campsite/wild camping suggestions central, eastern france
 

hey folks I'm planning a 3 week trip through France in June. Its not the first time travelling abroad on the bike but it is the first time alone. The vague plan is to heard from Cherbourg down the Atlantic coast then head to Massif Central and then The alpilles and through the Vercors to Lyon or Grenoble to meet with some friends..

i'd really appreciate any ideas about camping in those areas and can you wild camp? I'm on a very tight budget so it's cheap and Cheerful all the way.

cheers

debs

Hi Debs

I go down to the Grenoble area quite often (we have a flat there) and although I normally start from Calais rather than Cherbourg I'll camp rather than use hotels if I have a choice. I've wild camped a few times over the years and not had any problem but tbh there are so many campsites in France that it's hardly worth the effort. Just about any and every town will have a municipal campsite and in June they'll all be open.

I've been using a 2011 Michelin French campsites book to find them as it cost me £1 in a charity shop but there must be an online equivalent. As a rule the smaller the town the cheaper the site - the one in the picture below was at Louhans, a small town about 30 miles south of Dijon and cost me €4. They had water, showers, toilets and shade and that was all I needed.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r...psohbjrmqe.jpg

Hi,
Sounds like a nice trip, but of course it comes with some words of experience. France is a country that loves it's camping, so there are hundreds of campsites everywhere. If you are looking for cheap, then most small villages and towns have what they call ''Camping Municipal''. These are small, ( sometimes big) camping sites with all the basics you need, and are run by the local community or 'Mairie' ( Town Hall).

Wild camping is ''officially'' not allowed in France, and there are very very strict rules about campfires. You can wild camp to a degree ''IF'' you get landowners permission, but this is rare, and you will need to speak to the farmer or whoever ''owns'' the land, not a tenant farmer for example.

Don't worry about finding anything, in the season, May to end September, there are plenty of sites to suit every budget, and facilities are usually very good.

PS don't forget the Horizons Unlimited Communities in France. If you've planned your route and know where you are likely to be, then you can always contact a local community and say your passing through. You may even be able to pitch your tent in someones garden overnight for nothing!.

HI folks

Thanks for the advice. I've been in a few of the municipal sites before so that's probably what I will stick to. Really looking forward to it.. It's kind of a practice run for a much bigger trip !

Cheers

Debs

Another option to Municipal is campinmygarden.com used this twice and have to say my hosts could not do enough worth a look for a traveler on a budget .
Enjoy this and all trips .

If you really would like to, here are 3 tips on how to find a wildcamping spot in Europe.

https://youtu.be/x35gaV2fjjI