Imagine waking up, unzipping your tent or opening the door of your lodge to a view of the snow-capped peaks of the Écrins or Mont Blanc. With nearly 400 campsites nestled between turquoise lakes and hanging valleys, the French Alps are a natural playground for those who love the freedom of camping. Today, mountain camping is reinventing itself: while comfortable mobile homes now dominate the valley sites, a new generation of accommodation is emerging — from eco-lodge tents for a true back-to-nature experience to genuinely unusual stays for a night under the stars. From the Queyras to the shores of Lac d’Annecy, taking in the emerald waters of Lac d’Aiguebelette and the vertiginous cliffs of the Verdon, we have selected around twenty exceptional addresses.
Whether you are looking for a five-star mountain campsite with spa and pool, a total immersion at high altitude, or even a winter ski campsite to enjoy the snowy season, dive into our selection of the best campsites in the French Alps for summer 2026.
Contents:
- The highest campsites in the French Alps
- The most natural campsite
- Lakeside campsites
- Best campsites with pools and water parks
- Campsites with panoramic views
- Unusual and unique stays
- Highest-rated campsites
- Eco-friendly campsites in the French Alps
High-Altitude Campsites in the French Alps — Sleeping Close to the Summits
While the average French Alps campsite sits at around 750 metres, only 13 are located above 1,500 metres. The highest is at Val d’Isère (Les Richardes), at exactly 1,860 metres — close to the village centre and the Col de l’Iseran road. Others at significant altitude include those at La Rosière (La Forêt), Arvieux (L’Izoard), Les Menuires (CGU), Saint-Sorlin-d’Arves (Domaine du Trappeur), Larches (Domaine des Marmottes) and Ceillac (Les Mélèzes). Most are open in summer only, though La Rosière and Les Menuires also open in winter. Around forty winter ski campsites exist across the French Alps, with the highest at La Rosière, Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, La Toussuire, Abriès, Aussois and Pralognan-la-Vanoise.
Spotlight: Camping des Lanchettes, Peisey-Vallandry — A Haven at High Altitude
At 1,470 metres in the heart of the Vanoise National Park, Camping des Lanchettes offers 76 pitches in a fully natural setting, including 9 chalets and 3 lodge tents. From the campsite, you can set off on numerous hiking trails or hire an electric mountain bike on site. In winter, Les Lanchettes sits within the Paradiski ski area, just 10 minutes from the lifts.
The Most Natural Campsite in the French Alps
In the mountains, it is possible to camp at various altitudes close to mountain refuges. This enhanced bivouac option puts you in the heart of nature while giving access to half-board meals and facilities at the refuge — a practical and appealing option for families. On the heights above Les Saisies, you can also camp on an alpine pasture at 1,740 metres, with a unique view over the mountains. No entertainment, no water park, no children’s play area — just a handful of pitches facing Mont Blanc in an exceptional setting. On the Izoard road, the Camping de l’Izoard offers another original solution at 1,820 metres, tucked into the forest above Arvieux, with a special package for hikers and cyclists travelling through.
French Alps Campsites — Key Facts
The French Alps are home to around 400 classified campsites with a total capacity of 150,000 people. Across roughly 40,000 pitches, the average campsite in the Alps has a capacity of 98 pitches (378 people). The largest is Camping Saint-Disdille at Thonon-les-Bains (532 pitches), followed by Domaine du Verdon at Castellane and La Pinède at Excenevex. At altitude, the largest sites are at Pelvoux (300 pitches), Lescheraine (215 pitches) and Huttopia La Clarée (208 pitches). 46% of campsites are rated 3-star; 32% are 2-star; 14% are 4-star; and just 2% hold 5-star status. Sites are split roughly 50/50 between the northern and southern French Alps. The most campsite-rich departments are the Hautes-Alpes (89 sites) and Haute-Savoie (82 sites). A third of all campsites are concentrated around six areas: Lac d’Annecy (9.5%), Lac de Serre-Ponçon (7.7%), Lake Geneva (5.9%), Gorges du Verdon (5.1%), Lac d’Aiguebelette (3.8%) and the Chamonix valley (2.1%).
Lakeside Campsites in the French Alps
There is no shortage of campsites with their own beach in the French Alps. You will find them on the shores of Lake Geneva, Lac d’Annecy, Lac du Bourget, Lac de Serre-Ponçon, Lac du Monteynard and Lac d’Aiguebelette, as well as on smaller lakes in the Hautes-Alpes. At altitudes ranging from 300 to 850 metres, we counted more than twenty — not including riverside sites. Our favourites: Les Rives du Lac de Veynes, a fine campsite with beach, water park and comfortable lodges; at Annecy, Camping Les Nublières is an upmarket site with premium lodges, beach and aquatic facilities; at Aiguebelette, Camping Le Curtelet is a simple 89-pitch site with direct lake access; and Camping Huttopia Aiguebelette offers free access to the Sougey beach.
Spotlight: Five-Star Campsites in the French Alps
Did you know? Only a handful of five-star campsites exist in the French Alps. These exceptional establishments — such as La Ferme de la Serraz on Lac d’Annecy or L’Étoile des Neiges in the Southern Alps — offer luxury facilities (spa, XXL water parks) in unspoilt natural settings. They are rare and book up very early.
Best Campsites in the French Alps with Pool or Water Park
Around thirty campsites in the French Alps offer aquatic facilities, though the region’s standard remains a simple swimming pool rather than the elaborate water parks found on the Mediterranean coast. A few more ambitious aquatic complexes can be found near the southern end of Lac d’Annecy, in the Gorges du Verdon area and elsewhere. The Yelloh Village L’Étoile des Neiges at Montclar — one of the rare five-star campsites in the Alps — has a particularly well-developed water complex. Near Lac d’Annecy, Camping L’Idéal has a recently renovated aquatic area and spa. In the Hautes-Alpes, at the gateway to the Écrins National Park, Camping Le Courounba has a natural aquatic area with a large heated ecological pool, paddling pool, water slide, mini climbing wall and water features.
Spotlight: Camping Le Courounba, Les Vigneaux — Aquatic and Ecological
Against the trend of ever-larger water parks, this fine Hautes-Alpes campsite has chosen an ecological aquatic area. For us, it makes perfect sense at the foot of the Alpine peaks. Spread across 12 hectares, the campsite offers 160 pitches and 90 mobile homes to hire from mid-May to September.
Campsites with Panoramic Views of the French Alps
If camping in the French Alps means, for you, waking up to a XXL view from your tent, these are the campsites for you. At Passy, on the lakeshore in a natural setting, Village Mont Blanc arranges its pitches, Tiny Houses and chalets facing Mont Blanc. Higher up, in Chamonix, the Camping de la Mer de Glace is a traditional campsite with an exceptional view of the Drus and the Mont Blanc massif. At Pralognan-la-Vanoise, Alpes Lodges is a well-equipped campsite where pitches and rentals alike enjoy fine views over the Vanoise landscape.
Unusual Stays in the French Alps — Camping with a Difference
If you are drawn to the unusual, French Alps campsites have embraced the trend in recent years. Around twenty sites now offer nights in yurts, treehouses, tipis, log cabins and other distinctive accommodation. Many also offer caravans, lodges and standing tents — though these, while comfortable, are sometimes lined up in rows that feel little different from a standard mobile-home park.
In the Haute-Maurienne, facing the summits of the Vanoise, you can sleep in fustes — log cabins made of stacked timber rounds in the Canadian tradition. In Haute-Savoie, Altitpik is a camp of lodges and tipis set in open countryside. At Beuil in the Mercantour, Camping Le Cians has made a speciality of unusual accommodation, with lodges, bubble tents, kotas and treehouses.
Highest-Rated Campsites in the French Alps
French Alps campsites are generally well rated. Average scores on TripAdvisor and Google Maps tend to be around 4.2 out of 5. Some approach 5/5, including Moulin de Thoard (Haute-Provence), L’Aventure at Presle (Savoie) and the ski campsite at Montchavin (La Plagne). Campsites in Savoie and Haute-Savoie score slightly below average, particularly those around Lac d’Aiguebelette (3.6/5 average) and Lac d’Annecy (4/5).
Farm Camping in the French Alps
Farm camping is relatively undeveloped in the French Alps, where agriculture is primarily focused on transhumant cattle farming. Worth seeking out: Les Chalets de Serre-Ponçon, a working educational farm near Embrun offering 12 chalets and 3 eco-lodges. Further south, there are fine natural farm pitches at Pierre Vieille and La Ferme de Pommerol. Near the southern end of Lac d’Annecy, Les Jardins du Taillefer rents tipis, Canadian tents and pods on a working organic market garden.
Eco-Friendly Campsites in the French Alps
Camping is inherently one of the lighter-footprint forms of accommodation — yet the spread of poorly insulated prefabricated mobile homes sits uneasily with the mountain environment. Timber chalets and canvas lodges seem far better suited to the ecological urgency. At Le Valbonheur, at the gateway to the Écrins, you can stay by a lake with large pitches, lodges and mobile homes to hire, alongside a genuine commitment to reducing waste and environmental impact. We also appreciate the Huttopia approach, with its network of nature camps across the French Alps — at the Gorges du Verdon, on the shores of Lac de Serre-Ponçon, at Vallouise, Névache, Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Bozel and Lac d’Aiguebelette. Other campsites working sincerely on their environmental credentials include Camping L’Hirondelle at Menglon (Diois), La Cabane at Saint-Crépin (Guillestrois, Hautes-Alpes) and Camping du Buisson at Saint-Martin-d’Uriage (near Grenoble).
Frequently Asked Questions — Camping in the French Alps
The French Alps are full of campsites with spectacular scenery. Among the most highly regarded: Camping des Lanchettes at Peisey-Vallandry (altitude and nature), Le Courounba for its ecological aquatic area, and the Camping du Joret for total mountain immersion. We also love the Huttopia campsites, particularly the one at Champagny, for a genuine nature experience.
If you are looking for a high mountain campsite, several sites offer a genuine altitude experience. Campsites in the Vanoise, the Queyras and the Écrins are perfect for a summit adventure. The highest campsite in the French Alps is at Val d’Isère, at 1,860 metres.
Several campsites offer a heated aquatic area, ideal after a day’s hiking. Among them: Le Courounba, Camping L’Île de la Comtesse and Camping Le Giffre at Samoëns. In total, around 35 campsites in the French Alps have some form of aquatic facility.
For a waterside stay, look at campsites on Lac d’Annecy, Lac de Serre-Ponçon or Lac du Bourget. Several have their own beach, including Camping de l’Île aux Cygnes at Bourget-du-Lac and Huttopia Serre-Ponçon. For riverside sites, try Huttopia Gorges du Verdon.
Yes — many campsites are adopting eco-responsible practices, with sustainable infrastructure, timber accommodation and improved waste management. The Huttopia network is particularly well regarded for its environmental approach across its French Alps sites.
Yes, though not all campsites are open in winter. Some, located in ski resorts, offer heated pitches and comfortable chalets for a snowy mountain stay. winter ski campsites — locally known as ‘caravaneiges’ — welcome motorhomes and campervans during the ski season.
If you are looking for a unique experience, many campsites offer unusual stays including yurts, treehouses and bubble tents. Camping Le Cians in the Mercantour and Altitpik in Haute-Savoie are among the most inventive.
It depends on your priorities: altitude for cooler temperatures (Peisey-Vallandry), proximity to water (Lac d’Annecy, Serre-Ponçon) or level of facilities. For a mountain campsite, look for sites with panoramic views and direct access to walking trails.
Five-star campsites are rare in the mountains. They are found mainly around Lac d’Annecy (Doussard) and in Haute-Savoie. They are ideal for those seeking hotel-level comfort with the freedom of the outdoors. For a similar standard, many Premium 4-star campsites in our selection offer virtually equivalent facilities.
Header photo: © Alpes Lodges & Richard ROBERTS