VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
Aravis and Beaufortain by motorhome: mountains you have to earn
Col des Aravis, Cormet de Roselend, a turquoise reservoir and cheese villages: two spectacular Savoyard massifs — provided you respect the narrow roads and hairpins.
Some itineraries are given away, others must be earned. The Aravis and the Beaufortain belong to the second category: narrow roads, hairpins, altitude — and at the end, landscapes that flatten everything you saw lower down, with a tenth of Chamonix’s traffic.
The Aravis: La Clusaz, Le Grand-Bornand and the pass
From Annecy, the Thônes valley leads to Le Grand-Bornand and La Clusaz — villages alive year-round, with farmhouse Reblochon sold directly from alpine farms (€9-12 a wheel, and a different universe from the supermarket version). The Col des Aravis (1,486 m) is fine in a motorhome: decent road, and a head-on view of Mont Blanc on the eastern side. Chapel, pastures, marmots: the full picture.
The Beaufortain: Roselend, the showstopper
Past Beaufort (the cheese cooperative welcomes visitors), the climb to the Cormet de Roselend (1,968 m) delivers THE moment of the trip: the Roselend reservoir, milky turquoise between the pastures, with its chapel standing on the bank. Daytime pull-offs allow the photo stop; overnighting at altitude is restricted by local bylaws — aim for the stopovers of Beaufort or Arêches down in the valley.
The right vehicle, the right driving
- Van or converted van under 6.5 m: comfortable everywhere. Semi-integrated: fine if you pick quiet hours. A 7.5 m A-class: keep it for the major engineered passes.
- Engine braking is non-negotiable downhill — the brakes of a 3.5 t vehicle overheat fast. Low gear, steady speed.
- Tight meetings: the climbing vehicle has priority, and a motorhome reverses badly — think ahead in the hairpins.
Practical notes
Passes open June to October (the Cormet closes in winter). Campervan €85-150/day in Annecy. First mountains in a motorhome? Read driving a motorhome for the first time first, then fold these massifs into a full Alps road trip.