FAMOUS SKI RESORT CLOSES AIRE



NOVEMBER 2021 UPDATE:

Alpe d’Huez, famous for providing motorhome friendly facilities for skiers has provided a new overnight parking spot in the resort – everything you need to know about this, and 5 other fantastic motorhome parking places in the Grand Domaine ski area are here in this article.

Old News – the back-story

It’s been a sad weekend – not in a really important way, just in a bratty first world problems kind of way. Alpe d’Huez has confirmed the closure of it’s aire du camping car and we’re gutted.

As there seems to be some hope that the opportunity to relocate the aire is still on the table, we thought we’d write to the lovely Edouard of the Alpe d’Huez tourist office and let him at least know we’re here and we’d love it if they could find a spot on the mountain for us.

Here’s the message we’ve sent – as soon as we have any response, we’ll let you know. Please do comment with your thoughts below – winter or summer travellers – more the merrier – if we can present lots of valuable arguments in favour of our cause, at least they can make informed decisions about the future of an aire at Alpe d’Huez.


Translation:

Dear Edouard

We are big fans of your resort, having visited many times and we run a successful camping car website for people travelling in winter.

We learned today that the aire de camping car at Alpe d’Huez is to close at the end of this season and that you are as yet, uncertain as to whether you are likely to relocate the aire to another location in resort.

Please can you confirm this so that we can inform the community which might not be aware as we know many people favour Alpe d’Huez for so many reasons.

We realise there are likely to be many commercial reasons for this decision which is understandable but very disappointing for the many people who enjoy the facilities offered in this unique place. We are not writing to try to contest the reasoning – we fully appreciate the complexities of operating a ski area.

We feel that on behalf of the winter motorhome community from the UK, we should however make an argument for a relocated position for the aire, if there is any way at all this is possible. Please!

Skiing French resorts is only accessible to some people because of the opportunities that the aires provide and we know that many families who visit Alpe d’Huez will be extremely sad to read this news. Few resorts offer the family focused approach of Alpe d’Huez and the variety of skiing that suits even the most mixed of ski groups – from total novice, to expert alpinist! You cater for everyone from babies to pensioners!

The resort itself is welcoming to motorhomers – we must at this point highlight the excellent service we have personally had from the Office de Tourism where nothing was too much trouble. There is so much on offer that makes Alpe d’Huez popular for visitors in motorhomes – from the services provided on the aire to the amenities on offer in the resort itself.

And the 21 bends! It’s legendary in motorhoming circles with people travelling to conquer the mighty Tour mountain!

It’s a place where we meet one another from all over the world – a community that returns year after year, summer and winter.

We may not be spending the thousands of euros on fancy hotels but all the money we spend in resort goes to the local people – not to the UK tour operators. From the supermarkets and restaurants to the ski area management operator…

We love Alpe d’Huez and every year you bring us something new to keep us coming back. Please make a space for us somewhere so the hundreds of visitors who bring their motorhomes from the UK each year, can continue to enjoy your beautiful mountain!

Last year we made this video to help motorhome skiers to enjoy Alpe d’Huez:

We hope you can make some space and look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Many thanks

Hannah James and James Tunstall, Winterized.


More from our 2018 motorhome ski trip at Alpe d’Huez:

http://www.winterised.com/item/alpe-dhuez-aire/

Hannah

Gobby, opinionated, professional ski bum. Co-founder of the Winterised Project.

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