Day 21: From Ski Slopes to Summer Trails, Tackling Alpine Switchbacks & WWII History with Tiley and Frankie 🐾 Standard Blog Post
Date: Sunday, 23rd August 2026
Location: Bourg Saint-Maurice, France 🇫🇷
If you’ve been following our European adventure on www.touringideas.co.uk with our four-legged co-pilots, Tiley and Frankie, you’ll know we aren't ones to shy away from a big drive! But today? Today was the ultimate test of nerves, driving skills, and passenger-side grab-handles.
Usually, we rock up to Bourg Saint-Maurice in the dead of winter—festive lights twinkling, snow on the ground, skis strapped on, and arriving in the dark. Today was completely different. We arrived in glorious daylight to see what this winter paradise looks like in the summer sun! Getting here, however, was a whole story in itself...
The Route We Almost Chickened Out On 🚐💨
When Steven was mapping things out yesterday, he spotted a route on the map that made him sweat a little. His exact initial thought? "I'm staying far away from that!" He almost plotted an extra 50+ miles around Geneva just to avoid it.
Thankfully, we took the leap! We rolled through Milan, Turin, and past spectacular mountain-perched castle ruins. We navigated a wild series of Italian motorways and zoomed through about 20 miles of tunnels (seriously, how do they build these things without constant roadworks like the Saltash Tunnel back home?!).
Then came the moment our SatNav threw a total wobbler. After taking us off the motorway, taking us in a circle, and adding a bonus 5-mile detour, we trusted our gut, turned around, and hit what has got to be one of the best and most terrifying driving routes in Europe.
100+ Hairpin Bends & No Guardrails 🏔️😱
We’re talking extreme switchbacks, zig-zag turns, and driving right back on yourself. We easily cleared 100 tight hairpin bends winding up and down the mountain! Luckily, a massive motorhome in front of us set a nice, steady pace, saving us from feeling guilty about holding up local traffic.
At the summit, sitting at a breathtaking 2,109 meters near Col du Petit Saint-Bernard on the French-Italian border, we pulled over for a breather.
And what an unexpected history lesson we found! Right at the border stood a WWII fortification. We read a deeply moving letter displayed outside from a soldier who froze and starved at his post. Standing outside those locked metal doors, seeing the old ventilation tubes poking through the rock, was a truly humbling and surreal reminder of the past.
Naturally, Suzanne couldn't resist picking up a souvenir magnet and sticker at the top before the big drop down! 🧲📌
The 18-Mile Drop & Clay-Coated Canines 🐶💩
Coming down into the valley was a sight to behold. From 18 miles out, we could look down and spot Bourg Saint-Maurice nestled at the bottom, along with Les Arcs looking totally transformed without its winter blanket.
Steven’s driving tip: Attachment strings are vital if you're suction-cupping a camera to the windscreen on a steep, bumpy descent!
Suzanne’s driving tip: Try not to look down when there is a sheer drop and zero guardrails! 🙈
Once we successfully landed in town, we scored a brilliant free parking spot right at the Funicular station car park.
We set up camp in five minutes flat, popped open a well-deserved beer, and took Tiley and Frankie for a quick stroll down to the river.
Usually, this river is a raging torrent in spring, but today it was a bit calmer... and packed with thick, sticky clay! Frankie and Tiley threw themselves straight into the rapid spots, going full-steam ahead, and emerged looking black as the ace of spades!
Luckily, on our walk back, we stumbled upon a brilliant manual pump water hydrant. Spin the wheel like a dynamo, pump the freezing water, and voilà, two clean dogs once again!
Chips, Breads, and Free Mountain Lifts 🍟🚠
We capped off an eventful Day 21 with a huge Caesar salad, a bowl of chips (which we promised we wouldn't order, but did anyway!), and some fresh bread. The girls even scored a few stray chips and sausage bites, which means we’re listening to plenty of happy dog-naps tonight!
Tomorrow is set to be a proper mountain rest-and-hike day. Word on the street is that the Funicular railway is 100% free in the summer! So we’re packing the rucksack, grabbing our jumpers, and taking the dogs right up into the hills for a full day in the fresh Alpine air.
No long drives, no hairpin bends, just hiking, drone shots, and mountain views.
Over and out for Day 21! 🌙✨
Steven & Suzanne (plus Tiley & Frankie)
#TouringIdeas #VanLifeUK #DogFriendlyTravel #TravelWithDogs #EuropeanRoadTrip #BourgSaintMaurice#FrenchAlps #LesArcs #MotorhomeAdventures #AlpineDrive #PetitSaintBernard #OverlandEurope
Meta Title: Motorhoming Alps: Bourg Saint-Maurice & Col du Petit Saint-Bernard Trip
Meta Description: Join Steven, Suzanne, and their dogs Tiley and Frankie as they tackle 100+ Alpine switchbacks, explore WWII history, and land in Bourg Saint-Maurice!
Keywords: Touring Ideas, Vanlife Europe, Touring with dogs, Bourg Saint-Maurice summer, Col du Petit Saint-Bernard, French Alps motorhome, Les Arcs summer.
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