Cliff camping in Alpe d'Huez: Few overnight locations can compete with sleeping suspended under the stars.
New this summer in Alpe d'Huez is the “Nuit en Paroi”, the chance to spend a night sleeping on a portaledge, 70 metres above ground. With the majestic Oisans massifs as your backdrop you can enjoy the sunset, admire the starry night sky and wake up to the sun rising over the mountains.
Overnight Cave Adventure: Saint-Marcellin might be best known for its creamy, melt-in-the-mouth cheese but it's also where you can take part in one of Isère's most exciting overnight stays. A sunset hike leads you to the mouth of a cave where you will follow an underground trail to base camp. There, enjoy dinner surrounded by other worldly sculpted columns, stalagmites and bacterial stars sparkling on the rock face before bedding down for the night.
La Tour de la Dame Blanche: Step back in time with a stay in the Tower of the White Lady, a medieval castle renovated entirely using period techniques. This unique home sits in a private garden with a summer kitchen, wood-fired oven and outdoor solar-powered shower. Enjoy long summer evenings under the stars or around the campfire. The owner is marine biologist and passionate environmentalist, Emilie Dumont-Dayot, who can also organise basket weaving workshops and donkey rides.
La Ferme de Jonan: Bringing a touch of Scandinavia to Isère is this convivial chambre d'hôtes in Saint Honoré. New for this summer season are two gîte designed and created by owner Frédéric, who works as a carpenter when not teaching on the ski slopes. The Tabor cottage sleeps four people and the Coiro cottage sleeps five. Both overlook the garden and the three resident donkeys, and both have received top ratings by Gîtes de France. If you don't fancy cooking yourself, Frédéric is happy to whip up Matheysine specialties and even produces his own honey, which you can enjoy in the morning.
La Maison d'Arlette: If you're considering following the Tour de France when it whizzes through Voiron then La Maison d'Arlette is the perfect place to stay. New this year, the elegant guesthouse has five tastefully decorated rooms in the heart of the countryside. Bikes not your thing? Voiron is also world-renowned as the home of Chartreuse liqueur and the Bonnat chocolate factory, that's been creating sweet treats since 1884.
Le Balcon de Belledonne: Could this be the most unusual place to stay in the mountains? This eco-friendly futuristic pod was designed by Swiss architect Pascal Häusermann and the French-Swiss architect Claude Costy, known as the «Queen of Bubbles». Constructed in 1966, the Le Balcon de Belledonne was originally used as a wellness and leisure space until it was transformed into a unique holiday home. The structure, the only one built by Hausermann-Costy in the Isère department, sits at 1,200 metres with stunning views of the Belledonne mountains and the northern Alps. Stays open from April 28th and rates go towards the preservation and restoration of this futuristic pod. balcondebelledonne.com
Camping Valbonheur: Perched at the gates of the Parc National des Écrins, Camping Valbonheur offers a serene three-star escape from April to September amid breathtaking alpine scenery. Perfect for hikers, cyclists and families, this eco-friendly haven provides spacious pitches, comfortable rentals and guided activities that immerse guests in nature's rhythm. It's an ideal launchpad for trails, stargazing and local discoveries, blending tranquillity with authentic mountain wellbeing
Camping du Buisson: Tucked in the shadows of Chartreuse and Vercors massifs, Camping du Buisson welcomes adventurers to its 48 intimate pitches focused on sustainability and harmony with the wild. The site is ideal for trail runners, nature lovers and those looking for some R&R, with easy access to lakes, peaks and cultural gems.
