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planning your trip

The French love outdoor holidays and so the country is the most camping-friendly in Europe, offering a bewildering range of options to suit all tastes and levels of ambition. Experienced UK campers will find that there are more sites in France (over 11,000), many of which have better facilities than those in the UK, and that local facilities offer much for campers: supermarkets in French holiday areas carry a wider range of camping equipment and accessories than some UK camping shops. Sites are well-signposted, and most towns and some villages have civic-owned sites – Camping Municipals – that offer a basic and inexpensive option. If you’ve never camped in the UK, don’t worry: camping is big business in France so at the other end of the scale will be found large sites with extensive leisure facilities that mean you can spend two weeks there without leaving the campsite. We've put together some advice and information that you might find useful, especially if you are planning your first trip:

Options – there are all kinds of ways to camp in France, from the de-luxe to the adventurous. Check out the choices here

Travel – your journey can be pleasant or painful. Read our advice here

Campsites – it's not always obvious how French campsites work. Get some advance know-how here

Health issues, safety and insurance – sensible stuff here

Don't forget – our before-you-go checklist, download it here:
download the essential checklist (pdf, 11K)

Campsite booking form – in French and ready to use, download it here:
download the campsite booking form (pdf, 35K)

Travel operators – listing of every ferry, rail and air operator serving France from the UK, with links to their websites here

Tourist offices – contact details for every Comité Departmental de Tourisme in France, with links to their websites here