Camping Caravaneige Lanslevillard is a mountain campsite in Val Cenis, Savoie, France, where we stayed for six nights during our 2026 campervan trip. We used it as a base for exploring the surrounding Alps, including La Norma, the Col du Mont Cenis and Bonneval-sur-Arc. We found it an excellent location for walking, cycling and exploring the valley, although the lack of shade was a significant drawback during the summer heatwave we experienced.
Stay at a glance
| Campsite | Camping Caravaneige Lanslevillard |
| Location | Lanslevillard, Val Cenis, Savoie, France |
| Stay | 6 nights |
| When we stayed | Summer 2026 |
| Pitch | Campervan pitch |
| Shade | Limited – very few trees |
| Facilities | Excellent toilet and shower block, bar |
| Food shopping | Shops and food outlets in Lanslevillard |
| Activities | Walking, cycling and exploring Val Cenis |
| Our verdict | Excellent base for exploring the area; lack of shade was a drawback in the heatwave |
| Would we stay again? | Yes, although we’d think twice about a long summer stay in very hot weather |
Our stay
We arrived on a Monday after spending the previous night in Chambéry.
Rather than taking the quickest route up the valley, we avoided the péage and followed the old roads into the mountains.
This was one of those journeys where taking the slower route definitely paid off.
The views were fantastic, and there was something particularly satisfying about making the climb in the T25. As usual, the road ahead is always clear when you’re driving a 36-year-old campervan.
The downside was that the van wasn’t quite its usual self.
With four people, camping equipment and two bikes on the back, it was carrying plenty of weight. As we climbed higher and the air got thinner, more strategic gear changes were required.
We stopped at Termignon for lunch, where we found some of the local artisanal Bleu de Termignon, along with the obligatory French bread.
It was hot, we’d been driving for a while and we needed to stretch our legs. The stop gave both us and the van a breather before the final climb to Lanslevillard.
Once we arrived, it was really just a case of getting the van pitched and settling in.
We had five full days ahead of us.
The weather changes quickly
Our first proper day started with sunshine.
We walked up the mountain and took the telecabine towards La Fema, the went up Solent chair lift to around 2,100 metres. We were aiming for the suspended viewing platform at the Col de la Met, where you can look down towards the lake.
We even spotted a marmot on the way up.
Then the weather changed.
Very quickly.
The sunshine disappeared, the rain arrived and the wind picked up. After all the heat we’d been having, the change was quite dramatic.
We were getting wet and called it a day, and with hindsight, we were very glad that we hadn’t carried on towards the viewing platform.
Instead, we went back down to La Fema restaurant, where we could get out of the rain, warm up and have something to eat.
Crepes and coffee suddenly seemed like a much better idea than carrying on to the top.
Then came the thunderstorm.
And then the electrics went.
The telecabine was suspended because of the storm and we were stranded at altitude for around two hours. We couldn’t simply walk back down, so there wasn’t much to do other than wait.
It was exciting, although perhaps not quite the sort of mountain adventure we’d planned.
The team at La Fema were brilliant. They stayed open late and made sure everyone was looked after while we waited for the weather to pass.
Eventually the telecabine started running again and we made our way down.
By the time we reached Lanslevillard, the weather had cleared and it was a lovely evening again.
It was quite a first day in Val Cenis.
La Norma luge
The following day we headed to La Norma to try the luge.
It’s a 900-metre descent where you control how quickly you go down.
It was enormous fun.
If you’re going, I’d recommend getting there before déjeuner. It became much busier later in the day.
We’d walked for around an hour and a half to get there, so by the time we returned there were a few blisters beginning to make themselves known.
Still, it was good value and one of those days that everyone enjoyed.
Cycling the Col du Mont Cenis
Day three was our biggest cycling challenge.
We cycled up towards the Col du Mont Cenis, taking around over two and a half hours to cover the 8.8 kilometres uphill.
Unsurprisingly we were going very, very slowly. When we go to the top we were rewarded with a fantastic view of the lake.
The descent was rather more enjoyable. What had taken us around two hours to climb took about 40 minutes to come back down.
It was very hot, but reaching the top was satisfying enough to move the Col du Mont Cenis onto my bucket list.
And then firmly cross it off.
The best surprise was the Fromagerie du Col du Mont-Cenis.
The smell as we walked in was fantastic and there was an excellent selection of cheese.
Fortunately, my limited French wasn’t needed.
We came away with more Bleu de Termignon, some Bleu de Bonneval-sur-Arc and Beaufort PDO – described locally as the prince of Gruyère.
After cycling uphill in the heat, it seemed entirely justified.
Bonneval-sur-Arc
Another day we headed further up the valley to Bonneval-sur-Arc.
We took the T25 up to around 1,800 metres, making the 17-kilometre drive up the valley.
It was an impressive drive and Bonneval-sur-Arc itself was beautiful.
There were plenty of Italian motorcyclists making the trip up for an ice cream. With windy winds, and glorious sunshine I could see the attraction of taking a day trip here.
We took a slightly different approach. After cycling up Col du Mont Cenis the previous day, it was time for some fun.
I drove the van back down while the boys cycled the final section.
It was all downhill for them.
Good dad points earned, I think.
The campsite
The biggest thing we noticed about Camping Caravaneige Lanslevillard was the lack of trees.
There isn’t much shade, and during our stay that really mattered.
We were there during a European heatwave and at one point it was still 28°C at 5.50pm. We’d already experienced around 38°C in Chambéry, so we knew it was going to be hot.
The problem was that there wasn’t much escape from the sun when we were back at the van.
We also hadn’t brought our sun awning, which didn’t exactly help.
If you’re visiting in cooler weather, or you’re spending most of your time out walking and exploring, I don’t think the lack of shade would bother you nearly as much.
For us, staying for six nights during a heatwave made it much more noticeable.
The bar could also be noisy on some evenings, although we didn’t find that particularly objectionable. It had a good atmosphere and felt like somewhere people were enjoying themselves. We did pop along ourselves for some refreshment.
The toilet and shower block was excellent.
Food and shopping
Lanslevillard is close enough that getting food wasn’t difficult.
For cheese and meat, La Ferme Mauriennaise was excellent.
The steak haché was particularly good and made a very respectable burger substitute.
One of the best-value meals we had was a rotisserie chicken with chips. We ordered it the day before and collected it when it was ready.
Four of us ate for around €30, sitting outside the van and enjoying the view.
We ate at the campsite most of the time, but we were eventually persuaded by the boys to try The RiverSide Valcenis.
It only does pizza, but the pizza was tasty and I thought it was good value with great service.
And, of course, there was the cheese.
Quite a lot of cheese.
Five days exploring Val Cenis
The campsite worked well for us because we weren’t really there to sit around all day.
Over five full days we walked, cycled, took the telecabine, rode the luge, drove further up the valley and explored the surrounding mountains.
The weather gave us sunshine, rain, thunderstorms and temperatures approaching 30°C.
That’s probably a fair representation of a summer trip to the mountains: you can start the day in shorts and end it looking for somewhere to hide from the rain.
Would I stay here again?
Yes, but with a qualification.
The location is excellent for exploring Val Cenis and the surrounding mountains. We had five full days and still felt that there was plenty more we could have done.
If we returned in cooler weather, I’d happily stay at Camping Caravaneige Lanslevillard again.
If it was another summer heatwave, I’d probably look for somewhere with more trees and shade.
For us, the lack of shade is the deal-breaker for a longer summer stay when it’s very hot.
That doesn’t make it a bad campsite. It simply means that our experience of it was heavily influenced by the weather.
And perhaps that’s the most honest way to judge it.
Would I stay again? Yes – but I’d check the forecast first.
This was the third campsite of our France 2026 campervan trip, after staying at Camping Au Bois Joli and Camping Des 2 Rives earlier in the journey.