Need to book in France
We are thinking of travelling to France in September and would like to know if it pays to book sites. Are they usually busy that time of year. We would like to do Brittany and would be really grateful of any advice
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Hi Tony, we usually go away from mid May to mid June when there is no need to book and believe that same will apply in September. We have been to France in September and the main issue was that many sites are on the run down to closure so some services may not be available.
What are your plans re ferry and destination.
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We never book when we go to France in May and June. Last year we went in September for the first time and found the sites no more than half full at worst and in a couple of sites only four or five units.
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So quiet in Brittany in September that a number of campsites close by the middle of the month, while others offer discounts via Camping Cheques or the ACSI Camping Card to try and attract the last few customers. But for motorhomers the Aires remain available if you wish to use them.
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We spent the last few nights of our 2016 September holiday in Brittany and found that many of the sites had closed. Finished up at Camping la Falaise, in La Turballe (Loire Atlantique) which is right on the beach -with excellent sunsets- and got the last available pitch. If you are going early in the month you should be ok, but by mid-September many of the coastal sites have shut.
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I very much doubt booking will be required, if I'm worried I tend to email the site a day or two before I plan to go.
As pointed out sites start closing in September, this may be you're biggest problem, though loads will still be open, you just need to look for them. The ACSI web site is very good for this.
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We never book, always have a holiday in September, sites are always quiet, and last year in early September we were the only touring caravan on a site with ninety pitches. The bar and shop were still open, and the pool, and we still got bread, some of the mobile homes were occupied, but it was very quiet indeed and yet the weather was glorious, the roads quiet, and we had some of the best days of the whole holiday with the site almost to ourselves! Ice creams were being sold at 25% of the normal price, so we helped eat up some of the stock, and bought up the last of the discounted wine in the shop!
One day another caravan arrived, and we thought we would have some company, but after looking around they obviously decided it was too quiet and left for somewhere else!
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We've not been to France in September, but from the comments I've read here and elsewhere, it may well be a good idea to check to make sure the site you want to use are still open. The 'season' in France is much shorter than here and from what I hear, many shut up shop, particularly towards the end of the month and in October (should your visit run over).
David
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As most of the replies have stated we normally are in France till the end of September and have never booked a site. Most sites are very quite from about mid September but we have found that the weather is very good and is an ideal time to be on holiday.
Mike
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As above, we too go to France in September, until around the first or second week in October and often are one of only a handful or so on site. What is more important is checking that sites are still open. France has a very short season where campsites are concerned. some close on the 15th of September, some on the 30th, and a few are only open in June, July and August.
Certainly no need to book anywhere in September.
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Bobbydog - if you need hook up and toilet facilities then you'll be limited on where to go and stay in September with so many campsites shut.
But if your MH is self sufficient, no need for toilets or hook up, then why not use the Aires or France Passion sites?
You'll rarely, if ever, find they close and will never need booking at any time of the year.
Below - view from the Aire at Port de Beni, Brittany -
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We went to France in September last year. We have never booked a site in France and this was no different..
We had some really good weather, so that may have made a difference, but we found a mix with some sites (generally those very near towns) were busy and others were near empty.
I would take a chance. If you can't find a pitch you like on your first choice site, just move on to your next choice. I would add that we always stayed on our first choice site on about six sites.
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Like InaD, we also holiday in September and early October - in fact we met her on a site at Marseillan Plage last September. We rarely book sites.
The golden rule in France is that sites will be open earlier and remain open later the further south you go. Conversely, the further north you are, the more likely that many sites will be closed by mid/end of September or even earlier in a few cases.
As you are a motorhomer, the good news is that many MH Aires remain open throughout the year, although water and waste disposal may be disconnected in the winter months.
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France and some other EU countries have a tax/benefit system such that many tourism business only operate 6 months of the year in order to reduce overheads. Last year we were on a site in Austria that also only operates 6 months. We have booked all our sites for our late August into September trip to the Pyranees because we like the certainty of knowing where we are going in advance and with me still working cannot risk going off in wanderlust mode!
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Its odd that the season in France is shorter than ours. France have far better weather than us which extends their season beyond ours. Is it that us Brits are used to poor weather so we just get on with it and carry on camping regardless?
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Also to do with the fact that younger French families only camp/Caravan in the summer. They don't do weekends out of season.
But French OAPs have motorhomes rather than caravans, and are famous for being fiercely allergic to paying for campsites when there are plentiful cheaper Aires and free car parks available to them instead.
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The need to book will be dependent upon the location of the site. As has already been posted many if not most sites [open] in northern France will not be busy. However some sites in very popular area's or on much traveled routes may well be well patronized right up to early October.
Last year during mid to late September we ambled north from Spain using the Eastern route through France. In the Languedoc we arrived to a nearly empty site which over a couple of days ended up nearly full. An overnight at Lyon we were lucky to get a pitch and the following day at Troyes lots of pitches available at 1400hrs when we booked in - four hours later outfits were queuing to get in the site gates and most pitches taken.
Many seasoned tourers will tell you that if one site is full just move on a bit and a site up the road will have a pitch. This doesn't always hold true in low season as many privately owned sites may just close up. Also some sites will close down toilet blocks and reduce the number of pitches available in low season which can create an artificial pitch shortage in an area.
Having said all this it is unlikely you will have a problem finding a pitch in September but always useful to have a couple fallback sites "programmed in" just in case plan A doesn't work. Of course if you are sure of where you are going to be on a given day/night/time booking a site can give peace of mind. Some sites will not accept bookings for under three night but arrival before 1500hrs will normally get you a pitch [even in high season.] - at least it has for us.
Ome "n" Dri
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