In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
Around 300 km between three lakes and two limestone massifs: from turquoise Lake Annecy through the Bauges Natural Park and past Lake Bourget to Chambéry, through the Chartreuse to quiet Lake Aiguebelette – short stages, many passes below 1,200 m and, most evenings, a lake view.
The spirit of the route
This loop thrives on the switch between water and rock. In the morning your bike rolls along the old railway line on the west shore of Lake Annecy, at midday paragliders circle above the Col de la Forclaz, and in the evening all you hear behind the sliding door are cowbells from the Bauges. The massif between Annecy and Chambéry is a green limestone fortress: hay meadows, spruce forest, villages with wooden barns and cheese cellars where Tome des Bauges ripens. Then the view opens from the Revard onto Lake Bourget, on whose west shore Hautecombe Abbey seems to rise straight out of the water. Beyond Chambéry it grows quieter: the Chartreuse is a land of gorges, waterfalls and monks, where even the road seems to fall silent. At the end you swim in warm Lake Aiguebelette, free of motorboats – and in a week you have driven barely 300 kilometres.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Annecy to Annecy (old town and cycle path) (approx. 10 km)
- The drive
- Arrive and leave the camper parked: from the campsite on the slope of the Semnoz it is only a few kilometres to the lakeshore, and you explore the old town on foot or by bike. In the town centre the streets are narrow, many multi-storey car parks have height restrictions, and around the lake traffic backs up in summer – with a motorhome, plan only the drive to the campsite.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Old town with the canals of the Thiou and the Palais de l’Isle, the former prison on an island in the middle of the river; above it the castle with its museum.
- Lakeshore between the Pâquier, the Jardins de l’Europe and the Pont des Amours – early in the morning, while the lake is still smooth and the excursion boats are at rest.
- Cycle path (Voie verte) on the former railway line along the west shore via Sévrier, Saint-Jorioz and Duingt to the Bout du Lac and on towards Albertville – flat, asphalted and car-free.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping Le Belvédère, Annecy’s municipal campsite on the slope of the Semnoz above the lake, with electricity, toilets and showers, and water and waste disposal; the access road is steep, and you walk downhill into the centre. Book early in summer. For a short stop without electricity: the small Aire de stationnement camping-cars de Colmyr on the east shore in Annecy-le-Vieux, with water and waste disposal – only around ten pitches, often full, length of stay limited.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the shore of Lake Annecy there is practically no way to park up legally overnight: many lakeside car parks have height barriers or signs banning motorhomes, parking is charged in summer and the police hand out fines. The shoreline at the Roc de Chère and the Bout du Lac is a nature reserve. Plan exclusively for campsites and designated aires here.
- Insider tip for campers
- Annecy has a ZFE (Zone à faibles émissions): the Crit’Air sticker is mandatory, unclassified vehicles may not enter, and further stages have been decided – check the current status with Grand Annecy before you travel. Order the sticker only from the official site certificat-air.gouv.fr and allow several weeks for delivery. In July and August you are much faster by city bus or bike than by camper.
2Stage 2: Annecy to Doussard (Bout du Lac) via Talloires and the Col de la Forclaz (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- Along the east shore via Veyrier-du-Lac, Menthon-Saint-Bernard and Talloires – the lakeside road is narrow, shared with cyclists and buses, and often slow in summer. From Talloires a winding mountain road with hairpins and a short tunnel climbs to the Col de la Forclaz (around 1,160 m), with about 2 km at around 12 % gradient in the upper section. The south side down via Montmin to Vesonne near Faverges is much narrower, single-track in places and up to 15 % steep; from there you head back through the valley to the Bout du Lac. Larger motorhomes are better off driving only from Talloires to the top of the pass, returning the same way and then continuing along the east shore to Doussard. A good 1.5 hours of driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Col de la Forclaz: viewpoint high above the southern basin of the lake, looking out over Duingt, the Bauges and the Aravis; next to it one of the best-known paragliding take-off sites in the Alps.
- Ermitage Saint-Germain above Talloires with a view over the lake basin, a short walk from the village.
- Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard on a rocky spur above the east shore, the classic spot for photographing castle and lake.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: At the Bout du Lac you stay packed in among dozens of campsites, such as Camping La Nublière in Doussard right on the lake or Camping Le Taillefer on the west slope above the Bout du Lac, both with electricity, toilets and showers. For motorhomes that do not need hook-up: the Aire de camping-cars in Doussard near the lakeshore, with water and waste disposal, around a dozen pitches, vehicle length limited (up to 9 m according to listing sites), maximum stay 48 hours, overnight fee charged.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The car park at the Col de la Forclaz is there for hikers and paragliders during the day and is often full before 9 am on summer weekends; camping behaviour is prohibited there, as everywhere outside designated sites. The shore at the Bout du Lac is part of a nature reserve – no wild parking.
- Insider tip for campers
- At the Bout du Lac, empty your tanks at the aire in Doussard. Drive the Forclaz on a weekday and early: around midday you share the narrow road with shuttles from the paragliding schools. If you want to continue from here into the Aravis or towards the high Alps, you will find the route in the CampingSpirit guide to the Route des Grandes Alpes.
3Stage 3: Doussard to Le Châtelard (Massif des Bauges) via the Col de Leschaux (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- Back along the west shore to Saint-Jorioz/Sévrier, then up the mountain road through forest to the Col de Leschaux (just under 900 m), the gateway to the Bauges Natural Park. On the other side the road descends in wide bends to Lescheraines in the Chéran valley and upriver to Le Châtelard. The roads are well built, though narrow in places in the villages. Around an hour of driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Detour from the Col de Leschaux up the Semnoz (Crêt de Châtillon, around 1,700 m) with a panoramic view from Mont Blanc to Lake Annecy – narrow road, only worthwhile in good weather.
- Maison du Parc in Le Châtelard: information on the natural park and the Bauges UNESCO Geopark, hiking maps, tips on cheese dairies.
- Pont du Diable near Bellecombe-en-Bauges: bridge over a deep, narrow gorge, a few minutes on foot from the small Charniaz car park on the Lescheraines–Col de Leschaux road, with information boards on how it formed; parking spaces are scarce and often taken by canyoning groups.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping des Cyclamens on the edge of Le Châtelard, a small, quiet site with electricity, toilets and showers. Alternatively in Lescheraines at the Base de loisirs on the Chéran: Camping L’Île du Chéran by the swimming lake and, next to it, the Aire de camping-car Les Îles du Chéran with water and waste disposal. Both open roughly from spring to autumn – check in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Within the natural park French law applies: parking is allowed wherever it is not prohibited, camping behaviour is not. Quiet nights on hiking and mountain-pasture car parks in the Bauges are common, but municipal prohibition signs must be respected; in the Réserve nationale de chasse et de faune sauvage and on pasture tracks, driving and overnighting are off-limits. No fires, no grey water in the countryside.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Bauges are a land of farm cheese dairies: buy Tome des Bauges (AOP) directly from producers and cooperatives in the valley – look out for “vente à la ferme” signs. Do your shopping and refuelling in Annecy or Saint-Jorioz before the climb; the mountain villages have only small shops and hardly any filling stations.
4Stage 4: Le Châtelard to Aix-les-Bains via the Revard (approx. 50 km)
- The drive
- From Le Châtelard via Lescheraines and the Col de Plainpalais (just under 1,200 m) onto the high plateau of La Féclaz and to the Revard, then down long hairpins to Aix-les-Bains on Lake Bourget. Well built, but the descent is long – use low gears. A good hour of driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Belvédère at Mont Revard: the edge of the plateau with a view down to Lake Bourget, Aix and the Dent du Chat, and on clear days as far as Mont Blanc.
- High plateau of La Féclaz–Le Revard with pastures and hiking trails along the forest edge – hiking country in summer, cross-country skiing area in winter.
- Grand Port of Aix-les-Bains with promenade, swimming beach and boats across the lake.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Camping International du Sierroz near the Grand Port, a few steps from the lakeshore, with electricity, toilets and showers; nearby is the large Aire de camping-car of Aix-les-Bains (operated by Camping-Car Park, access with the operator’s card) with electricity and water and waste disposal. Quieter at the southern end of the lake: Camping de l’Île aux Cygnes in Le Bourget-du-Lac.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Lakeside car parks on Lake Bourget are very busy in summer and in some cases closed to motorhomes; there are checks at night. On the Revard plateau there are large car parks for hikers and cross-country skiers – ideal during the day; for the night, respect the municipal signs.
- Insider tip for campers
- Aix-les-Bains lies within the ZFE of the Aix–Chambéry–Montmélian corridor: the Crit’Air sticker is mandatory, and currently only unclassified vehicles are excluded – check the status beforehand. Explore the centre with its thermal baths and casino on foot; from the Grand Port, boats run to Hautecombe Abbey and the Canal de Savières, a good alternative to driving along the west shore.
5Stage 5: Aix-les-Bains to Chambéry via Chanaz, Hautecombe and the Col du Chat (approx. 65 km)
- The drive
- North along the east shore to Chindrieux, across the Rhône marshes to Chanaz, then along the west shore on a narrow road with fine views via Conjux to Hautecombe Abbey. Continue along the slope above the lake to the Col du Chat and through the road tunnel down to Le Bourget-du-Lac and Chambéry. The west-shore road is narrow, with few passing places. About 1.5 hours without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Chanaz on the Canal de Savières, which links Lake Bourget with the Rhône: canal banks, a lock and an old walnut-oil mill.
- Hautecombe Abbey on the west shore: burial place of the House of Savoy with a richly decorated church, now home to a religious community; visits at set times.
- Mont du Chat (around 1,500 m) above the west shore with a view over the whole lake – the road up is narrow and very steep, not recommended for large motorhomes.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: For Chambéry, the Camping municipal Le Savoy in Challes-les-Eaux on the edge of town is a good choice, with electricity, toilets and showers and a bus connection to the centre. If you would rather stay by the lake: in Chanaz the Domaine des Îles on the canal, or on the west shore the Camping municipal Le Bel Air near Saint-Pierre-de-Curtille.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On the west shore the few lay-bys are narrow; at Hautecombe and in Chanaz the visitor car parks are for day use. In Chambéry itself there is no tolerated wild parking; camping behaviour on municipal car parks is penalised.
- Insider tip for campers
- Chambéry’s old town with the castle of the Dukes, the Elephant Fountain and the cathedral with its trompe-l’œil paintings is easy to explore on foot – leave the camper at the campsite. Arrive early in Chanaz: the car parks fill up quickly in summer. For the route over the Col du Chat, do not confuse the tunnel and pass with the Mont du Chat road.
6Stage 6: Chambéry to Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse via the Col du Granier (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- From Chambéry the road climbs steeply between vineyards to the Col du Granier (a little over 1,130 m) beneath the sheer north face of Mont Granier, then via Entremont-le-Vieux to Saint-Pierre-d’Entremont and over the Col du Cucheron (just under 1,150 m) to Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse. Well built but winding and shady; in wet weather there may be fallen rocks on the road. A good hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Col du Granier with a view of Chambéry and the Combe de Savoie; at the foot of Mont Granier lie the Abymes de Myans, the debris field of a great medieval rockfall, now covered in vineyards.
- Cirque de Saint-Même near Saint-Pierre-d’Entremont: valley head with the waterfalls at the source of the Guiers Vif, a short walk from the car park.
- Musée de la Grande Chartreuse at La Correrie above Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse: the life of the Carthusian monks – the monastery itself cannot be visited, but a footpath leads to within sight of it.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Aire Camping-Car Park Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse – Le Couzon on the edge of the village, with electricity, water and waste disposal, access with the operator’s card. Traditional campsite: Camping de Martinière a good 2 km south-west of Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse – check season and facilities in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): A quiet zone applies around the monastery: vehicles park in the designated car parks below, and the path is walked on foot. In the Hauts de Chartreuse nature reserve on the high plateau, overnighting and bivouacking are subject to specific rules; on hiking car parks in the valley, respect municipal signs.
- Insider tip for campers
- Refuel and shop in Chambéry before the climb; there are only a few filling stations in the Chartreuse. The road to the Granier is popular with cyclists on summer weekends – set off early. Space is tight for longer vehicles at the Cirque de Saint-Même car park.
7Stage 7: Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse to Lake Aiguebelette (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- Down through the Gorges du Guiers Mort, with rock walls and short tunnels, to Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, on to Les Échelles and via Saint-Béron to Lake Aiguebelette. The gorge road is winding and is closed from time to time after rockfalls – check the Isère département’s traffic information; otherwise simple valley roads. About an hour. Back to Chambéry it is only around 20 km via the A43 and the Tunnel de l’Épine.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Gorges du Guiers Mort: narrow limestone gorge with photo stops at lay-bys.
- Voie Sarde near Saint-Christophe-la-Grotte: the old 17th-century trade road carved into the rock, plus caves open to visitors.
- Lake Aiguebelette: warm, clear lake without motorboats, a world-class rowing course and swimming spots on the west and south shores.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Huttopia Lac d’Aiguebelette on the west shore in Saint-Alban-de-Montbel, right on the lake with its own beach, electricity, toilets and showers, and waste disposal, open roughly from spring to autumn. Further sites on the shore such as Camping Le Grand Verney or Camping Le Mont Grêle. In Saint-Laurent-du-Pont a municipal aire offers water and waste disposal along the way.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): At Lake Aiguebelette, wild parking and overnighting on the lakeside car parks are not permitted; the tourist office, for example, explicitly describes the car park at the rowing centre in Novalaise as unsuitable for motorhomes. Some swimming beaches charge a fee in summer.
- Insider tip for campers
- The lake is privately owned and strictly protected: motorboats are banned, swimming is allowed only at designated spots, and canoes and SUPs are available from hire outlets on the shore. If you want to return to Chambéry or the motorway, take the A43 – check your toll class beforehand.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- French law distinguishes between parking and camping: a motorhome may park wherever parking is permitted (for a maximum of 7 days in the same place), unless a municipal order says otherwise. Levelling jacks, awning, table and chairs or draining water count as camping behaviour and are prohibited outside campsites and aires.
- On Lake Annecy and Lake Bourget, height barriers, no-motorhome signs and checks in summer make legal wild parking on the shore practically impossible. There are nature reserves at the Bout du Lac and the Roc de Chère, and the shore of Lake Aiguebelette is also protected.
- In France wild camping is prohibited in sites classés, within 500 m of monuments historiques, near drinking-water sources and on the seashore, among other places; nature reserves such as the Hauts de Chartreuse have their own rules. In the Bauges and Chartreuse natural parks, quiet parking in permitted places is possible, but signs take precedence.
- Apps: park4night, Campercontact and the aire listings from Savoie Mont Blanc help you search; take comments about bans seriously. Camping-Car Park aires work with an access card from the operator.
Waste disposal & supplies
- In France, a service point is called an “aire de services” or “borne”; many stations take coins, tokens or cards, and some are free. On Lake Annecy they are in Annecy-le-Vieux (Colmyr) and Doussard, on Lake Bourget in Aix-les-Bains, and in the Bauges in Lescheraines.
- Empty grey water and cassette toilets only at service stations – water protection is a particularly sensitive issue at the lakes and in the natural parks.
- Tap water in Savoy is drinking water; do not drink from fountains marked “eau non potable”.
- Gas: French exchange cylinders (butane/propane) are available at supermarkets and filling stations; foreign cylinders are not exchanged. LPG pumps for filling refillable tanks (Dish/Euronozzle adapter) are few and far between – arrive with full cylinders.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes and car-and-caravan combinations up to 3.5 t as for cars (130/110/80, 90 where signposted, 50 in built-up areas; in rain 110/100/80). Motorhomes over 3.5 t: motorway 110, dual carriageway 100, otherwise 80; combinations over 3.5 t: 90 on motorways and dual carriageways, otherwise 80. Over 3.5 t, a speed-limit disc on the rear and blind-spot stickers (“angles morts”) are mandatory.
- Low-emission zones: Grand Annecy and the Aix-les-Bains–Chambéry–Montmélian corridor have ZFEs; the Crit’Air sticker also applies to foreign vehicles and can be ordered only via certificat-air.gouv.fr. Currently unclassified vehicles are excluded there, and further stages have been decided in Annecy – check with Grand Annecy or Métropole Savoie before you travel.
- Tolls: the A41 Annecy–Chambéry and the A43 are toll roads. Class 2 applies to vehicles over 2 m and under 3 m in height up to 3.5 t, Class 3 to two-axle vehicles 3 m or more in height or over 3.5 t, Class 4 to vehicles with three or more axles over 3.5 t or 3 m or more in height.
- Mountain roads: the Forclaz, Leschaux, Plainpalais, Granier and Cucheron are closed in snow or require winter equipment; in Savoie, Haute-Savoie and Isère many municipalities require you to carry winter tyres or chains during the winter half of the year – follow the signs.
- A high-visibility vest for the driver and a warning triangle are mandatory; the blood-alcohol limit is 0.5, mobile phones at the wheel only with a permanently installed hands-free system, no headsets or earphones.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Bikes and a rear rack – in summer, the car-free cycle path on the west shore of Lake Annecy replaces any hunt for a parking space in town.
- Crit’Air sticker, ordered in good time before the trip, for the ZFEs of Annecy and Chambéry/Aix.
- Levelling ramps – pitches such as those in Le Châtelard or on the slope of the Semnoz are uneven, but ramps belong only on campsites and aires.
- Water shoes and a neoprene top for the cool early mornings in Lake Annecy and the stony entry points on Lake Bourget.
- Cool bag for raw-milk cheese from the Bauges and the Chartreuse – Tome, Reblochon and Beaufort do not last long in a warm camper.
- 1:25,000 hiking map for the Bauges and the Chartreuse, as trails in the limestone massifs are often sparsely waymarked.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
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