I am looking to tour , self-supported through parts of France next year in June and was wondering how secure tents, bikes and gear is in the parks. Hopefully I will be able to meet some hosts on the way but this may not always be possible. I think smaller parks would be nicer rather than the big resort style ones. all opinions gratfully welcomed.
Using camping grounds in France - between hosts
Sun, 2011-08-14 03:24
#1
Unregistered
Using camping grounds in France - between hosts
It was 1999 when I cycled thru france, but back then the SMALL " Aire Natural " and " Camping ala Ferme " ( farm camping ) where basic but wonderful, small villages etc, quiet places by rivers etc. They were very safe, many of them around, and very cheap, back then about 1 or 2 euros a night for single cyclist. I had no guide book but each day I wud just pop into the 1st Tourist Info i found ( normally run by the most beautiful young woman in the village ;-) and asked where the next campings where. I hope its still the same for you.
Warning - on the Atlantic coast there were some awful huge campings for 5000 people etc, with nightclubs, disco,noise,security guards and about 20 euros for a cyclist. Usually i wud just cycle 5 to 10 km inland and find a pefect place for 2 euros.
France is a great place to cycle - great cheese and wine ( cheap in shops ) and bread and people who respect cyclists. Use the quiet " D " backroads. I think the D stands for Delightful,
enjoy ur trip, jim fullwood
Hi Fiona,
In France there are lots of camping sites, most are open from mid June to mid September. I would advise you to go to municipal camping sites as they are always cheaper, between 2 to 7€ for one person and 3 to 10€ for 2 people.
As another member mentionned you should avoid the coasts if you want to avoid the crowd, lots of traffic and high expenses although few French are on holiday in June.
Security in not an issue in most camping sites: in the countryside it is definitely safe I would just lock my bike to a tree and take the luggage into the tent.
When there are no camping sites I just take to the woods and camp wild, I have never had problems but I try to avoid beeing seen.
Another solution would be to go to farms and ask farmers if there is a spot where you can pitch your tent. If you manage to make them understand that you are from Australia they will definitely be very interested and could be very good hosts.
France is definitely The Country for a cyclist: beautiful, varied sceneries, back roads with little traffic, cheap camping site. Of course there are the French that often do not speak any english but you should be able to get by all the same.
If you have any other question about cycling in France don't hesitate to send me an e-mail.
See you,
Etienne
Hi!
If you don't mind I ask in these teme?
Me and my friend going to travel from Marseille to Milan 5-18 of November.
Is there any work campings at this time of year?
If we would camp in wild whether to allow make a fire in the woods?
Hi,
I think that the majority of camping sites will be closed both in France and in Italy at this time of the year but a few might still be open. Open camping sites will probably be expensive, around 20€ for two people. The best thing to do is to contact the local tourist information (office du tourisme) to ask them whether some camping sites are still open. There should always be someone able to answer your e-mails or phone calls in English at the office du tourisme. As far as Marseille is concerned, here is a list of camping sites, you can check whether some are still open:
http://www.marseille-tourisme.com/fr/preparer-votre-sejour/ou-dormir/campings/
No, you cannot make fire in the woods in France and you should remember that lots of forests are destructed every year because of the fire in the south of France so if you start a fire you are in for trouble.
It will be more difficult to camp wild next to the Mediterranean Sea than elsewhere because the population density is quite high. I would advise either to hide to camp wild or to ask farmers. Maybe you can ask a Frenchman to write a note in French asking if you can camp somewhere on their farm. You could then show this note to farmers.
At the following link you will find a list of youth hostels in France and in Italy, il could be a good solution even if it is more expensive than to camp:
http://en.fuaj.org/
http://www.hihostels.com/dba/country-IT.en.htm?lswitch=Y
Enjoy you trip,
Etienne
Hi folks.
I'm travelling through France in April. From Narbonne up to Bordeaux, up to St. Malo. What's the camping like up that way? What are the options I have during that time of year?
Cheers
Your comments on this entire post are remarkably helpful! Thank you!
-Donna
I was searching for the camping in France and ended at this page, glad I have found the information that I need.
Furthermore, I found camping to be quite easy during May 2012. That time, it's not the high season, so there's a lot of space that's closed, but those spaces that are open, plenty of space. You can arrive and grab a spot. Also since nobody around, lots of stealth locations to choose from. From what I saw, they're used to a lot of people, so the odd stealth camper isn't going to rock the boat.