Huttopia Bourg-St-Maurice

You don’t really come this far into the heart of the Alps to visit a campsite. You come to visit the mountains, hike the high passes, tear down slopes on bikes and generally suck in lungfuls of the crisp alpine air. Fortunately, in a landscape like this, good campsites are just a happy consequence.

Huttopia Bourg-St-Maurice is a perfect example. Yes it has its fair share of motorhomes and caravans, but a traditional tent-focused atmosphere still pervades. There’s a discount for those arriving on foot, stopping over on the long-distance mountain trails that pass nearby, and the village bus service has large racks on the front of every bus, shipping your mountain bikes up to the slopes.

Not that we’re saying this place is just for slim expedition tents and back-to-basics-types. There are heaps of modern facilities on offer and it’s families who are probably most in their element. A brand new playground has just been built, there’s table tennis, boules and a heated swimming pool, while just around the corner there are six local tennis courts, which cost a few euros to use but campers get special rates.

Luxury-seekers will find a small cluster of glamping options, including safari tents and oversized gypsy caravans, and there is Wi-Fi available in the main reception area. Campers will find heaps of local info here, including eye-catching brochures and pamphlets. But the most important things to check out are really just the plain old maps. Les Arcs, a few kilometres up the road, has endless hiking trails, with most of the information you need right here at reception.