Camping and Caravanning in France
France is a veritable paradise for camping, caravanning and camper van sites, and permanent mobile home residential parks.
Annual guides include the Michelin Guide Camping-Caravaning and the Motor Presse France annual Guide Officiel Camping Caravaning. The latter claims to publish the complete list of all camping sites (terrains aménagés) with utility services, restaurants, etc (nearly 9,000), over 1,000 parking areas (aires naturelles) for campers and caravanners, and all the 900 farmland addresses. The enormous Agde purpose-built holiday complex, with leisure activities to suit all tastes, has 25 camp sites alone. Terrains aménagés are open from Easter to September with coastal sites usually operating a shorter season.
If you haven't booked anywhere beforehand you should be aware that stopping overnight in a car, caravan, or camper van on the roadside, beaches and conservation areas is strictly forbidden. You can, however, camp in an authorised public wood or forest (forêt domaniale) if you belong to a camping federation or can show that you have public liability insurance, preferably written in French, covering you for forest fires. There may be temporary départemenale restrictions overriding usual permits. Camping sites, like hotels, are graded on a star system and although the NF Norme Française label is not mandatory it is gradually being introduced into tourist services as an additional sign of quality and reliability.
While Britons are the largest foreign tourist group in France, the Germans, Belgians and Dutch are the largest groups of foreign campers. Crossing-the-channel costs obviously come into play. Interestingly, Britons possess more caravans than the French, who, in turn, have more camper vans. For British residents in France who like weekend touring and independence a camper van purchase is worth considering. Camper van parking areas with utility services only cost around 10€ a night for a vehicle. Prices for well-equipped secondhand vehicles in good condition with under 100,000 kms, accommodating three to four people, start around 25,000€.
Major exibitions are the Paris, Le Bourget, show at the end of September (details in English on www.salon-vehicules-loisirs.com) and the Lyon Eurexpo show, Salon Européén du Véhicule de Loisirs, in mid-October. Both these exhibitions have stands showing the latest mobile homes. Buying or renting a mobile home on a camping site are alternative holiday possibilities.
