French Alps

[rhubarbandcustard]

Hi - new to the forums and looking for a bit of help and advice. We are motorhomers and are liking the idea of the French Alps this summer. Trouble is we have absolutely no idea where to go! Our requirements are for a site with immediate access to good walks - think Julie Andrews - the Hills are alive sort of thing - (we want to see the mountains not climb them ) warm weather for those days we aren't walking and if possible local access to bars / supermarkets etc. Can anyone recommend somewhere?

Many Thanks to those who reply

[Tracker]

Probably not the ideal solution for you but we travelled the Alpine route from Lake Geneva (in itself worth a look if you like water!) to the Med Coast last year using only Aires and it gave us the opportunity to see the whole range of scenery with the various high alpine passes and countless hairpin bends.

 

Much of it is truly spectacular and some, as you would expect, just average pleasant hills and mountains.

 

Have you considered that the Swiss / Austrian / German High Alpes might possibly be more the Sound of Music terrain that you seek - we have not visited these yet so cannot say?

[StuartO]

We enjoyed a good holiday based on the municipal site at Annecy, which is on a hillside above the town and although we didn't look into it, I suspect there would be lots of walks directly from the site. Annecy is a busy and attractive tourist town with shops, bars, restaurants and lakeside parks and walks and it is certainly walkable downhill from the campsite - and if you don't fancy climbing back up afterwards, as my dodgy hips wouldn't allow at the time, there are plenty of taxis. There are Aires around Annecy but they looked distinctly cheek-by-jowl. Not our cup of tea at all.

 

The whole area is rich in hill walks and the like and there are cable cars and other ways of getting up into the hills to do scenic walking for which shirtsleeves and sandals would be safe in Summer. I'm sure you will be able to get lots of information on line.

 

Although we haven't used them there are also higher altitude campsites, from which you can enjoy both landscape and walking. I'm sure there are plenty in the French Alps and I remember seeing one near Bourg-Saint-Maurice which was very much "the hills are alive" country.