and Spain. It connects Bagnères-de-Luchon in France with Bossòst in the Val d'Aran, Spain. Details of climb Starting from Bossòst, the climb is ...

'', Spanish frontier. ''Route interrupted by the Spanish border'' * Chaum *''

Col des Ares Col des Ares (elevation ) is a mountain pass located in Haute-Garonne, between Juzet-d'Izaut and Fronsac, some thirty kilometres north of Bagnères-de-Luchon, and south-west of Aspet. Details of the climbs From Fronsac (west), the ascent i ...

'' * Juzet-d'Izaut *'' Col de Portet d'Aspet'' * Saint-Lary * Audressein * Saint-Girons *

Massat Massat () is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France. It is situated on the former Route nationale 618, the "Route of the Pyrenees". History The area dates back to paleolithic times, when tribes left some traces in pai ...

*'' Col de Port'' * Tarascon-sur-Ariège ''Common with RN 20'' * Ur *

Font-Romeu Font-Romeu-Odeillo-Via (; ca, Font-romeu, Odelló i Vià), or simply Odeillo, is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales and Cerdagne near the Spanish border in the south of France. It comprises the villages of Odeillo and Via, as well as Font-R ...

* Mont-Louis ''Common with RN 116'' * Bouleternère *

Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda (; ca, Els Banys i Palaldà) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Prior to 1942, it was known as Amélie-les-Bains. It is situated in the Tech valley, and combines the old and the ne ...

''Common with the former RN 115'' *

Céret Céret (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It is the capital of the historic Catalan comarca of Vallespir. Geography The town lies in the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains, in southern France. ...

Le Boulou Le Boulou (; ca, El Voló ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It is situated 12 km from the Spanish border. Geography Localisation The town of Le Boulou is located in the canton of Vallespir-Alb� ...

*Argelès Plage

618 __NOTOC__ Year 618 ( DCXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. The denomination 618 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era ...

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