Camping in France
 

Hello, all. I am trying to find out if there are more rustic places to camp in France. The only thing I can find seem to be luxurious camping areas that are more like resorts. We are just looking for simple parks/forested areas where we can pitch a tent and be happy. Is that even legal in France?

The municipal campground operated by most towns are far from luxurious.

And "camping sauvage" is still very much practiced although not tolerated everywhere. "Camping sauvage interdit" is a sign to look for when you are in a promising area. If you see the sign, leave.

What you are looking for exist mainly when back-packing in the mountians. If you are used to camping in the States (National Parks, Nationa Forests, etc.), you will be generally disappointed in the French campgrounds; at least that is my impression.

After camping throughout France for years... i'd say you will not find any rustic campgrounds a la the American ones.. French camps mainly cater to caravans who park their the whole summer and take on the look of small cities.

The camping municipals Jack talks about i agree can be very basic - 'Turkish' toilets - though even fancy camps can have these as the RVs may have their own toilets in them - some camping municipals are plush but ones in small towns can just be a field with crude facilities - camps are rated by stars - three stars and up are much better equipped - one star camps are crude.

Camping Sauvage is a time-honored tradition in France but again like Jack says be careful - in the woods out in the country you probably won't be hassled. But i think this tradition is more and more meeting opposition from locals.

Only Gypsies it seems can set up camps anywhere - last month i saw at least 200 Gypsy caravans parked in the parking lot of an abandoned store on a major highway in a city.

Actually, the Romani are officially limited to designated areas. Every city with a population of 5000+ is obliged to have a camping area for them. There are signs indicating where the "gens du voyage" (their official name) are supposed to go. All too often, it is next to the municipal dump. So sometimes you get revolts and the Romanis' own version of "camping sauvage".

this huge Romani camp just seemed so where - on the busy national route mixed in between stores like Carrefour, Fly, etc. and so huge. Must have been sanctioned i guess - lots of dogs running around... seemed very weird to me as a foreigner that this would be tolerated in such a place but i'm not necessarily opposed to it.

I spent several years when my son was young camping around France each summer and really loved it... and the campgrounds... like moving into the neighborhood. And kids love the ubiquitous piscines (love that name for swimming pools!)

I've also stayed weeks on end in younger days at the TCF campground in Paris' Joinville-le-Pont suburb and enjoyed that too. But now carrying a tent around is too much on trains but i'd love to do another car-camping trip or bike-camping trip as i have done extensively in the past.