Camping Pierra-Menta

The star attraction when staying at this site is the awe-inspiring nature, with lush hiking trails through the Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys to amble along in summer and ski slopes to slalom down in winter. If you’re here in the warmer months, trek across trails encircled by towering peaks while keeping an eye out for animals like marmots, wolves and badgers; at cooler times, head to Les 3 Vallées skiing area (25 minutes’ drive) to sharpen up your snowsports skills. But if all that sounds far too active…? Plonk yourself in a car and drive along the Cormet de Roselend road (45 minutes), passing by the turquoise waters of the Lac de Roselend lake, to soak up the surrounding scenery while sitting down. This is also a popular route for mountain biking if you’d prefer to explore it on the saddle. For your foodie fix, the medieval town of Bourg-Saint-Maurice (20 minutes) is worth moseying towards to try the much-lauded Beaufort cheeses, as is Moûtiers (the same distance) for its impressive cathedral and pretty riverside setting. Post-exploration, refreshing dips at Lac du Bozon lake, scenically squidged in among the mountains, are an hour away.