Touring France

[david_374410239]

I am a complete newbie to caravaning so I was surprised to learn that in the UK you apparently need to book up to be sure of getting a pitch.

Is it the same in France? Or can you just turn up and stand a chance of getting a pitch?

 

[ValA.]

Hi David and welcome to the world of caravanning.

In France it really does depend on when you go - and what sort of site you want. In peak season (which is generally mid-July to mid-August) then on all-singing, all-dancing type sites in popular areas you will need to book - and on some many months in advance. However, even at this time you should find a pitch on municipal sites (those run by the local Mairie of the town or village) providing you are there reasonably early in the day. You may also be lucky and be able to find a pitch on the bigger sites by just turning up (we've done it even during high season in the past) - but this does depend on someone having vacated a pitch on the day you arrive!

Outside mid-July to mid-August you won't have to book on the majority of sites (though there are still a few very popular ones where booking may still be required)- and on some sites from late August onwards you may find yourselves one of very few occupied pitches.

The season in France tends to be quite short - even though the weather is much better than here. Many sites don't open until mid-May - and close again in mid-September - though again there are exceptions to this, and several sites do open 'all year' - but again best to check that they ARE actually open if you're planning really low season trips.

If you go outside peak season then there are various 'discount' schemes such as Camping Cheque (www.campingcheque.co.uk -

 

[Guest]

David,

Unfortunately your understanding is correct for many sites ion the UK. For better or worse the advent of the Internet and Advance Booking Services has meant that many people now make multiple bookings for sites well in advance. A number then decide not to actually travel and either cancel, or even worse, do not do anything. You will find the C&CC will only accept advance bookings with a deposit and this has meant it is often easier to get on their sites. The CC has not yet seen any necessity to follow suit and it can be 'chokka' on certain sites. Very frustrating for people. You will see a number of threads on the topic on this Forum. You can of course always try telephoning to see if there are cancellations but this often means making a decision at the very last minute, and if the chosen site is still full, it can sometimes be a lottery to ge a pitch for a Saturday night. Many people have taken to using the Certificated sites as means of avoiding these issues.

As Val has mentioned in France it is usually never a problem to find a site unless, you wish the beachside in high season.Fortunately that usually finishes by the middle of August and then you can take your pick. The one potential downside is that far more people in France tend to use motorhomes and as there is a large network of cheap 'aires' especially for motorhomes there is a chance that some sites will close. Some are converting a number of pitches for mobile chalets to try and keep occupancy rates up. But who knows.

 

[EvansofSprot]

There are too many selfish people around in this country!

It'll soon be like Switz! LOL