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The idea of camping has only undergone a populist revival in the UK over the past five years or so, in France they’ve been lauding the delights of a holiday under canvas for… well, forever. The whole culture in France positively celebrates the concept of camping as a viable option – unlike the UK the rules and regulations about where you can stay are a lot freer, whilst the further south you go the kinder the weather – get packing, get a map, some travel insurance and a good barbeque and head over The Channel for a bit of outdoor living.
Free camping
They love campers in France, so much in fact that they provide free campsites – get that, no charge, no hassle, but also no facilities. But what the hell? Known as ‘Aire de Campin’, these simple sites are a brilliant way to keep costs down on a tour, plus they are quite often located in beautiful little towns, just a stone’s throw from the local pâtisserie.
Beach bum camping
The south west coastline is home to some of Europe’s longest, sandiest beaches – surf the best waves and watch the sun set over the Atlantic horizon. Because of its beach bum attraction the area has developed to cater for all manner of camping client, take your pick from massive corporate parks with onsite entertainment, through to bijous pitches where you can shack up in a yurt or tipi.
Vineyard camping
Over 1000 wine growers and farmers throughout France offer one night of free camping – the perfect solution for a wine cruise of the grape regions. This is a great way to get to the roots of rural France, staying on small farms, getting personal tours of crops and sometimes even the offer of an evening meal, and always, of course, excessive amounts of excellent plonk.
Mountain camping
If you can’t quite bring yourself to crawl into a tent, then your best bet is to head off to the ‘coolest campsite’ in France – quite an accolade and quite rightly awarded. Near Mirepoix, Airstream trailers perch in the foothills of the Pyrénées, with amazing mountain vistas, luscious woodland settings and all manner of luxury amenities, including a relaxation yurt and wood fired hot-tub.
Capital camping
Camping on the outskirts of a major metropolis may not seem like fun, but in the fashion capital of the world camping on the city limits is anything but shabby. For a calmer, cheaper accommodation alternative to the harsh extremities of downtown Paris, the campsite in the northwest suburb of Maisons-Laffitte is just 11 miles from the Eiffel Tower, on an island over looking the slow moving Seine.
This guest post was brought to you by Post Office Travel Insurance.
