Annecy Paysages Festival (July to mid-September) – open-air contemporary art installations across the city, lake, and parks

For the 3 Alpine National Parks:

• Vanoise: only permitted from June to September, near 23 mountain huts

  mandatory reservation + pay a fee (2-3€).

• Écrins: bivouacking is allowed at least one hour's walk away from roads or the park's boundaries and by some mountain huts on popular long-distance hiking trails.

• Mercantour: bivouacking is allowed at least one hour's walk away from roads or the park's boundaries. (_{If you are less than one hour's walk away from the border of the park , you should pitch your tent outside of it...)}

Other sensitive areas:

• Réserve naturelle des Hauts de Chartreuse (Isère, Savoie): no bivouac allowed

• Réserve naturelle des Contamines‑Montjoie (near Chamonix): only in designated spaces and with mandatory reservation

• Réserves Naturelles Nationales du Massif des Aiguilles Rouges (near Chamonix): only in designated spaces and with mandatory reservation

In other specific places, bivouac is also banned. Please always do your research! You are welcome to ask the other French travelers and ambassadors if you struggle to find the info in English.

Tour du Mont Blanc is crowded...!!

Mountain huts guarded / unguarded: https://www.refuges.info/

19-26 July 2026

Northern French Alps: oura.com

+ check with tourism info center for local shuttles