ITALY
Camping Seiser Alm, Fiè allo Scillar, Dolomites
It seems ridiculous to comment on the beauty of the washrooms when you've got a spacious, grassy pitch at the foot of the Seiser Alm in the Dolomites, surrounded by gorgeous Alpine scenery with a cool bathing lake a mere bellyflop away. But if you ever find another mountain campsite where you can request a private bathroom that looks like something out of an Austrian spa, I'll eat my tent flaps. They also have apartments and caravans to rent for those needing more creature comforts than canvas allows.
• Pitches from €10.50 per adult, camping-seiseralm.com
Chalet Val Ferret, Aosta valley
Come out of the Mont Blanc tunnel to Courmayeur and hang a swift left, moving up through Val Ferret, a bucolic broad curve in the land that feels an age away from the closely packed and jagged peaks of the Mont Blanc massif. There is hiking, rock climbing, sitting by the river and picnicking to be done. If you feel like spending the night, the charming Chalet Val Ferret sits almost where the road ends (Val Ferret is a dead end.) Closed in winter, in summer it offers accommodation, a restaurant and picnic tables with the most peaceful Alpine view imaginable.
• B&B doubles from €100, chaletvalferret.com
Rifugio Torre di Pisa, Predazzo, Trentino
At 2,671 metres high, it's not the easiest walk in, but the views really are worth the trek and with the aid of chairlifts you can cut the bulk of the schlep down to about two hours. The hut sits on top of the Cavignon peak with complete 360- degree vistas across the Dolomites. Don't expect luxury – beds are dorms and bathrooms communal and mountain climbers tend to smell quite earthy after a few days up high. But the food is homely and satisfying and if you fancy a taste of mountain life without the commitment of a long trek, it's a good place to start.
• Open until October, half board from £33pp, rifugiotorredipisa.it
Maison Perriere, Saint Vincent, Aosta Valley
The location of this attractive stone house, not very close to anywhere in particular (the nearest town is Saint Vincent which isn't necessarily the first place you think of staying in the Aosta Valley), means you get peace, beauty and that clear stillness that only the mountains can provide. There's a lovely garden with a vegetable patch and wild flowers, so if you don't feel like exploring the villages, castles and churches of Aosta or hiking the valley itself, you really don't need to move to feel refreshed.
• Doubles from €75, perriere.it
B&B da Mariangela, Avio, Trentino
It's a bit of a stretch but Avio – 30 minutes from the northern tip of Lake Garda – can still just about be classified as the Alps if you're looking for their softer side. This B&B is run by Mariangela and Carlo, who renovated an old mill – building a lot of the furniture and fittings themselves – and attempt to live as in as eco-friendly a way as possible, reducing light pollution at night and composting with fervour. There is a creek for fishing and they can supply bikes for cycling along the Adige river – a lot more accessible than most cycling in the Alps. Views from some of the rooms are over the Val d'Adige and at breakfast you feast on homemade cakes and local produce.
• Doubles from €58 B&B, bbdamariangela.com
FRANCE
Gîte Lou Finon, Les Contamines-Montjoie
This simple little self-catering gîte sleeping eight has no bells and whistles but sits right in the heart of the Réserve Naturelle des Contamines Montjoie and almost at the end of the road, which means little through traffic and immense hiking options. The only folks you will see are the ones using the nearby Pontet Leisure Park, which features pretty much every outdoor activity you can think of – lake for swimming and boating, rock climbing, archery, zip wires, tree climbing and tennis. Les Contamines itself is a pretty little town bedecked in flowers in summer, with a couple of good pizzerias. If you've youngsters to entertain, Gîte Lou Finon, with its outdoor picnic table and spacious garden, is perfect.
• From €400 a week, gites-de-france-haute-savoie.com
Le Ferme d'Angèle, Séez
Close enough to Bourg St Maurice to be convenient but far enough away to feel like somewhere the madding crowd have yet to colonise, La Ferme d'Angèle is a delightful 19th-century Savoyarde farmhouse that oozes mountain charm. Lots of stone (and a joyous lack of varnished pine) and balconies dripping with flowers. It is close to the col du Petit San Bernard, which means road cyclists can drop into Italy for coffee and make it back in time for a tartiflette dinner. This being the Alps, you've of course got everything from rafting and hiking close by as well. Rooms are atmospheric, with a separate one-bed mazot (converted outbuilding) for those wanting more privacy. Breakfast outside in the sun is not to be missed.
• Doubles from €180 B&B, ferme-angele.com
La Maison du Guil, Eygliers
This design-led B&B is in a 16th-century farmhouse surrounded by the Écrins massif. The guest rooms are stunning, with vaulted stone walls that open on to a shaded patio. If you fancy a challenge, cols of the Tour de France on your doorstep include the Galibier and Izoard and mountain bikers will be in their element here. The B&B can also match you up with rafting and paragliding guides. Dinners using local produce are also available.
• Doubles from €120 B&B, lamaisonduguil.com
Camping La Ravoire, Annecy
The brilliant thing about camping in Annecy is that you're surrounded by epic mountains but you don't have to hike or camp on any of them – the area around the lake is perfectly flat for pitching a tent or walking without thigh burn. The Annecy to Albertville cycle path runs behind the campsite, so you can pootle off whenever you want and the nearest beach is just a kilometre away. It's not a large site and there are lots of trees for shade, a heated swimming pool and a small bar selling lasagne, pizza and the like. If you want to sample the Alps away from the hordes it's a lovely little spot to go as hard or as easy as you like.
• Pitches for two adults from €25, campinglaravoire.com
L'Ancienne Ecole du Molliet, Sixt-Fer-à-Cheval, Grand Massif
Sixt-Fer-a-Cheval is gorgeous - it sits in a horseshoe of mountains, so you spend your days basically in a stunning Alpine crater. There's the dramatic Cascade du Rouget for the feeling of glacial mist on your face, some incredibly technical rock climbing, and 600km of trails for all levels of hiker and biker. The village even has a microbrewery. L'Ancienne Ecole du Molliet is just that – an old village schoolhouse that has been converted into a self-catering chalet sleeping eight. It's full of atmosphere – big beams, good lighting, lots of granite, wooden floors and a sense of history. There's a garden and a barbecue at your disposal too.
• From €900 a week in summer, chalet-loreade.com
SWITZERLAND
Camping Petit Praz, Arolla
If you've driven here from the UK you probably feel like a bag of rats anyway and then you have to pitch your tent, unload, sort yourself out. But then you look up and catch your breath – boom! Instant uplift. Not only are you standing in Europe's highest campsite (1,950m) so laboured breathing may well be a physical reality but the tiered levels are backed by toppling glaciers, sweeping peaks and that icy bareness only the high Alps can provide. The grassy site is perfect for hardy types who like to camp without too many comforts, but not to the extent that forgetting the milk means a two-hour walk out.
• Pitches for two from €19, camping-arolla.com
Hotel Staz, St Moritz
Perched on the edge of Lake Staz, this petite billet has cosy quarters and a tranquil setting, with wide views of fields, woods and lakes just perfect for swimming. It's only accessible by foot or horse-drawn carriage (order one from the church square in St Moritz) and has the air of a gracefully ageing hunting lodge. Bubbly St Moritz is not far away if you fancy some human interaction, but it might come as something of a culture shock.
• Doubles from €271, lejdastaz.ch
Ollie and Maria's B&B, Gimmelwald
Hanging on vertiginous slopes overlooking the Lauterbrunnen valley in the Bernese Oberland, Gimmelwald is a car-free village with, arguably, the most spectacular terrain of the Swiss Alps on its doorstep. There are no shops, hardly any tourists – just cows, hikers and cheese. The Mountain Hostel is the most famous place for meeting fellow mountain lovers but Ollie and Maria's B&B offers a lovely pine-drenched stay if sharing bunk beds isn't your style. You can catch a cable car up the Schillthorn peak to get closer to the heavens or you can use one to get you to Murren if you're seeking more distraction than the gentle sound of cows munching Alpine grass.
• Doubles from CHF 130 (£85, breakfast extra), gimmelwald.ch
Rapperswil Monastery, Rapperswil
The Alps aren't all about loftiness and drama; if you feel like taking your gaze inward for a bit, this is your place – a Capuchin monastery that welcomes guests of all religions, Rapperswil was established in the early 17th century and offers a complete break from modern life. While staying here you are assigned a brother or sister to guide you through your days and are expected to share in the spiritual exercises and meditations and to engage in the rhythm of the monastic community. The environment lends itself to contemplation, with the old building resting on the soft shores of the Obersee.
• One week full-board fromCHF500 (£327), klosterrapperswil.ch
Aescher Wildkirchli, Weissbad
Sleeping in a cave always sounds like an adventure but it can be kind of freaky. But sleeping in a chocolate box Swiss house in a cave is another matter, especially when that house is a very long way up. Access to Aescher is via the cable car from Wasserauen, and from the drop-off it's a 15 minute ramble through the caves to your accommodation, with sweeping views across the Appenzell landscape. You don't have to stay the night, but it's worth it for breakfast on the terrace followed by a hike back down. Accommodation is dormitory- style with the odd three-bunk room.
• CHF45 (£29) pp including breakfast, aescher-ai.ch
AUSTRIA
Camping Anderwald, Lake Faaker
Only 5km from Slovenia, Camping Anderwald is absolutely brilliant. The site, on the shore of pristine Faaker See, is covered in trees and surrounded by the Karawanks mountains. It's also on the Alpe Adria hiking trail, which runs from Austria via Slovenia to Italy in 43 stages. But if you want to stop off longer than just to soak your feet in the lake, this is a great spot for an extended pit stop. The campsite has its own mountain school offering mountain biking, via ferrata, climbing, hiking, canoeing and even courses on alfresco camp cooking.
• Pitches for two adults from €23, campinganderwald.at
Ufogel, Nussdorf
Talk about a room with a view! Ufogel resembles a giant barrel with one whole side made of glass so you can lie on the cushions ("sofa" is stretching it a bit) and feel like you're floating as you gaze out across Alpine meadows. It's a bit like staying in a giant sculpture, with the pervasive smell of larch wood and uninterrupted views keeping you at one with nature. It's cosily appointed with everything you need to act out your sci-fi isolationist fantasies: shower, stove and even a TV. It's such a novel living space that it's hard to step outside, but you've got the medieval town of Lienz nearby, and lots of mountains to yodel on. This is Tyrol after all.
• €120 a night for two, plus €25 for each additional person (sleeps up to five, minimum three nights), ufogel.at
Zugspitz resort, Obermoos
This is family camping but not as you know it. At the base of the Zugspitz mountain in Tyrol lies a sprawling campsite that caters for every possible family whim – it's like camping Disneyland but without the forced glee. Bathing ponds, swimming pools, go-karting, massages, climbing, kid's club, cycling and wellbeing packages for tired adults. If you're looking for a way of easing your kids into both camping (nice shower blocks) and the Alps (you don't have to walk uphill every day) there's a tent pitch here with your name on it. If you feel like easing them in even more softly, there are apartments or even a hotel. But that's cheating.
• Three nights from €159 for two, zugspitz-resort.at
Pure Life chalets, Graz
Vineyards? In the Alps? Well, yes. The Styria region just 30 minutes south of Graz is an area of beautiful tiered vineyards and orchards, crisscrossing hills and wide horizons. Pure Life owns a series of chalets and houses made mainly from wood and glass, with verandas suspended over the terrain. You have the option to go very posh with a pool, sauna and a private chef, or you can stay slightly simpler, venturing out for prearranged picnics by Vespa or wine tasting afternoons. You won't see snow-capped peaks here but clean air and rejuvenation are pretty much guaranteed.
• B&B doubles from €190 a night puresleben.at
