Guide to Campgrounds in France circa 1971
 

Hello, can anyone recommend a guide to campgrounds in France in 1970/1971? I'm trying to get a sense of popular campsites and their amenities, and I need a publication that would have been used by Americans. If anyone has one, an image of a page would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

My impression is that so few Americans would have camped in France at that time that they would be a statistical blip.

We met lots of Americans in campgrounds all over western Europe, not just in France. Campgrounds were everywhere so no need for a guidebook.

when?

The only lists / guidebooks in the US to camping in France/elsewhere in Europe back then would have been geared to college kids and not mainstream books like Europe on $5 a Day which targeted middle class/conventional travelers. Most likely semi-counter culture/hippie-ish newsletters on campuses. Now -- there probably would have been books published in France and the UK for family camping trips . . . but definitely not books published in the States for general consumption.

Michael, 1969 and 1970.

My family did some camping in France (and Europe) in 1972 when I was 14 years old. My memories are fuzzy but I believe my parents had a listing of some campgrounds from a camping organization that didn't contain many details about the various sites. We often drove into a city or town and simply followed signs for campgrounds. I believe the signs were green and displayed a tent.

I remember we stayed in a campground in the Bois du Bologne. There was a central shower area and a shuttle that made runs to the nearest Metro station. I think there may have been a small cafe or restaurant. Other campgrounds had fewer amenities but my mother always insisted we stay in a campground with flush toilets although not all had showers.

We had a car and a tent so didn't require a power hookup. Some campgrounds had picnic tables, playgrounds and little stores while others were just a place to park and pitch a tent.