The clocks have changed, the days are darker, and whispers of Christmas are growing ever louder. For many, it’s time to start late-night shopping or stay by the fire and enjoy a good book. For others, winter means grabbing the skis, boots and gloves and making for the slopes.
If you’re heading abroad this winter to find places where the snow is powdery and the après-ski is buzzing, you’ll want to ensure the place you stay is close to the action. We’ve compiled a list of great European campsites that are perfect for the ski season.
Champ du Moulin
A great site situated in the village of Venosc, close to the Italian border. Five minutes walk from the site is a cable car that takes you to Les 2 Alpes resort, located 3600m above sea level and sporting a variety of slopes and off-piste areas. There are 9 black runs, 19 red, 43 blue and 19 green.
The campsite is flat and grassy with well-sized and defined pitches and accommodation. Skiers can get discounts on equipment hire and store their gear in overnight lockers for a small charge.
Le Champ du Moulin is in the narrow Vénéon valley at an altitude of 960 m, so the days may be hot, but the nights are cool. It is open in summer and winter and has 83 level stone and grass pitches, 65 for touring. They are delineated by various trees that offer shade, and all have electricity (6/10A, long leads useful). Rock pegs are essential.
This is a super site at the foot of the Aramis mountain range, where you are guaranteed a warm welcome. The ski slopes of Grand Bornand are just a few hundred metres away, complete with a snowpark and Alpine ski area. Night skiing and ski lessons are offered.
The campsite has all the facilities you’d expect on a well-run resort, and there are over 100 touring pitches separated by trees and shrubs. The restaurant has a delightful ambience and serves regional dishes. An ice skating rink is close by.
You will receive a good welcome in English from the Baur family at this beautifully maintained and picturesque site, situated at the foot of the Aravis mountain range. There are 149 pitches with 123 for touring. Of average size, part grass, part gravel they are separated by trees and shrubs that give a little shade. All pitches have 2-10A electricity and 86 are fully serviced. Rock pegs are essential. A 200-year-old building houses a bar/restaurant decorated in traditional style and overlooks the indoor pool. It offers regional dishes in a delightful, warm ambience. The village is 200 m. away and has all the facilities of a resort with activities for both summer and winter holidays.
Located close to the German border, this spacious site is near Almenwe
lt Lofer with its 46 km of prepared pistes and snowpark. Lessons and entertainment for children are available at the ski resort, and kids up to 15 years ski for free if accompanied by their parents.
The campsite attracts all kinds of people, from couples to large groups and pitches are separated to cater accordingly to each visitor. A building in traditional Tyrolean style houses reception, an inn and a sauna and wellness centre.
Camping Grubhof is a beautifully laid out, level and spacious site set in the former riding and hunting park of the 14th-century Schloss Grubhof. The 250 touring pitches have been carefully divided into separate areas for different types of visitors – dog owners, young people, families and groups, and a quiet area. All the generous XXL pitches (at least 180 sq.m) provide electricity (16A), water and drainage (also in winter), many along the bank of the Saalach River.
The Dolomites are as good a place to ski as any, and this campsite is set against their beautiful backdrop, close to the Alpe di Siusi. There are runs for all abilities, from the black Bullaccia and Mezdi to the practice slopes for kids. There’s also a snowpark to challenge your snowboarding skills.
A friendly welcome awaits you at the campsite after a long day’s skiing, and you can enjoy a delicious meal at the traditional-style restaurant or a relaxed drink at the bar.
What an amazing experience awaits you at Seiser Alm! Elisabeth and Erhard Mahlknecht have created a superb site in the magnificent Südtirol region of the Dolomite mountains. Towering peaks provide a wonderful backdrop when you dine in the charming, traditionally styled restaurant on the upper terrace. Here you will also find the bar, shop and reception. The 150 touring pitches have 16A electricity, gas, water, drainage, satellite connection and WiFi. Guests were delighted with the site when we visited, many coming to walk or cycle, some just to enjoy the surroundings. There are countless things to see and do here, including a full entertainment programme and a brilliant new pool.
An excellent base for a winter sports holiday, this site has accommodation for rent during the winter season. Set in the Catalan Pyrenees, it is close to several resorts such as Font-Romeu and Espace Cambre d’Aze, which has 22 marked pistes and a great snow record.
Chalets on the campsite are well spaced and most sleep up to six people, and facilities include a bar/restaurant.
L’Escapade s is a chalet village currently with 44 attractive, solid mountain chalets to rent. Please note that there are no touring pitches here. The site is located high in the Regional Park of the Catalan Pyrenees, with easy access to Andorra and the Spanish enclave of Llivia. This is an all year site, and is a good base for a winter sports holiday thanks to its altitude of 1,200 m. Major expansion of the accommodation and entertainment should now have been completed. For anglers, a mountain river runs alongside the site.
Rob has been involved in the leisure industry since completing a BTEC in Travel & Tourism in 1993. Previous roles have included the promotion of tourism in Yorkshire and running a motorcycle touring company in the Australian Outback.
He is the General Manager at Alan Rogers Travel Group, responsible for the ongoing development of the Alan Rogers website and the publication of the Alan Rogers Guides and 'Destinations' magazine.
Rob has owned several caravans, and he regularly travels with his wife and young daughter in their VW Transporter, complete with a Tentbox roof tent. A keen cycling fan, Rob can often be found in a field in Belgium during the 'Spring Classics' season.
