Summer Abroad Camp List: Eastern France
7 summer camps on the Eastern French border
Imagine crisp alpine air at 7am. A warm baguette from the village boulangerie. A glacial lake so clear it looks edited. And your kids disappearing into the mountains every afternoon for an experience they will genuinely never forget.
The French Alps are like a fairytale. The scale of the landscape slows your nervous system down whether you want it to or not. The mornings feel longer. The food tastes better. And you stop trying to optimize the day and just live inside it.
For families who love nature, movement, and a quiet that actually restores you, this is the setting you’ve been looking for.
The logistics take a little planning (mountain roads mean a car is non-negotiable) but the tradeoff is a summer that feels nothing like ordinary life.
Logistics: Getting There & Staying There
Ease of Getting There:
Flights: Fly into Geneva Airport (GVA). Direct flights from the US East Coast are common and highly efficient. From the West Coast expect 1 stop in major hubs like London, Paris, or Frankfurt.
The Commute: Most camps are about a 1-hour drive from GVA.
Getting Around: Stroller vs. Scooter Realism
The Stroller: Leave the heavy luxury stroller at home. You need a durable, compact travel model with all-terrain wheels to handle steep inclines, cobblestones, and gravel paths. For actual trail hikes or navigating resort stairs, a premium hiking baby carrier is completely non-negotiable.
Kid Scooters: Pack them conditionally. Paved, pedestrianized resort loops in towns like Morzine, Avoriaz, and central Chamonix are a major win for quick scooter navigation. Skip them entirely if your home base is a rustic chalet on unpaved roads.
Is a Car Necessary?
The Reality: Yes, absolutely. While Chamonix offers a free valley train, commuting is impossible without your own car.
Rent Early: Sourcing an automatic rental requires booking months in advance out of the French side of Geneva Airport.
ZTL and Parking Passes: Many historic or pedestrianized alpine villages tightly restrict vehicle access via camera-enforced Zones à Trafico Limitato or automated bollards.
Housing:
Chamonix & Megève Rent: A central 2-bedroom chalet or modern apartment ranges from $5,500–$12,00/month in July.
Morzine Rent: Alpine chalets in Morzine average $3,500–$9,000/month for July.
The “American Reality” Check:
Air Conditioning: Stand-alone A/C is incredibly rare in the French Alps.
Laundry: Standalone clothes dryers are virtually non-existent in French rentals.
The Weather: What to Expect in July
The Temperature: Intensely variable. Valley floors like the center of Chamonix can hover between 78°F and 88°F during the day, feeling hot under the direct alpine sun. However, the moment you ascend a cable car or hit a high trail, temperatures can instantly drop into the 50s or 60s.
The Evening Vibe: The alpine air crisp-ups the moment the sun dips behind the peaks around 7:30 p.m. You will definitely need a light jacket or a sweater after 8:00 p.m.
The Eastern French Food Scene & Typical Schedule
What to Eat:
La Tartiflette / Fondue: A comforting alpine staple of sliced potatoes, lardons, and melted Reblochon cheese. It is heavy, rich, and the ultimate kid-approved reward after a day of climbing mountains.
Fresh Baguettes & Local Comté: Sourced daily from the village boulangerie and fromagerie. Pairing a raw-milk cheese with a warm crusty loaf is the simplest, cheapest, and most authentic way to handle family picnic lunches.
Tarte aux Myrtilles: Traditional wild mountain blueberry tart found in every bakery across the Haute-Savoie. It’s sweet, slightly tart, and non-negotiable after a long hike.
Savoie Charcuterie: Cured mountain hams and dry sausages (saucisson sec) seasoned with local herbs, perfect for packing into camp backpacks.
Typical Eating Schedule:
Lunch: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Le Goûter: 4:30 p.m. The essential French afternoon snack. Crepes, fresh fruit, or a pastry to fuel the kids before a later dinner.
Dinner: 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Things to Do With Kids
Step Into the Void / Aiguille du Midi (Chamonix): Take Europe’s highest vertical ascent cable car up to 12,605 feet. Kids will be completely awestruck stepping into a five-sided glass cage suspended over a 1,000-meter drop.
Mer de Glace & The Red Train (Chamonix): Ride the vintage red cogwheel train up to France’s largest glacier, then descend into a massive, hand-carved ice cave complete with glowing ice sculptures.
Lake Annecy Beach Day (Annecy): Spend a sunny afternoon renting paddleboards or electric boats on Europe’s cleanest lake. Head to Plage d’Angon for shaded grassy lawns and safe, shallow lake swimming for young kids.
Les Gets Splash & Adventure Park (Morzine Valley): Take the kids to a massive, floating inflatable obstacle course right on the lake, surrounded by alpine forest.
The Alpine Coaster / Luge (Chamonix/La Clusaz): Ride a thrilling, kid-controlled mountain toboggan on rails that twists down the ski slopes through sharp turns and drops.
Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc Tramway: Board the highest rack railway train in France to climb past waterfalls and dense alpine woods to the glacier fields.
Things to Do Without Kids
Wine Tasting in the Savoie Valley: Take a morning drive down the mountain passes into the vineyards of Chambéry or Cruet to taste crisp, high-altitude white wines like Jacquère and Altesse directly from local producers.
Thermal Spa Day at QC Terme (Chamonix): Spend a quiet afternoon soaking in heated outdoor infinity pools facing the snow-capped massif of Mont Blanc, complete with therapeutic steam rooms and zero noise.
Dinner at a Michelin-Starred Alpine Lodge: Book a milestone, adults-only table at an estate for a unique and once in a lifetime type of meal.
Twilight Canyoning: Suit up for a guided evening descent down local mountain waterfalls and narrow stone gorges, ending with an unhurried bistro dinner in the village.
Local Support
Sitly: Available in Eastern France for sourcing local, bilingual student sitters.
Baby-Sitting Chamonix / Alpine Childcare: Regional agencies providing vetted, English-speaking childcare options across the Chamonix and Morzine valleys.
Average Rates: Expect to pay ~€25/hour. Childcare is more expensive here, reflecting high local seasonal wages.
The Eastern France Summer Camp List
7 fun French summer camps for kids 3-17!