Camping in France

[markbikerider]

Hi, We are planning a couple of weeks in Northern France this year. Does anybody know of a definitive guide/book with listings of campsites? I know there are loads of sites listed on the net, but that's just the problem when trying to find one...! Cheers, Mark

[T'Onion]

if you like semi-wild camping the one book worth getting is all the aires one
amazon link


link to a useful site

and another

and again

[markbikerider]

That's very helpful. Many thanks Mr. Onion!

[anaconda]

If its a site rather than an Aire then there is the michelin guide, the Alan Rogers Guide , the ACSI guide plus several others which are available in decent bookshops.

This link will take you to websites and user reviews for hundreds of french sites.Click on the area of France you are interested in then click 'view all on map' link, and away you go. The reviews should cover most things..quality of facilities, whats going on in the area, pitch sizes etc. Its a well used resource and I find it more informative than any of the available books.


http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/count ... ion=France

[Ralf85]

If its a site rather than an Aire then there is the michelin guide, the Alan Rogers Guide , the ACSI guide plus several others which are available in decent bookshops.

This link will take you to websites and user reviews for hundreds of french sites.Click on the area of France you are interested in then click 'view all on map' link, and away you go. The reviews should cover most things..quality of facilities, whats going on in the area, pitch sizes etc. Its a well used resource and I find it more informative than any of the available books.


http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/count ... ion=France

I suggest that you get the michelin and the AA guide to start with. Those should give you the most options that you can handle.


I agree with this. Outside of the touristy coastal sites created for Brits, you will find only a limited number of expensive sites in the North of France. You will see a huge site free gap until you get well away from Paris. That is because the French migrate south and west during the summer where it is warmer etc. You might want to consider driving south or west for a day from the ports. That should increase your options and if you choose carefully substantially cut your camping costs. Bon route!

[Ian Hulley]

If you use France Passion http://www.france-passion.co.uk/index.htm for about £25 you can stay on any number of vineyards etc across France as many as you want for the one-off fee. We use these as stop-offs along the route if travelling a long distance (we stopped on 4 on the way to Italy last year and 2 on the way back) or as points of interest in their own right

This one is a cider farm about an hour south of Paris ..


and this a vineyard in the Ardeche ..


Ian

[Willoughby]

Hiya

Me and the Mrs done two weeks in June last year stayed at some top site. Will dig out some photos.

Im now converted to aires, also done the vineyard thing.

Most the sites in the 'Big' books are Caravan Club style 150+ van sites (not my cup of tea)

I found Cool Camping France had some good sites but the book is not worth shelling out for.
http://www.coolcamping.co.uk/book/cool-camping-france

If ur going to Dubfreeze I will try and remember it.

Top tip download Sat Nav POI for the Airs if you plans change or u get lost then u always have a place to stay.

Some good sites from Memory

Blois aires, The book says to go down to the River but best to stay up top.
http://www.champagne-richardot.com/ Name sort of give it away
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/revie ... revid=8144
http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/revie ... revid=9083 - Nice wee Tabac round the corner with big TV
( France was intresting During the world cup)

Kev

[anaconda]

If its a site rather than an Aire then there is the michelin guide, the Alan Rogers Guide , the ACSI guide plus several others which are available in decent bookshops.

This link will take you to websites and user reviews for hundreds of french sites.Click on the area of France you are interested in then click 'view all on map' link, and away you go. The reviews should cover most things..quality of facilities, whats going on in the area, pitch sizes etc. Its a well used resource and I find it more informative than any of the available books.


http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/sites/count ... ion=France

I suggest that you get the michelin and the AA guide to start with. Those should give you the most options that you can handle.


I agree with this. Outside of the touristy coastal sites created for Brits, you will find only a limited number of expensive sites in the North of France. You will see a huge site free gap until you get well away from Paris. That is because the French migrate south and west during the summer where it is warmer etc. You might want to consider driving south or west for a day from the ports. That should increase your options and if you choose carefully substantially cut your camping costs. Bon route!

I dont think its a question with the written guides of the information being manageable, it is quite the opposite - they dont give you enough information. Its well worth doing the research cos your hol can end up a nightmare. The link ive given (which was also given by somene else later) allows you to chose a specific area , gives detaled reports from actual users and links to the websites of each site you like the look of. Its just a question of manipulating the info. I have about eight campsite books re France and they're all now redundant.

The majority of sites are full peak season, The french hols finish at the end of second week in Aug so they tend to get a bit emptier then. We also have different experiences of site costs. Ive been camping probably 40 times in France and cant say ive noticed any real difference in north v south prices, although as you say lots of different prices with the different styles and types of site.

[anaconda]

Ian H

The Ardeche is one place weve never been to but would love to go. We flew to Nimes and statyed at Camping Du Massereau which is fairly near last year. Everyone says its a really top place, loads of Kayaking, great scenery.

Its a fair old drive though. It'll be our first time over there with the van this summer so im playing it a bit safe (Loire) We'll definitely get down there some time though.

[Ian Hulley]

The F.P. Cote de l'Ardeche vineyard pictured was near Vallon Pont d'Arc, there's loads of no-doubt scandalously priced campsites dotted around the valley and many places that do equally extortionately expensive point to point canoe hire of various distances.




Ian

[anaconda]

Great pics!

Theres such a variety of sites all around France. Generally weve found that the all singing/dancing sites with full on entertainment, ten water slides with a whopping water complex are the most expensive. Its not really what were after, like most on here I suspect. A good quality municipal or mid sized site near a nice town is what we tend to go for.

Where you there in peak season? If so how busy did it get?

[Ian Hulley]

Where you there in peak season? If so how busy did it get?

Peak season, mid August. No-one else there on the vineyard. Plenty of trade bulk customers in the morning though. The river seemed quite low (from what I remember as a kid in June 81) perhaps the 'high season' depends on the river conditions ?

It's about 3 or 4 hour drive from St.Tropez and about 8 hours from Auxerre, including a pleasant lunch of fresh bread and some fine cheese on a services plus the ritual hour crawl through Lyon along the river

Ian

[Ralf85]

The good thing about the Michelin and AA books is that they give you options. Site prices vary dramatically depending on location and services provided. The Michelin one also gives prices for many sites so that you can see how much you are likely to pay. You can also just find 'camping municipal' sites run by local councils that are often very cheap indeed.

Since 1984, my approach to camping in France is to choose a site and go unless it is the middle of August when the most popular sites will be fully booked. If you do not like a site you can just move somewhere else the following day as part of your day out. Easy!

Patrick

[Willoughby]

I dont think its a question with the written guides of the information being manageable, it is quite the opposite - they dont give you enough information. Its well worth doing the research cos your hol can end up a nightmare. The link ive given (which was also given by somene else later) allows you to chose a specific area , gives detaled reports from actual users and links to the websites of each site you like the look of. Its just a question of manipulating the info. I have about eight campsite books re France and they're all now redundant.

Got to agree anaconda, We had never been to France in Willoughby before so we got all the books.
We found in impossible to tell a good site from a junk one using just the books.

From then on in we asked around on site or done a bit of surfing.

If you going off peak you can get some good discounts with the ACSI Camping Card http://www.campingcard.com

Kev

[anaconda]

I dont think its a question with the written guides of the information being manageable, it is quite the opposite - they dont give you enough information. Its well worth doing the research cos your hol can end up a nightmare. The link ive given (which was also given by somene else later) allows you to chose a specific area , gives detaled reports from actual users and links to the websites of each site you like the look of. Its just a question of manipulating the info. I have about eight campsite books re France and they're all now redundant.

Got to agree anaconda, We had never been to France in Willoughby before so we got all the books.
We found in impossible to tell a good site from a junk one using just the books.

From then on in we asked around on site or done a bit of surfing.

If you going off peak you can get some good discounts with the ACSI Camping Card http://www.campingcard.com

Kev

Indeed Willoughby there are good deals to be had off season. Mrs Anaconda works in school so unfortunately its peak only for us.

You'll probably know Camping Cheques is another discount method:

http://order.campingcheque.co.uk/?gclid ... 4QodrBhaIA