We absolutely love nature, so when looking at where in France we should visit, the French Alps was an obvious choice. Incredible views, wildlife and food, the French Alps really has it all.

We recently took our campervan to the French Alps for the first time as part of a travelling trip around Europe. As this was our first time visiting the French Alps, we are in a unique position to give you our very first honest review about the visit.

So what will you get from this article? My aim is to answer a simple question: should you take your campervan to France? To do this, I will explore what we enjoyed about taking our van to France, what we didn’t like so much and what sort of activities you can do! This article is all from our own experiences; I’ll share with you a personal account so you can read an honest review.

Should you visit the French Alps in your campervan?

The simple answer is yes, absolutely! The French Alps is not only an incredibly beautiful place to visit, but it is also a very campervan-friendly location! What’s not to love. The French Alps was the first place we took our campervan abroad, and it was the perfect introduction to van life in Europe. France made life easy for us. We spent our time enjoying the wonderful nature around us, taking on new challenges like trying our first via ferrata and exploring the beautiful villages and sights.

We visited France in May, which allowed us to enjoy slightly cooler temperatures than peak summer and quieter walks. The wildflowers were starting to bloom, birds of prey were active and the marmots were keeping the sounds of the mountains alive. The only place that was busy in May was Chamonix; every other area was peaceful, so whether you want the atmosphere of Chamonix or the tranquillity of Les Deux Alpes, you really can decide.

What we Loved About the French Alps

1. France is incredibly well set up for campervans

The first thing to know about taking your campervan to the French Alps is that the French Alps are very well equipped for campervans. They have paid and free aires (which are dedicated campervan areas) that often have facilities like fresh water and grey and black water disposal all over. Overnight parking spots are readily available and campsites are well situated. We found van life in the French Alps incredibly easy.

Even down to facilities like bins! We found large communal bins throughout the French Alps, allowing us to continue to recycle and even collect food waste for composting in some areas. Toilets were easy to find (showers less so unless you went on a paid campsite or aire). If you want a full run-down of how we found France in a campervan, check out our blog “Taking Your Campervan to France”.

2. It can be very quiet!

Chamonix is a very busy area of the French Alps, but if you venture away from Chamonix, the crowds die down, the restaurants are less busy and the walks are quiet. Even travelling as little as 30 mins away from Chamonix, you could see a significant difference in the level of crowds. We enjoyed hikes and via ferratas where we would only see 2–4 other people the entire time.

When you compare the French Alps to somewhere like the Dolomites, which has seen a huge boom in popularity recently, the French Alps offer a perfect alternative for the travellers who want to enjoy beautiful views without the crowds. The landscape in the French Alps is not the same as the Dolomites, but that’s not a bad thing! It is unique and truly beautiful, with a fraction of the people. You can complete a walk and only pass 2–4 others the entire time.

3. The wildlife and scenery is not to be missed

If you visit the French Alps in early spring or early summer, you cannot miss the wildflowers blooming; they are everywhere! With them comes a world of butterflies, bees, grasshoppers and other incredible wildlife. The marmots are in full chorus at this time of year; once you spot one, you cannot help but spot 10 more of them!

An absolute highlight of my time in the French Alps was watching the birds of prey. After a fun day climbing near Les Deux Alpes, we were lucky enough to see a bearded vulture flying across the cliff face ahead of us. It had an impressive wingspan, and the white and orange of its feathers stood out against the grey of the cliffs.

Another core memory is from the hike up Le Grand Chatelard. Near the top of the hike, we entered a grassy boulder field, where the mixture of altitude and shady spots meant not all of the snow had melted yet. However, on the areas of grass where the snow had melted, the crocuses had started to bloom, offering a sea of white and purple flowers across the peak. This type of beauty is easy to take for granted, but the quiet of the French Alps means you can stop and take in the spectacle for as long as you wish.

What we didn’t love as much about the French Alps

1. The price of toll roads

The biggest surprise when we visited the French Alps was the cost of the tolls. Toll roads in France are expensive, especially near popular tourist areas. We spent around 10 mins on a toll road near Annecy, which cost us 17 euros. Tunnels can be even more expensive; we managed to avoid driving through any of the tunnels, but as an example, the cost of the Mont-Blanc Tunnel, which connects Chamonix, France, to Courmayeur, Italy, in 2026 would cost 73.40 euros one-way and 92.30 euros return for our 6m Citreon Relay campervan.

Certain mapping apps, like Waze, tell you the approximate cost of the toll roads. I’d highly recommend using one of these apps whilst in France, as there are often alternative routes that do not add on a lot of extra time. Just check the route carefully to ensure your vehicle will fit on all of the roads.

2. The roads can be very narrow, especially in small villages

Our campervan is 6m long, so the narrow roads could be a challenge for us, and would be an even bigger challenge for larger vehicles. The roads generally were not a problem; this mainly became an issue when we entered small villages. An anecdote from my parents: they visited a campsite in Chamonix; in advance, the campsite asked them to send the dimensions of their motorhome to check they could fit under the bridge leading to the campsite. I wouldn’t let this put you off, though; with effective planning, you can avoid any issues.

Watch out for mountain passes as well; they are often narrow and steep with hairpin bends. If you stick to the main roads, you will generally be fine; this only becomes an issue when you venture deeper into nature.

What can you do in the French Alps?

Hike to a beautiful view

Throughout the French Alps, there is an abundance of hikes you can take on. There is something for everyone, from beginner-friendly routes to challenges like Mont-Blanc! No matter where you visit in the French Alps, you’ll have hikes surrounding you. In many of the French Alps resorts, there are cable cars running throughout the summer. You can buy multi-day passes in some areas. For example, the Mont Blanc area has a three-day pass for around £120, giving you access to many lifts in the area.

We particularly enjoyed hiking Le Grand Chatelard and Le Grand Truc. Whilst on this walk, we only passed three other people. The walk itself was varied, with different types of terrain, and the views at the top were very rewarding.

Try out a Via Ferrata

Via ferratas are one of our favourite activities to do in the French Alps. Often, when people consider via ferratas, Italy and Switzerland are the countries which spring to mind, but France has a range of excellent via ferratas with different types of landscapes and difficulty levels. One of our favourite via ferratas in the French Alps was the Du Diable Via Ferrata. If you’re interested, you can find out more about it through our blog “Du Diable Via Ferrata: Our honest review and a loop to connect them”.

Unless you have your own via ferrata equipment, you’ll need to rent some, so check out where you can hire equipment before planning your route. Via ferrata equipment hire is often around 20 euros per person, but the price can vary. If you’re a beginner, you may wish to hire a guide or join a guided via ferrata experience. Guides will usually bring additional safety equipment for the less confident members of the group.

Enjoy the Culture

France is famous for its amazing food, wine and cheese, so make sure you enjoy some local dishes whilst you are there. In the French Alps, you’ll find plenty of restaurants, especially by cable cars, where you can enjoy a meal or a drink. There are beautiful French villages through the French Alps where you’ll be able to enjoy local foods and drinks. You might wish to visit a vineyard or join a wine tasting. Chamonix is one of the largest towns in the French Alps and offers a wide range of excellent food and drink options, along with a shop for nearly every sporting brand I’ve ever heard of!

Every food shop we visited in France offered a brilliant cheese selection. Even the smallest shops often had a mini cheese counter offering reasonably priced cheese, so you can create your own tasting board if you wish! Take your cheese selection to a viewpoint and enjoy a quiet picnic. There are many viewpoints which you can drive to, so do not feel the need to hike everywhere!

Visit the Radiana Hotel Spa

The Radiana Hotel Spa was a highlight of our time in the French Alps for me. This spa offers five heated pools, along with a hot tub on the roof which had views of the surrounding mountains. The facility was easy to access and incredibly clean. It is the perfect retreat after you’ve had adventure-filled days in the mountains. This hidden gem also offers an early-bird discount where you can enjoy the facilities for 15 euros per person between 10:00–12:00.

This hotel is not the only spa/thermal bath in the French Alps, of course! Check out what is available around you. Many spas will offer outdoor heated pools and saunas, which will give you an opportunity to unwind and let your muscles relax.

This is just a taster for what you can do; check out our blog “Things to do in the French Alps” for more fun suggestions.

FAQs about the French Alps

Are the French Alps Expensive?

Yes and no. I think you can decide how expensive you want your trip to be. There are some unavoidable costs, like fuel, for example, but you can decide where you want to spend money on activities or eating out. You will see a rise in price in more popular areas like Chamonix, for example. A good example of this would be cable-car prices; we saw prices as low as 7 euros for a return trip in quieter areas and over 100 euros for key viewpoints popular with tourists. Day-to-day spending is fairly comparable to the UK, maybe slightly more expensive. From what we saw, campsites range between around 20 euros to 40 euros a night on average.

Which area should I stay in the French Alps?

I’d recommend not choosing one specific area and rather spending some time in a few different areas if you can. We particularly enjoyed the Ecrins National Park; we stayed around the Les Deux Alpes area. We also stayed around the Vanoise National Park, around Modane. Both of these areas were quiet and had lots to do nearby. We also visited Chamonix, which is on the busier side but had a much larger range of shops and restaurants.

When is the best time to visit the French Alps?

This depends on what you want to do in the French Alps. This blog has focused on the summer months, but the French Alps are renowned for skiing as well. In the warmer months, I’d suggest visiting in early June. We visited in May and, although the temperature was ideal, a lot of shops and restaurants had not yet opened for the summer season. June will still offer cooler temperatures than those of July and August, but will mean a few more shops will be open in the smaller villages and towns.

Can I take my campervan or motorhome to the French Alps?

Absolutely! The French Alps is the most campervan-friendly place I have visited so far (far more so than England). The free aires are what really makes France stand out. They have not pushed away campervans and have rather embraced them, making it easy to empty your toilet, get fresh water and empty grey water. We love to stay on free aires and spend our money enjoying a coffee at a local café or buying baked goods from a bakery.

Final thoughts on taking your campervan to the French Alps

There is no part of me that regrets visiting the French Alps in our campervan, and honestly, I have no doubt that we will be back. There is still a wealth of activities we haven’t ticked off yet, and I know I’ll be returning for a ski season as well! France was a wonderful introduction to van life in Europe. This was our first country on our one-year trip around Europe, the Balkans and Morocco, and it set us on the perfect path. France gave us the confidence that we could handle our campervan in Europe and that we would not struggle for activities to do on our travels!