guide
A caravaneige is a campsite that stays open in winter to welcome caravans and motorhomes close to the ski slopes, with electricity, heated toilet blocks and, ideally, a shuttle to the resort. The word is not an official label: some campsites put it in their name, others offer the same thing without using it. What matters is what the campsite actually does from December to March, and that is what we have verified.
The principle is simple: you arrive with your own accommodation (caravan, motorhome, converted van) and park it on a cleared pitch with an electric hookup, a few minutes from a ski area. The campsite provides water, waste disposal, electricity and, depending on the site, heated toilet blocks, a ski room or a drying room.
The season is short and depends on snowfall. Some sites open all year, others only from early December to the end of March, and others only at weekends and during school holidays. Before booking, always compare the announced dates with the ski lift calendar, and keep in mind that we only report what campsites publish: dates need to be confirmed by phone. For an overview of winter camping, our guide Winter camping, the practical guide covers the basics.
On-board heating runs on gas, sometimes with an electric element as a backup. Two practical rules: check your gas supply more often than in summer, because consumption climbs quickly in severe cold, and protect the water circuits from frost (drain them or keep them warm, depending on your manufacturer’s manual). A thermal cover on the gas bottle and insulating screens for a motorhome windscreen also limit heat loss. If your motorhome spends the winter in the mountains, we detail the settings in Motorhome in winter: laying up or travelling.
This is the question that catches out the most beginners. Butane boils at -0.5 °C: below that temperature it no longer vaporises properly, and the flame weakens while you still have a full bottle. Propane boils at -42.1 °C and stays usable in severe cold. In the mountains, you therefore choose propane, provided that the regulator and appliances in your vehicle are compatible: check this in the manual before you leave.
Clear the roof after a snowfall: accumulated snow adds weight to the vehicle and slides off in one block at the first thaw. As for the road (French rule): in mountain zones marked by signs, vehicles with four or more wheels, motorhomes included, must be fitted with four winter tyres or carry snow chains or snow socks for at least two driven wheels. The period runs from 1 November to 31 March (source: service-public.gouv.fr, page on winter 2025-2026, to be rechecked for the current season). Also check the forecasts and snow cover by mountain range on Météo-France montagne.
Of the 511 campsites we have verified, 221 have confirmed off-season opening, including 57 in the mountains. Among them, 49 mention skiing, a resort or nearby slopes in their description. Here is the breakdown by mountain range, with the resorts these campsites mention.
| Mountain range | Verified mountain campsites | Resorts or ski areas mentioned |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Alps (Haute-Savoie, Savoie, Isère) | 22 | Grand Massif, Grand-Bornand, Chamonix, Megève, La Plagne, Aussois |
| Southern Alps (Hautes-Alpes) | 5 | Les Orres, Risoul, Vars |
| The Pyrenees (Pyrénées-Orientales, Hautes-Pyrénées, Haute-Garonne, Aude) | 19 | Font-Romeu, Saint-Lary, La Mongie, Hautacam, Porté-Puymorens |
| The Vosges | 4 | La Bresse, Xonrupt-Longemer |
| Jura and Bugey | 4 | Source du Doubs, Métabief |
| Massif Central (Lozère) | 2 | Mont Lozère |
All the campsites below are verified open off-season. Distances are those the campsite publishes, to be confirmed before booking. If you want to browse the whole list, the mountain campsites page groups them all.
No caravan? Several verified campsites rent heated accommodation in winter, with skiing within reach. In Passy, Village Mont-Blanc l’Ecureuil rents heated chalets and a tiny house all year, with skiing 15 km away. In La Plagne Tarentaise, Le Bioley includes chalet heating from 3 January to 18 April, right next to the La Plagne ski area. In Chamonix, Les Cîmes offers chalets by the week with winter rates from 1 December to 31 March, and skiing about 4 km away.
If you do not find your mountain range here, the Haute-Savoie and Hautes-Pyrénées pages list the campsites open off-season by département; the other ranges appear in the table above. To understand why most campsites close in winter and how to spot the ones that stay open, read Why campsites close in winter.