France 2024
I know there are others out there, a bit sad like me and prefer to book early. I've found that for June and September if you want a pitch for a week or more this is often the safest thing to do. If a campervan/motorhome owner spending a few days and then moving on you don't seem to have this problem
I've been comparing prices for June in France, booked through the Club or directly with sites on the ACSI rates. It is not an easy one to work out as on some sites 7 days for the price of 6, 14 days for the price of 10 etc appear. If you can get these offers on ACSI rates, then by the time you add in a booking fee, 2.75% European transaction for your credit card and guess an exchange rate of about 1.13, there is nothing in the price. If you are unlucky they may require an IBAN bank transfer, which is a pain. The advantage lies in the ease of booking through the Club website [if it is working]
I've found the site we are interested in, 4 star with large pitches, site-wide wi-fi etc for less than £13 a night with the Club.
Colin
Comments
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Colin, I would never say you were “a bit sad” but you obviously like to have a plan and stick to it, although all my life I simply had good ideas - and regularly changed my mind when they didn’t work out
We landed at Roscoff one day in early June intending to head down the west coast. But the sky was grey , it was raining, and the forecast promised a week more of that. So the west coast quickly dropped off our radar. Three wet days later we were somewhere south of Millau and the rain didn’t finally stop until we crept down the big hill towards Montpellier.
Even with a car load of children a lifetime time ago we hardly ever booked - even in August - but I admit we did get caught out now and then.
Good wishes to you. I hope it all goes well.2 -
eurotraveller, I think most of us fall into one of two camps, the planners and the free spirits. I've always been a planner as I taught and had to go peak time. 2017 saw early retirement and for September I decided to wing it. I decided a route of Loire, Dordogne and then somewhere between Toulose and Carcossonne. The order changed on this as poor weather set in, but switching order meant we had a lovely time. I must admit our visit to Montpellier did not impress, but nearby Narbonne was very nice
Post Covid 2022 I decided to wing [my version of] it again through NE France into NL for 6 weeks in June and start of July. I planned a route homing in on 3 or 4 sites in each favoured area to choose from, but with a few months to go that went pear shaped as when going on line and checking availability I found most sites were booking up fast and chances of a week in each area were getting slim, so I pre-booked.
One day I might just try again.
Colin
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In 1992 we embarked on a three trip around Europe with the boys from Whitsun to the end of the summer school holidays. bearing in mind that this was probably only our third or fourth trip abroad, all the others being just in France we booked everything via the Club. It had major advantages as of course that far back we did not have the Euro and credit cards were not as widespread as they are now. Oh the joys of Travel Cheques and Euro Cheques, anyone remember those? Have to say that despite the length of time it all went very smoothly. Having said all that it was probably one of the last times we booked sites abroad with the exception of a couple of sites in Italy which we booked because there was a big currency advantage in doing so. Strange in a way that we don't give booking sites in the UK a second thought but some how think it strange to book in Europe. I think people should do what they are comfortable with as in the end that will enhance the holiday.
David
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We avoid France between Bastille Day (14th July) and the end of August, the main French holiday period. Because of how the days fall this year (2024) we will avoid 12th July to 1st September. Outside of those time you are unlikely to need to book even with a caravan.
Our past experience with booking through CAMC, when family member was a CAMC member, was generally poor. In most case, with one notable exception, the cost of using CAMC was higher and in some cases massively so. Also, for us the freedom of not having fixed bookings enables us to change plans on a whim.
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We never book for France or Italy in June or September and have rarely had a problem. Of course, if you want to go to the Med. then in June you should book but in September it’s generally shut! As for pitches, if we find a site that we like and want to stay for a few days then after the first night and a wander round we will often switch next morning when somebody leaves a good pitch. The other tip for popular areas is to arrive early, before lunch or early afternoon.
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Generally we never need to book sites in France, when we go in April,May and/or June, mainly because we're a bit like iansoady and prefer the more simple sites like municipals (which unfortunately are declining rather alarmingly in numbers).
However on saying that we have found a couple of favoured municipals that can become full even as early as April in touristy areas such as the one at Maussane-les-Alpilles near St.Remy which attracts a continental clientele. Mind you with these sorts of areas you are never far from another site. We did find only 2 pitches left when we turned up at a site on Ile-de-Ré one September and I can well imagine the same scenario nowadays in mid to late June.
I see nothing wrong with booking if it gives you peace of mind as we found ourselves doing so for half the sites we stayed in the Netherlands 2 years ago and wouldn't have got on one of them if we hadn't.
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We fall into the free spirit camp. Nowadays we always avoid Jul/Aug and keep an eye on that German holiday 2 months after Easter! Never book and rarely have any problems. The ability to change 'plan' whilst enroute is a big plus; for example last summer we had planned to got to the Dordogne; on arriving in France on first night saw forecast had changed to poor so turned towards Austria, again forecast changed so decided to head to inland Provence and had a lovely holiday. Some people are more comfortable with the security of booking, the closest we get is phoning ahead to check if there is space. Having said that, we nowadays do confirm our first night in France in one of our favourite sites about 30 mins from Calais. they do not ask for a deposit and hold the pitch to our advised arrival time. Tip, arrive early, enroute by 4 pm and final destination by midday (or as soon as reception opens). Have today made decision to go to Salzgamergut area of Austria so will do some research and learn the music from 'The White Horse Inn'!
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It looks like everybody has found what works for them and are happy. I'd call that a result.
Happy caravanning folks.
Colin
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I had a similar experience to Eurotraveller back in the mid nineties in late June/early July. We hadn't booked but had settled in on a site in the Arcachon. Faced with the same weather situation, we headed for the Med coast and found blue skies around Serignan. The first site had no space but the one across the road and adjacent to the beach did. Rain, however can strike anywhere, even when the overall weather was sunny for a month. An example can be seen about 35 minutes in on this VIDEO.
I haven't booked a site abroad since the mid eighties when I was constrained by school holidays and travelled in Mid July. Having switched to a motorhome five years ago, I have a great deal more flexibility now as I can use aires, sites or even, on occasions, just 'wing it'
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Just to add to the question about booking or not, it's worth knowing in advance that campsites in France are likely to be very busy in May this year when VE Day falls on Wednesday 8th May followed by Ascension day on Thursday 9th, maximising the opportunity for French campers to faire le pont i.e. make a long weekend of it, given the extra days off.
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We started to see the effects of the motorhome revolution in France ten years ago. - and it has gathered pace since then. Site owners began to say that French motor homers don’t come to campsites. So things became easy for caravanners as space on campsites became available
But since then French campsites have reacted in various ways. Some have simply closed. Some have become automated Camping-Car parks with caravanners shut out for most of the year. . And many have shortened their opening dates drastically - one of our favourite campsites is now July/August only.
The motorhomers are using Aires .0 -
Some have become automated Camping-Car parks with caravanners shut out for most of the year.
I don’t think that is the case in most instances. The Mon-village sites are in general ex municipal and in the main wouldn’t have been open for anyone out of the main season. Now caravans / tents can use them May / June to end of September, not a lot of difference to what they would have been able to do in the past. Plus MH’s can use them all year and extend their benefit to the community.
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I have probably mentioned this tale on here before but it clearly demonstrates one drawback with booking.
We had just spent 9 weeks touring France and Spain and were on our final night on a campsite in Caen. We got talking to the older couple in the next caravan and she was complaining how unbearably hot it had been on their campsite in the Vendee. To make matters worse they had stayed on this site for 2 weeks. When I enquired why they hadn't moved to another region where it was cooler, her response was "Oh we couldn't, we booked through the Club and couldn't afford to lose all those site fees!
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Thank you, but here is a contrary example.
In and out of Roscoff in spring and autumn with a car/caravan we used to stay at the municipal site at Henvic - which was staffed and open to all for about five months a year.
Now it’s been handed over to the Camping-Car company and has automated entry all year round for motorhomers, but is only staffed in July and August - and caravanners are only allowed in during those two months.
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Whilst the sites around Paris are normally quieter in high Summer as Parisiennes head off on their hols please remember this year that the Olympics are tasking place from towards the end of July to mid August.
This may have a knock-on effect for those areas holding specific Sports in other parts of France (and I believe in one of their Overseas Departments as well. Surfing?)
Won't affect OP but as heading is France 2024 thought I'd mention it.
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We never booked, even July/August which is when we had to take our hols. But we weren't heading to the coast, and preferred smaller sites. used to book in for a couple of nights and then extend if we wanted to. Well remember one site, where the chap used to come each evening, booked for a couple of nights, stayed a week I think it was. He thought it very funny, as we kept extending our stay. Mad Brits, no doubt.
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I didn’t claim it the case for every one. Two we stopped at last year.
Chateaudun facilities 1/4 to 15/10 and Louroux de Bouble 1/4 to 30/9
It’s a shame some only open for caravans / tents for a couple of months. However, if they hadn’t linked with CCP in all likely hood they would have closed completely.
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We have had many holidays in France in May/June for six weeks and never booked any of them. we always used ACSI and found them a lot cheaper. On one site I was booking in behind someone who had booked through the club and found that she had paid £10 a night more than I did.
As others have said the advantage of not booking was when it got too hot for us in the south of France we would just head north again.
https://jennyandjohngocaravanning.wordpress.com/category/caravanning-in-europe/
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When it comes to getting a good price for anything apart possibly for ferry fares, CAMC is not your friend. You can usually get it cheaper yourself.
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And on that note cyberyacht, booking of channel crossings are definitely worth doing in advance. I booked directly our Eurotunnel June 2024 crossing last summer and one way cost me £191. It is now listed at £274.
Colin
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I feel that, as a retired couple, pre-booking for the whole holiday, is too restrictive and unneccessary. We have been to France for more years than I care to remember, and never have pre-booked more than a couple of nights for the 1st site in France, and after that, a phone call to the site the day prior, will assure you of the availability of an emplacement. More often than not, they will assure you that it is not necessary to book on their site,...just turn up. We also avoid bastille day (14th July) to the end of August, as French folk selfishly, want access to their own campsites. ACSI is a real money saver and despite making a list of possible destinations, prior to departure, we move on to another ACSI site after 7-10 days. We rarely visit the same site twice, as there are always loads of sites available wherever we go, and, as we have no children with us, we can usually go for 75 days and stay on the cheaper sites which don't cater for families.
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