Camping holidays in France using your own tent and equipment

Well why not? Apart from the sheer enjoyment of a holiday like this it is also probably the least expensive couple of weeks abroad that you are ever likely to have, though you do need some form of transport to get you/your party and all the gear safely to your designated first night stop, and onwards from there of course.

One of the beauties of camping holidays in France with your own tent and gear is that you can virtually up sticks and move on at will. This is no package holiday which binds you to a one, two or even three centres with all the associated costs that are added on by tour operators for using their equipment/mobile homes etc when you have a multi centre hol.

This way you have complete freedom of movement from the off, and if you are like my wife who literally lives from day to day you don't even have to plan where you are going to until you exit the ferry at the French port.

So, how do you know which campsites take parties with their own gear, and do you need to book beforehand or can you simply drive up to the gate and ask for a pitch?

We look at the UK version of CampingFrance.com which states that they list about 11,000 sites in France, something which we would dearly like to do but which is unlikely at my age - I (the editor) have more pressing things to do in the little time left to me on this planet. However, this site is an authority on camp sites and you are bound to find what you want there.

Should you book beforehand? Well yes and no. We recommend that simply for peace of mind you book your first night before you leave the UK, and after that it depends entirely on the time of year as to how busy individual sites become.

Because the French as a nation are obsessed with camping, whether it be for just a weekend or a full blown holiday, you need to be aware of when their public and school holidays are - and we have very thoughtfully put these at the bottom of the page for you in case your hols coincide with those in France. If so, then you need to book yours before you leave home to be on the safe side.

Even if you are seasoned travellers and are used to camping in France with your own tent, please take a few minutes to sift through our General section which has pages for such diverse topics as a comprehensive look at the driving laws in France, how to make holiday savings, sunburn treatment, a driving in France checklist, climates in France etc etc.

We sincerely hope you have found this page useful and wish you a very happy holiday!

Business holidays during the camping holiday season

Most offices, businesses and shops in France close for Public Holidays though the smaller supermarkets in many towns will open for a couple of hours in the morning Bakers will operate a limited morning service as they do on Sundays. Restaurants can be relied upon to respond to the market demand so opening will depend upon place and season.
 
French Public Holidays

Sunday 4 April - Easter (Pâques).
Monday 5 April - Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques).
Saturday 1 May - Labour Day (Fête du Travail)
Saturday 8 May - VE Day - WWII Victory Day (Fête de la Victoire 1945).
Thursday 13 May - Ascension Day (Ascension catholique).
Sunday 23 May - Whit Sunday (Pentecôte).
Monday 24 May - Whit Monday (Lundi de Pentecôte).
Wednesday 14 July - Bastille Day (Fête nationale).
Sunday 15 August - Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Assomption).

2010 school hols
10/04/10 to 26/04/10 - Spring holiday
from 02/07/10 - Summer holiday