planning a road trip

emma82

Hi,
Apologies for the random posting but i am doing some research on a road trip I am planning. I bought a camper van earlier in the year and after a few outings to snowdonia national park, bets y coed, coed y brenin etc and also the lake district Im now feeling brave enough to step over the water into france. Am planning to go in June down to the Alps and tie it in with taking part in the Passports du soleil at the end of June. Has anyone taken a camper trip down that way? Im looking for advice on a good route down and some places to stay, there is so much information around on the net its impossible to know where to start or does anyone have any experience of campsites in the area?

Thanks in advance.

Emma xx

strodey

Come via my house and pick me up, i'll share the petrol and cook pasta!

covelove

I have driven down to Chamonix twice in the last few years and am heading down to morzine this summer. all the motorways are great, but make sure you can a couple of hundred euros as each toll can be about 30 euros at a time. as for campsites the alps are littered with them. I would guess you dont need to book at that time of year because the english, french and german school holidays will not have started so it will be quite quiet. you can also get guidebooks for just about anything including mtb for different parts of the alps.
it is also worth throwing a tent in your van incase you do have a problem with space on a site.
as for routes i have stopped in epernay before which is about 4 hours from calis in the champange region, there is a great municiple site there. 10 hours after that you are in Chamonix where you can easily get round the alps and into italy and switzerland. i would say this is a good base for reaching out from.
for mtb try morzine and les gets!
excuse the long post.

sara flowmtb

I would say book your Morzine campsite in advance for the Pass'Portes du Soleil. It gets very busy then so if you want a proper site worth booking in advance! Les Marmottes in Essert Romand is the nicest site, but gets booked up. there's no actual campsite in Morzine itself, but if you're on XC/AM bikes that's not too bad a pedal.

For Chamonix use the site in Argentiere - can't remember the name!

bomberesque

sara flowmtb wrote:

I would say book your Morzine campsite in advance for the Pass'Portes du Soleil.

^this. hard

camping in mainland europe is generally a piece of p1ss. you will usually get a power hook up and well appointed and provisioned campsites litter the french countryside. Either buy a guide book or drop into the local tourist office for a list of regional campsites. Carrying a tent is a good idea, that way you can just about guarantee that you'll have somewhere to stay.

Morzine in the week running up to Pports though will be very busy. We went 2 years ago for the week before and by the time we left, you would not have got in.

Tolls can be paid for by credit card (and maybe Maestro....?) btw, an alternative to carrying cash (but up to you)

covelove

For Chamonix use the site in Argentiere - can't remember the name![/quote]


I think the Argenteierre campsite is only 2star. try les bos campsite in les praz 3/4 star or the one in Chamonix Sud which is close to town and very nice too!

i have always used the Chamonix tourist board website for ideas!

Matt N

just park up on the side of the road! we're mountain bikers we're meant to be slightly hardcore!

covelove

point taken but i cant fit in the back of my van when the bikes are in and dont like leaving them outside. i have done it a couple of times at the fort bill car park and anyway i'm soft :)