French Alps Slow Campervan Travel Guide
This guide follows our VW campervan road trip from England to the French Alps. Before we travel, it brings together our planning, route, packing list and practical research. After the trip, it will become the main hub for campsite reviews, walking guides, cycling routes, local food, budget tips and everything we learnt exploring Val Cenis and the surrounding Alps.
Val Cenis Trip Overview
| Trip Details | Overview |
| Destination | Val Cenis, French Alps |
| Country | France |
| Travel style | Slow campervan travel |
| Campervan | 1990 VW T25 |
| Route style | Hybrid, quieter roads, avoiding most toll motorways |
| Trip length | 21 days |
| Val Cenis Stay | Six nights in Lanslevillard, Val Cenis |
| Activities | Walking, cycling, mountain lifts, local food |
| Travel month | August 2026 |
This page is the home for the trip. Before we leave it’s where we’re collecting our planning, packing lists and research. After we return it will become the complete guide, linking to campsite reviews, walks, cycling routes, food discoveries and everything we learnt along the way.
This summer (2026) we’re taking our VW T25 campervan on a slow road trip from England to the French Alps. Rather than rushing across France on the toll motorways, we’ll be following quieter roads, staying at smaller campsites away from the crowds and spending a week exploring Val Cenis.
A Different Kind of Family Holiday
This summer’s trip marks a new chapter for our family.
For the first time, the journey to the Alps won’t be one long adventure together. My youngest son and I will make the drive through France in our VW T25, taking the quieter roads, staying at small campsites and enjoying the slower pace that travelling by campervan allows.
Meanwhile, my wife and eldest son will travel by train to Chambéry, where we’ll meet before heading up into the mountains together.
We’ll spend six days based in Val Cenis, exploring the valley on foot and by bike, taking the ski lifts into the mountains and making the most of a week without constantly moving on. After that we’ll head back towards Chambéry for two days of cycling around the lake before it’s time for them to catch the train home.
Their holiday ends there, but the journey home is still part of my adventure.
I’ll have another week travelling home with my youngest son to wander slowly back through France, stopping at campsites that catch my eye, taking the quieter roads wherever possible and enjoying the freedom that campervan travel brings.
It’s a different way of holidaying, and probably a sign of the years ahead. As our eldest has moved into sixth form, family holidays are becoming more difficult to organise around school, work and growing independence. Rather than trying to make every trip fit the same pattern, we’re learning to build holidays that work for everyone.
Perhaps that’s what slow travel is really about—not just slowing the journey, but accepting that family life changes too.
Trip Planning Overview
| Stage | Status |
| Planning the route | ✓ Complete |
| Campsites | ✓ Booked |
| Val Cenis activities | Planned |
| Packing list | Complete |
| Campsite reviews | After the trip |
| Food guide | After the trip |
| Best walks | After the trip |
Everything linked from this page will be updated as our journey progresses, making this the central guide to our French Alps campervan adventure.
Planning Guides
| Guide | What it covers |
|---|---|
| 7-Day Val Cenis Summer Itinerary | Walking, cycling, lakes, lifts, villages and family activities |
| French Alps Campervan Packing List | What we packed for a summer Alpine campervan trip |
| Hybrid Campervan Road Route to Val Cenis | The journey down through France using a mix of motorways and scenic roads |
After the Trip
Once we’re home, this section will expand with detailed guides based on our own experience, including campsite reviews, walking routes, cycling adventures and the lessons we learnt along the way.
- Campsite Reviews
- Mountain Walks
- Cycling Routes
- Local Food
- Cheese Guide
- Lake Activities
- Budget Breakdown
- What We’d Do Differently