# Ibex, castles and four-thousanders: by camper from Ivrea through the Aosta Valley to Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso

> Around 430 km from the moraine at Ivrea past castles and vine terraces to Aosta, the Mont Blanc glaciers, the Great St Bernard and the three high valleys of…

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/rf-060-valle-d-aosta-gran-paradiso/

**At a glance:** 7-day road trip of about 208 km (129 mi) with 11 stops, from Ivrea to Rhêmes-Notre-Dame. About 2 h 53 min of driving in total. Around 430 km from the moraine at Ivrea past castles and vine terraces to Aosta, the Mont Blanc glaciers, the Great St Bernard and the three high valleys of Gran Paradiso – short stages, steep approaches and a motorhome that mostly stays on the valley floor.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 208 km (129 mi) |
| Driving | 2 h 53 min |
| Suggested days | 7 |
| Stops | 11 |
| Route | Ivrea → Rhêmes-Notre-Dame |
| Countries | Italy |
| Updated | September 1, 2026 |

*Around 430 km from the moraine at Ivrea past castles and vine terraces to Aosta, the Mont Blanc glaciers, the Great St Bernard and the three high valleys of Gran Paradiso – short stages, steep approaches and a motorhome that mostly stays on the valley floor.*

## The spirit of the route

The Aosta Valley is a valley of contrasts in a very small space: apple orchards, vineyards and medieval castles below, larch forests, alpine pastures and the white ridges of Mont Blanc, Grand Combin and Gran Paradiso above. The road follows the Dora Baltea like a red thread, and almost every side valley is a little world of its own, with village fountains, stone houses and a campsite beside a stream. From your sliding door you see the first sun on the glaciers of the Val Ferret in the morning; in the evening, in the Cogne valley, you hear the whistles of the marmots. On the hiking trails of Gran Paradiso National Park you meet ibex, chamois and bearded vultures. If you travel slowly, you taste the region at the same time: Fontina, Lardo di Arnad, dark rye bread and heavy red wine from altitudes where hardly anyone else grows vines.

## Stage-by-stage plan

### Stage 1: Ivrea to Aosta (approx. 85 km)

- **The drive:** From Ivrea take the A5 Torino–Aosta, which enters the Aosta Valley just beyond Pont-Saint-Martin and follows the river upstream in a wide trough. Alternatively, use the parallel SS26, which runs through Verrès, Issogne, Châtillon and Saint-Vincent and shows you more along the castles, but also has more towns to drive through. About an hour by motorway, a good two hours on the minor road with stops.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Forte di Bard on a rocky spur above the Dora Baltea: a large fortress complex with exhibitions and a panoramic lift; a short path leads up from the village of Bard.
  - Castello di Fénis with its battlements, corner towers and a courtyard with frescoes – one of the best-preserved castles in the valley.
  - Aosta with the Arch of Augustus, Porta Praetoria, Roman theatre and the cryptoporticus beneath the forum.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In and around Aosta there are several options: an area sosta in Aosta and Camping Internazionale Touring near Sarre, a few kilometres before the town (open all year according to the operator). In July and August, enquire in advance. Check the current status and opening times in the apps before you travel.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** In Aosta and the villages along the SS26 many municipalities put up signs banning motorhomes from car parks, especially in high season. At the castle car parks (Fénis, Issogne, Bard) you may park during the day, but not camp. Plan to spend the night at a designated pitch.
- **Insider tip for campers:** The A5 is a toll road (distance-based toll, paid at the exit, for example Pont-Saint-Martin, Châtillon or Aosta Est). Aosta has a pedestrian zone and a ZTL – leave the motorhome outside; you can walk to the old town in 15 minutes. You can get fresh bread and cheese at the weekly market in Aosta (check the market day in advance); Fontina and Valle d’Aosta Fromadzo are also sold at the cooperative dairies by the roadside.

### Stage 2: Aosta to Courmayeur (approx. 40 km)

- **The drive:** Take the SS26 through the upper Aosta Valley via Villeneuve, Arvier, Morgex and Pré-Saint-Didier, or use the A5 for stretches, which runs as far as the Mont Blanc Tunnel at Courmayeur. The road climbs to around 1,200 m; the bends are wide, but it gets narrower at the end before Courmayeur. Around 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Skyway Monte Bianco from Pontal d’Entrèves: a cable car in three sections up to 3,466 m, with views of glaciers and the Aiguilles.
  - Val Ferret with the high pasture of Pré de Pascal, the huts and the view of the Grandes Jorasses; a broad path leads into the valley from Planpincieux.
  - Pré-Saint-Didier: thermal springs and the Orrido, a gorge on the Dora di Verney.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In Courmayeur and the Val Ferret you will find Camping Grandes Jorasses and Camping Tronchey (Val Ferret), as well as Camping Aiguille Noire in the Val Veny – each with electricity, sanitary facilities and some pitches for motorhomes. Check opening times in advance, as many sites close in autumn; booking in August is strongly recommended. More pitches lie along the route between Aosta and Courmayeur (check the current status in advance).
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** In the Val Veny and Val Ferret parking is limited and charged (during the day according to the municipality, as of 2023); in summer access to the upper parts of the valleys (Val Veny from Freney, Val Ferret from Lavachey) is closed to private vehicles, and before that only until the car parks are full. In the natural area around Mont Blanc, overnighting outside campsites is not permitted. Check the current rules with the municipality of Courmayeur.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Courmayeur has a pedestrian zone in the centre; car parks have height limits, many below 2 m. The car park in Entrèves or the spaces at the cable car station are suitable for motorhomes. You can drive through the Mont Blanc Tunnel to France only by paying the toll and observing the tunnel rules (minimum distance, speed limit); for 2026 only night closures are planned from September to December (mostly 10 pm–6 am, longer on 12/13 October and 24/25 November), not a complete closure lasting several weeks like 2023 to 2025; the plan is provisional, so check the operator’s website before your trip.

### Stage 3: Courmayeur to Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses (approx. 55 km)

- **The drive:** Back down the valley on the SS26 to Aosta, then north on the SS27 via Gignod, Etroubles and Saint-Oyen to Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses. The SS27 climbs steadily but is wide; traffic to the tunnel can be heavy at weekends and at the start of the holidays. Around 1.5 hours.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Etroubles: a small village with an open-air art museum, fountains and Fontina cheese shops.
  - The road to the Colle del Gran San Bernardo (2,473 m) with the hospice and the lake at the top of the pass; accessible from summer to autumn, the road is closed in winter.
  - The hamlet of Bosses with stone houses and a mountain dairy; a hiking trail follows the old Roman road, the Via Francigena.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In the valley between Aosta and the Great St Bernard there are small campsites, including Camping Tunnel International near Étroubles and Camping del Mulino near Saint-Oyen. Check facilities, location and season by phone in advance; some close in autumn.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Near the pass road and at the tunnel portal there are parking bans in places; cleared car parks at the edge of the village are occasionally tolerated. On the top of the pass, overnighting and camping are not allowed. Expect checks by the municipality and police.
- **Insider tip for campers:** The Great St Bernard Tunnel (Switzerland) is a toll tunnel; motorhomes pay a different fee depending on vehicle height and length – check the operators’ websites in advance. If you take the pass road, fill up in Aosta beforehand. The pass is generally open in summer; it can be closed in case of snowfall or avalanche danger.

### Stage 4: Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses to Cogne (approx. 50 km)

- **The drive:** Back on the SS27 to Aosta, then on the SR 47 through Aymavilles and south into the Cogne valley. Beyond Aymavilles the road cuts through the Grand Eyvia gorge in hairpins, after which the valley opens out. A good road, but narrow in places. Around 1.5 hours, about 40 minutes beyond Aymavilles.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Castello di Aymavilles and the Roman aqueduct Pont d’Aël in the gorge (admission, walk from the car park).
  - Cogne with the meadow Prato di Sant’Orso, the village centre and the lace-making museum.
  - Valnontey and Lillaz: short dead-end roads to the entrances and hiking trails of the national park, with a waterfall at Lillaz.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In and around Cogne: Campeggio Lo Stambecco, Campeggio Gran Paradiso in Valnontey (1 June to 13 September according to the operator) and the Area Camper Revettaz on the edge of the village. Clarify facilities in advance. The season runs roughly from June to September; outside it, enquire at the sites by phone.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** In Gran Paradiso National Park, overnighting in a motorhome outside campsites is not permitted; camping and tents are prohibited, and dogs must not run free. The car parks at the valley ends of Valnontey and Lillaz are intended for hikers – in the main season they fill up quickly.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Access and parking in Valnontey are limited in high season – check the rules on site. The village centre of Cogne is tight for motorhomes – use the Area Camper on the edge of the village. The weather in the mountains changes quickly; rain gear belongs in every day pack.

### Stage 5: Cogne to Valsavarenche (approx. 50 km)

- **The drive:** From Cogne back through the gorge to Aymavilles, then west on the SS26 to Villeneuve and south on the SR 23 into the Valsavarenche. The roughly 12 km beyond the junction at Introd climb in bends, and there are narrow points in the villages; oncoming traffic is possible. About 1.5 hours.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Dégioz and Eaux-Rousses: villages where the main road is the only lane; from Eaux-Rousses, hiking trails lead into the side valleys.
  - Pont at the end of the road at around 1,950 m: the starting point for the hike to the Rifugio Chabod and the normal route up Gran Paradiso.
  - Ibex watching on the meadows above Pont from early morning.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Camping Pont Breuil at the end of the road near Pont and the Area di sosta in Dégioz (seasonal opening, facilities not confirmed). Ask by phone about availability, length limits and waste disposal; check opening times in advance.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** In the Valsavarenche the national park regulations apply: parking is allowed only in designated areas, and overnighting in a motorhome in the Pont car park is not permitted. If you park freely around Pont you risk a fine; the places lower down the valley are more predictable.
- **Insider tip for campers:** The road to Pont is a dead end; in high summer the car parks at the top are full from early morning and are managed with fees. Leave a motorhome over 7 m long below and cover the route by bike or on the hikers’ bus. Further up, mobile reception is poor – agree your route and return time with the site operator.

### Stage 6: Valsavarenche to Rhêmes-Notre-Dame (approx. 35 km)

- **The drive:** Back down to Introd, then on the SR 24 into the Val di Rhêmes: first through stretches of forest and a narrow gorge section at Rhêmes-Saint-Georges, then into the open high valley with pastures. The road is narrow in places and ends in Rhêmes-Notre-Dame. About 1 hour.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Introd with the castle and the mountain village; in summer cows graze around the village.
  - Rhêmes-Notre-Dame: church, dairy and hiking trails to the Lago Goletta and Rifugio Benevolo.
  - Gran Paradiso from the west side: a view of Granta Parey and the glaciers of the high valley.
- **Official campsite or RV park:** Camping Val di Rhêmes in the hamlet of Voix near Rhêmes-Saint-Georges; ask about pitches in the valley in advance. Check opening times in advance. Tell them your motorhome length and how you will arrive in advance.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** The same rules as in the national park: no camping, no tents, no free overnighting away from the sites. In summer the mountain farmers provide the meadows as pasture – do not open fences.
- **Insider tip for campers:** The valley lies in the shadow of the west flank of Gran Paradiso; in autumn snow can make the road temporarily impassable. Fill up with fuel and shop in Introd before you set off. If you start in the morning you will see the wildlife much better than in the afternoon.

### Stage 7: Rhêmes-Notre-Dame to Ivrea (approx. 115 km)

- **The drive:** Down the valley to Villeneuve, then down the valley on the SS26 or the A5, past Aosta to Pont-Saint-Martin and on along the A5 to Ivrea. For the return, allow a good 2 hours; at weekends from midday traffic builds up towards Torino.
- **Highlights & must-sees:**
  - Castello di Saint-Pierre and the natural history museum directly above the road at Saint-Pierre.
  - Vine terraces from Donnas to Pont-Saint-Martin with dry-stone walls; a stage for wine tasting along the Strada del Vino.
  - Ivrea with its castle and the industrial architecture of Olivetti (UNESCO World Heritage Site).
- **Official campsite or RV park:** In Ivrea and the Canavese there are a few pitches and campsites; if you want to spend one more night in the valley, you will find places in Saint-Vincent and Verrès. Check current opening times in advance.
- **Free camping or nature tip (where legal):** Around Ivrea and in the lower Dora Baltea valley, municipalities tend to be restrictive; simple motorhome spaces are often at sports facilities or industrial estates. Wild camping is not the rule.
- **Insider tip for campers:** Before the return journey, top up gas and water and empty waste in Aosta or at a motorway service area. If you want to continue south, take the A5 and A4 to Milan or Torino. Cheese and wine from the valley keep unrefrigerated for only a few hours – take a cool box.

## Camping practice & local rules

### Wild camping & overnight parking

- Italian law (Codice della Strada, Art. 185) distinguishes parking from camping: a motorhome may stand and be slept in wherever parking is allowed, as long as it touches the ground only with its wheels. Chairs, tables, awnings, levelling supports and drained grey water are prohibited.
- In the Aosta Valley many municipalities and all the high valleys of Gran Paradiso National Park are restrictive: the park prohibits camping and tents, regulates car parks with fees and carries out checks in high season. Wild overnighting is not permitted at the valley ends (Pont, Valnontey, Lillaz) or on passes.
- Tolerated places are most likely in the side valleys outside the season and at official motorhome car parks (area camper) – there, service points (V/E) are usually available and the fee is moderate. Mountain farmers sometimes offer “sosta in azienda agricola”; ask on site.
- Useful apps: park4night, Campercontact and CamperOnline (Italian). The municipalities’ tourist offices also keep up-to-date lists.

### Waste disposal & supplies

- Fresh water and waste disposal are called “camper service” or “carico e scarico”. In the high valleys they are usually found only at campsites or at the Area Camper in Cogne; Aosta itself has several stations.
- Empty grey water and the toilet cassette only at disposal stations; draining freely is prohibited and in mountain valleys often leads to bans for everyone.
- Tap water is drinkable everywhere in the valleys (fountains marked “acqua potabile”), but occasionally scarce in the higher villages in high summer; fill up before high-valley stages.
- Gas: German exchange cylinders are not exchanged in Italy. Refillable cylinders and gas tanks are filled at GPL filling stations, often with an Italian adapter; Aosta has several. Arrive with two full cylinders; in cold weather propane is better than butane.

### Vehicle size & traffic rules

- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t 90 km/h outside built-up areas, 110 km/h on expressways, 130 km/h on the motorway; over 3.5 t 80 km/h outside built-up areas and 100 km/h on the motorway. Vehicles towing a caravan: 70 km/h outside built-up areas, 80 km/h on the motorway. Dipped headlights are required outside built-up areas even during the day.
- Tolls: the A5 Torino–Aosta–Courmayeur is a toll road. Tunnels through Mont Blanc and the Great St Bernard cost extra and are graded for motorhomes by height or length; observe the tunnel rules (distance, speed).
- ZTL (Zona a Traffico Limitato) exist in Aosta and Courmayeur; fines arrive by post. The centre of Aosta is largely a pedestrian zone.
- Winter equipment: in the Aosta Valley, winter tyres or snow chains on board are compulsory on the motorway and state roads from 15 October to 15 April – observe the signs. Passes such as the Great St Bernard are closed in winter.
- If a load protrudes beyond the rear, for example bicycles on a rear rack, the red-and-white warning panel (50 × 50 cm) is compulsory. Alcohol limit 0.5, for new drivers and professional drivers 0.0; mobile phone at the wheel only with a hands-free kit.

## CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist

- Snow chains or textile snow socks – occasionally required on the dead-end roads in the high mountains from October, and needed at short notice in side valleys from autumn.
- Walking poles and a rain jacket for Gran Paradiso hikes with quickly changing weather; height gains of up to 800 m per day are common.
- Binoculars for ibex, chamois and bearded vultures – the animals often keep their distance.
- Levelling ramps, level 2–3, for the sloping pitches in the side valleys.
- A cool box or well-insulated bag for Fontina, Lardo di Arnad and wine, so they survive the journey.
- Red-and-white warning panel to the Italian standard for rear racks or protruding boxes.

_As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go._

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Ivrea** (Italy)
2. **Bard** (Italy)
3. **Fénis** (Italy)
4. **Aosta** (Italy)
5. **Courmayeur** (Italy)
6. **Etroubles** (Italy)
7. **Aymavilles** (Italy)
8. **Cogne** (Italy)
9. **Introd** (Italy)
10. **Valsavarenche** (Italy)
11. **Rhêmes-Notre-Dame** (Italy)

## Best time to go

The most pleasant months are usually June–September. Cold, short days in December–February. Mountain passes on this route are usually open June–September. July and August are the busiest months: book campsites early. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)

## Practical notes for the road

- **Italy: Motorway tolls.** Tolls on most autostrade; pay at the barrier by card or cash. Motorway limit for cars: 130 km/h.
- **Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard (2,469 m).** Usually open June–September; outside that window the road can be closed by snow. Alternative: The Great St Bernard tunnel is open all year.

## FAQs

**How long is Ibex, castles and four-thousanders: by camper from Ivrea through the Aosta Valley to Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso?**
7-day road trip of about 208 km (129 mi) with 11 stops, from Ivrea to Rhêmes-Notre-Dame. About 2 h 53 min of driving in total.

**How many days do you need for Ibex, castles and four-thousanders: by camper from Ivrea through the Aosta Valley to Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso?**
We suggest 7 days: about 2 h 53 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.

**Where does Ibex, castles and four-thousanders: by camper from Ivrea through the Aosta Valley to Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso start and end?**
It starts in Ivrea and ends in Rhêmes-Notre-Dame.

**Which countries does Ibex, castles and four-thousanders: by camper from Ivrea through the Aosta Valley to Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso pass through?**
Italy.

**Where can you camp along Ibex, castles and four-thousanders: by camper from Ivrea through the Aosta Valley to Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso?**
OpenStreetMap lists 122 campsites and motorhome stopovers within 20 km of the stops on this route. For example: Future is nature, Camping Mombarone and Area Camper di Oropa.

**When is the best time for Ibex, castles and four-thousanders: by camper from Ivrea through the Aosta Valley to Mont Blanc and Gran Paradiso?**
The most pleasant months are usually June–September. Cold, short days in December–February. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)