Traveling down to France Sept 2025

[Tony Hickman]

Hi all, we are fairly new to caravaning. We intend to travel from the West Midlands down to the Dordogne in France for all of September 2025. Could anyone recommend a route and sites to stop at on the way down and back. We are in the Camping and Caravan Club but they only associate with the larger Euro Camp sites, however we would enjoy smaller sites say up to 30 units a time with clean shower /toilet blocks etc. All advise would be extremely welcome. Thank You.
Apologies if I have only sent this message to one person as I've not got the hang of this site yet as I only joined today.

 

[Hutch]

Get the CMHC site hand book Caravan sites in Europe, for sites in France, it's excellent, it shows all sites Municipal, private, Farms etc with pitch numbers, phone numbers and costs. It goes by areas, so with a decent Map of France you can pick your way.
I never booked except in winter, just aimed to get to a site between 1pm and 2 pm as the French Caravanners stop for lunch then and you can be first in the queue for a pitch.
ACIS club book can get very decent discounts, just out of season, end of September the sites suddenly start to close, bigger ones anyway.

Touring Europe 2025

www.caravanclub.co.uk

 

[Hutch]

The map shows just a few of the sites we have used, sorry no names but using the book I mentioned they are easily found.

 

[AndrewAventura]

I'd say my favourite website for choosing sites in France was https://www.camping.info/en, but I also used https://www.eurocampings.co.uk/ and https://campingkeyeurope.com/search/list. They don't completely duplicate each other, and there are lots of places to choose from!

The Dordogne is lovely!

 

[Jcloughie]

Be aware that many sites close mid September for the winter. Much earlier than UK sites. Just something to be aware of. Sure you will find plenty.

John

 

[Woodentop]

In France every city, town, and most villages (even small ones!) have a municipal campsite. Generally they are clean, well maintained, easy access, and not far out of the village or whatever.
Use your phone or tablet and browse for:-
{town name}.fr and search the site for campings - or sometimes {town name].fr/campings.
You will get plenty of info and prices.
Note that if you are using electricity and you have a standard UK blue-blue BS4343 connector orange cable you will need a blue socket to EU Schuko 2-pin plug. Towsure in Sheffield will sell you one - part C59 - for not too many pennies if you don't fancy making one yourself.
If you are moderately competent with electrickery I would suggest carrying Screwfix part 95426 which comprises a small DVM, a no-contact mains sensor, and a polarity test plug. Be aware that Schuko is not polarity conscious - or at least those that fit them are not - but your caravan is still safe even if the L and N are reversed. (Even if your supply feed is a blue socket that is clearly stamped L & N internally it may still be reversed.)
Finally avoid autoroutes as the French are in the process of making them cash and card free. Do a bit of searching for more info.

 

[IanB1485]

Welcome to the forum . We travel New Haven to Dieppe ( 4 hour crossing mainly at midnight so take pillows ) and have stopped at the municipal caravan site at Belleme about 2.5 hours away from Dieppe, near Le mans, didn't look much on arrival but I was pleasantly surprised and the village was delightful. Also stopped at Puy rond campsite in Bressuire and twin lakes near soumeras both owned by expats . whatever you decide have a great time and enjoy the smooth roads!

 

[Buckman]

Get the CMHC site hand book Caravan sites in Europe, for sites in France, it's excellent, it shows all sites Municipal, private, Farms etc with pitch numbers, phone numbers and costs. It goes by areas, so with a decent Map of France you can pick your way.
I never booked except in winter, just aimed to get to a site between 1pm and 2 pm as the French Caravanners stop for lunch then and you can be first in the queue for a pitch.
ACIS club book can get very decent discounts, just out of season, end of September the sites suddenly start to close, bigger ones anyway.

Touring Europe 2025

www.caravanclub.co.uk

Good suggestion, but surely the ACSI will probably be better plus the discounts it offers? See https://www.campingcard.co.uk/

 

[Hutch]

Good suggestion, but surely the ACSI will probably be better plus the discounts it offers? See https://www.campingcard.co.uk/

The ACIS card is great for discounts, but the CMHC book of touring sites in Europe, is far more detailed, showing all caravan and camping sites, municiple etc. that and with my old Snooper 2000, SatnNav, which showed all caravan sites, Archie's Bord etc.

 

[Buckman]

The ACIS card is great for discounts, but the CMHC book of touring sites in Europe, is far more detailed, showing all caravan and camping sites, municiple etc. that and with my old Snooper 2000, SatnNav, which showed all caravan sites, Archie's Bord etc.

Archies was fa better than any CAMC co-ordinates. Shame he closed up shop. I have never used the CAMC book, but when checking the CAMC websites for camping sites, I always found those recommended for booking through CAMC to be very expensive.

On one occasion we found that booking the same site through ACSI was a lot cheaper than booking through CAMC, but that was just the one occasion as we never bothered with CAMC recommended sites,

 

[Beachball]

Hi Tony Hickman Welcome to the forum sorry I cannot help, but I think you will receive a lot of help on here and what route to take enjoy .