Camping Le Chenantier

After travelling through mountain passes and thick forests to get here, you may well want to linger in the local area and let yourselves acclimatise to your Alpine surrounds. Camping Le Chenantier is a couple of minutes' walk from a fishing lake where you can cast your line or go for peaceful waterside strolls – on the far side there's also a spa garden where you can take the relaxation up an extra gear. There's also an indoor soft play centre and municipal archaeological museum a few minutes' walk from base. Modane (15 minutes' drive) is a short drive west along the D1006. You'll encounter a fair bit of historic architecture while wandering its streets – the 15th-century Notre-Dame du Charmaix Sanctuary is a gorgeous mountain pilgrimage site, while Saint-Gobain Fort, a well-preserved Maginot Line stronghold, is a 15-minute walk away on the other side of town. Driving deeper into the mountains is a sure-fire way to have a high old time. Check out Lac du Mont-Cenis (30 minutes) for lakeside treks with views over turquoise waters, or head into Termignon (15 minutes) to book in with an expert mountain guide who’ll take you all 3,442 metres up to the summit of the Pointe de l'Échelle (35 minutes from site).