What they're all about
Steve and Kate have converted many incredible campervans over the last 14 years and have travelled all over Europe from Inverness to Cappadocia. They've also spent the last 6 ski seasons in their campervan, touring the Alps and following the snow!
Their first campervan certainly wasn't 'winterised' as they know the term these days, but they had a lot of fun wild camping in sub zero temperatures and learned a lot of hard lessons! They are now pros when it comes to extreme Winter travel, but where did it all start? Here's the story of their first winter vanlife adventure...
Day 1 of our Campervan ski trip
The first stop was Meribel in the Three Valleys. We didn’t have any idea about campervan parking in winter so used the Park4Night app to find a small car park. We weren’t planning on staying long and it was right by the lift so was perfect for us!
Our first conversion mistake became obvious within 5 minutes. There was a freezing draft coming from the back doors and the windows felt like blocks of ice! The solution we came up with was to drape a15 tog duvet across the back. It was only a temporary fix to last this trip but it actually worked really well.
Before we set off, Kate prepped a lot of one pot meals and stuffed the fridge full of them in tupperware tubs. This was probably one of our best campervan ideas we’ve ever had. After a very long drive and some first night wild camping nerves, the last thing we wanted to do was start cooking a meal. Being able to chuck a pot of stew on the hob and be eating within 10 minutes was such a relief! It's stuck & we now do this for every campervan skiing trip we go on.
The first day on the slopes
The next day was probably the most nerve wracking part for me. Kate had only had two skiing lessons before committing to a 6 week campervan skiing trip. What if she hated it? Would we have to turn around and go home? It didn’t help that Kate face planted into a pile of snow on the first run either! Thankfully a rest and a couple of Jagermeisters later she was back and raring to go.
After a long and tiring day, we followed the rest of the skiiers to the apres ski bars. Like a lot of things on this trip, we probably overdid it a bit! So much so, we spent half an hour on the ski bus home before we realised we were going the wrong way! We had to jump off in the middle of nowhere with all our ski gear and hike back. It was late, we were lost on a random mountain road, there was no phone signal and the temperature was dropping fast. Walking downhill is ski boots is not easy at the best of times either!
Luckily we reached civilisation and we were able to call a taxi but it was a sobering lesson. Having one too many vin chauds on your first day in a new place is a silly idea. It’s even worse when its minus 10 outside and you’ve only got a vague idea where you parked your house!
'Ski-in-ski-out' campervan ski parking in Les Menuires
The next morning we moved from Meribel to Les Menuires and stayed in the Aire de Camping Car just 20m from the slopes. If you’re not familiar with the term, an Aire de Camping Car is a serviced car park built for motorhomes. Some are very basic while others have fresh water, toilets, electric hookup and a place to dump your waste. There are Aire de Camping Cars all over France (not to be confused with Aire de Services which are motorway services). Lots are closed in winter however so if you’re on a campervan ski or snowboard trip then you’ll need to check which ones are open. The Aire at Les Menuires is decent and it only cost us €11 per night plus a bit more for the electric tokens.
There are a few ‘ski-in ski-out’ Aires dotted around (La Plagne and Montgenevre are other good ones). This was our first experience and at the time, it felt like we’d hit the jackpot. Until our water tank froze and we were stuck with no water in the middle of the night! There is a tap on site but it wasn’t working and there are no restaurants or shops open. We did what we felt Robert Falcon Scott would have done on a campervan skiing trip. Ate snow. There had been a fresh snowfall the night before and we avoided the yellow stuff but it’s not an experience I want to repeat!
I learnt a valuable lesson from this experience. Running out of water is an inconvenience in summer but a nightmare in winter! To avoid this happening again we now keep all water tanks inside the van, insulate the pipes and have a separate backup drinking water supply.
LPG vs. diesel heating on a campervan ski trip
It’s pretty obvious that to stay warm on a campervan ski or snowboard trip you’ll need a good quality, reliable heater. During the campervan conversion process I scoured the market for something that fit the bill. After a lot of research I ended up installing a Propex HS2000 which runs on gas (LPG) taken from the underslung tank. The Propex is a great bit of kit but we had two big issues with this setup. The first was totally our fault and was fixable. We didn’t realise that in Europe they have different gas connectors and you cannot simply plug into the LPG pump if you’ve got a UK inlet valve and a European pump. The solution is these little brass adaptors but at the time, we didn’t have any with us and nowhere to buy one.
The second issue, and it is a much bigger one, is that refilling the tank with LPG in the Alps is extremely difficult. There are a handful of filling stations that sell LPG and you can use the mylpg.eu app to find them but they are usually miles away from the ski resort and at the bottom of the mountain. Austria is even worse than France for LPG stations.
A cold night and a harsh lesson
We were forced to move on from Les Menuires when the gas started getting low. The Super U petrol station in Bourg St Maurice sold LPG so after a long day on the slopes we headed down to refill. This was when we realised we needed an adaptor! Only we didn’t have one and neither did the filling station. We tried one other place and it was the same story. After cursing our tiny gas tank and my own stupidity, we used the last of the gas to make tea and fill hot water bottles and settled in for a long night. It wasn’t as bad as we thought it would be. The hot water bottles helps and we were at relatively low altitude but it was still very cold!
Chamonix came to the rescue the the next day and we found a petrol station that sold coffee as well as an LPG adaptor. Some cold hard maths did help us realise the obvious however. If we can only get 3-4 nights of gas with a 12 litre tank, we would a 40-50 litres tank to make the refilling process bearable. It might work in a big motorhome but it’s not a realistic option in a small campervan where space and weight are limited.
After this trip we swapped the gas heater to an Eberspacher diesel heater. It was expensive lesson but it enables us to run 24/7 heating off the main fuel tank for the van without stress, hassle or needing to ration warmth! In our current campervan we went one step further and now have full electric cooking (via an induction hob and air fryer) so have been able to dump the gas completely, this is an absolute gamechanger.
Campervan ski parking in Chamonix and Morzine
We had a few days in Chamonix with mixed feelings. The skiing was great but tricky for Kate who was a beginner at the time. It’s also not an ideal spot for a campervan unless you’re happy stealth camping in town. We stayed at the campsite and got the ski bus in, a bit of a mission especially with the hike up the hill to the lift. (If anyone knows any good park ups in Chamonix valley please let me know!).
We moved on to Morzine (Portes du Soleil) and fell in love, what a brilliant town and ski resort! Parking for a campervan isn’t ideal as the main resort car parks are underground and they’ve started putting height restrictions in the outdoors car parks. There is a good (but expensive) Aire in Morzine and some good wild camping spots nearer Chatel however.
A cog train to the top of Europe
Moving onto Switzerland and we splashed out on a couple of nights stay at Camping Jungfrau near Lauterbrunnen. It’s a stunning place situated by a huge waterfall in the shadow of the Eiger. Possibly the prettiest campsite I’ve ever seen and a big step up in luxury after wild camping! It requires a 30 minute train to the slopes but the journey is part of the fun.
The old cog train feels like something out of Harry Potter, winding its way up the side of the mountain to the car free resorts of Wengen and Grindelwald. Almost as much fun going up as it is coming down again! Apparently the Lauterbrunnen valley is a hot spot for BASE jumpers and paragliders in summer. One for the summer list maybe!
Campervan ski parking in Austria
In France and Switzerland, wild camping is mostly legal everywhere subject to a few local restrictions and grey areas. In national parks for example, it’s up to the local authority to set the rules. You’ll also find some public car parks in ski resorts have height restrictions or no camping signs. It’s worth doing your homework beforehand but as long as you’re respectful then you shouldn’t have any problems.
Austria does NOT permit wild camping and if you’re caught you could end up with a fine (€40 per person inside the van). It varies by region and many places tolerate it however, so it’s a bit of a grey area! If you do decide to wild camp then at least try and be stealthy. Remember to always be respectful of your surroundings, look out for road signs, arrive late (after 7pm), leave early (before 9am), and don’t do anything stupid like start a fire!
Campervan ski parking in St Anton and Lech
St Anton was on the bucket list of places to visit. Apart from the Austrian techno music (not our cup of tea!) it didn’t disappoint. We’ve been back every year since and if we were staying in a hotel in the area, we’d definitely look for somewhere central. Campervan parking in St Anton isn’t easy however. There are a couple of awkward places if you’re only there for one night. Otherwise you’ll need to go to one of the campsites which are out of town and expensive.
The one in Pettneu was way out of our price range (€80 per night!). For that price you do get a private bathroom next to your pitch and access to the spa next door. I’m not sure that counts as camping personally! If you’re after a bit of luxury though, Camping Arlberg is your place. There is a cheaper option however. Alpen Camping is just up the road in Klosterle so if you’re only looking for somewhere to recharge and refill that might be better.
We ended up in a big car park in Lech which charges for overnight parking. It’s normally €10 for 24 hours but it’s free with a valid lift pass. Lech is a lot quieter than St Anton but the snow tends to be better (it’s one of the snowiest places in the Alps). There’s a few good bars and the park up is only 50m from the ski lift too. Winner!
Meeting some Winter Vanlifers
When we first set off, we felt like we had invented campervan skiing and knew it all. It didn’t take long before we had to eat a dose of humble snow pie however. We made a lot of mistakes in the van conversion process and a few more on the first few days of the trip. Towards the end however, we hadn’t done anything stupid for a while and the skiing was getting much better. We at least felt we had now descended from Mount Stupid! Then we met Lizzie and Laurie (and their best furry pals), a lovely couple of experienced winter vanlifers and realised how much we still didn’t know.
We arranged to meet in Mayrhofen after chatting on Instagram (@greysky.build) and they put us onto a great camping spot in Mayrhofen. It’s a small private car park with electricity, a toilet and shower block for €7 per night. Result!
Vanlifers Getting shown up by the Campervan ski pros
Lizzie and Laurie had Tyrol superski season passes which includes dozens of resorts in the Tyrol area on one lift pass. Definitely better idea than driving the length of the Alps buying day passes like we’d been doing! They also had a cool T4 van with loads of proper winterised features. They were both excellent snowboarders and were also pretty handy at the Nail Game. So when Laurie asked me if I wanted to do some off-piste skiing off the side of a black run, I of course said yes. I got stuck in deep snow within 30 seconds. After clawing my way out I realised was massively out of my depth. I took another tumble, gave up and slid on my bum back down the valley of despair. Yet that didn't deter them from being firm friends & we're glad to still see them most years!
Lesson learnt from our first Campervan ski trip
We’ve now done another four ski seasons and can even win the odd Nails game. I’m amazed at much we learnt on our first campervan ski holiday however! If you have a winterised campervan and don’t make the same mistakes we did then spending a winter ski season in a campervan is a lot easier than it looks. Here’s my top ten tips if you’re thinking of taking your campervan on a ski trip this year:
- Make sure you've always got enough drinking water. Beer doesn't count
- Prepare a meal or two in advance. The first couple of days are tiring enough
- Book a campsite on the first night. It helps you get used to the campervan in a safe place
- Check which Aires are open in winter and have a backup option in case it's full
- If you're wild camping then research the area and understand the restrictions
- If you get to choose, always go for a van with a diesel heater over LPG or electric
- Keep an eye on battery power as it will run down in winter, even with solar
- Don't risk getting locked out. Carry a spare key in your bag or give it to your partner
- Buy Merino wool thermals. They stop you smelling, it's like a shower in fabric form
- Always remember where you parked the van and don't get too drunk!
Winter Campervan ski route
Over the course of 6weeks we visited 16 ski resorts in the Alps across France, Switzerland and Austria. We stopped in a couple of campsites and Aires but we were mostly wild camping. If you’re interested in winter campervan parking spots please get in touch, I have a google maps list that I can share for Roamer community members. All our favourite wild camping spots and Aires have been marked, all I ask in return is that you add any new places you find and update old ones.
