Heading to France along with your motorhome or campervan? Contemplating on the lookout for free motorhome stopovers as an alternative of utilizing campsites. Right here’s every little thing it’s essential to learn about wild tenting in France for motorhomes and campervans- tips on how to discover free tenting locations to remain in a single day, tips on how to use them and what NOT to do.
*We work laborious to make this one of the best motorhome journey weblog and highway journey web site attainable, stuffed with useful content material for you. The web site is supported by our readers, so when you purchase via hyperlinks on this web site we could earn a commission- at no further value to you. All opinions stay our personal.
When you discover this put up helpful, you’ll be able to additionally deal with us to a espresso – we promise to get pleasure from it whereas creating extra helpful content material like this- we’d even bask in a biscuit (or two!)
When you’re planning a highway journey to France with a motorhome or campervan, you’ve most likely heard of the time period motorhome wild tenting. If the considered parking up in a secluded forest, subsequent to a quiet lake, or up within the mountains below the celebs seems like heaven, then that is the put up for you.
There are a number of unstated guidelines/ tips in the case of wild tenting in France for motorhomes and campervans- when you uncover these (which I’m sharing beneath 😉 you’ll uncover a complete new world of freedom round motorhome touring in France.
What’s Wild tenting in France for motorhomes?
Motorhome wild tenting is free tenting in a single day in a location which isn’t a delegated campsite or authorized parking space like a French aire. It means you’re staying ‘off-grid’ and don’t have services corresponding to electrical hook-up or a rest room block. This might imply along side a highway, in a layby; in a parking lot or on open land.
Wild tenting is also known as free camping- as a result of it doesn’t value something! It will also be known as motorhome free parking, off-grid parking or wild campervanning. If you wish to go native, it’s ‘tenting sauvage’.
Wish to keep off-grid along with your motorhome?
Seize our FREE wild parking guidelines and make it straightforward for your self. All the things it’s essential to do, convey or bear in mind if you keep off-grid.
The place are you able to wild camp in France?
You’ll be able to wild tenting with a motorhome or campervan in lots of areas round France (besides these talked about within the guidelines beneath)
Automobiles are allowed to cease along side a highway in any designated parking space, however that’s not one of the best kind of untamed tenting, though we do do it sometimes once we’re actually drained.
Our favorite kind of motorhome or campervan wild tenting spot is one which’s completely away from all of it, out within the wilds of French countryside or up within the mountains. There are a whole bunch of those locations throughout France- and they’re all FREE to camp.
Be warned, some areas in France are VERY laborious to seek out wild tenting spots- these are often close to well-known landmarks or common cities in France. Chances are you’ll want to guide a campsite in advance- that’s what we needed to do once we visited the South of France and determined to cease on the Menton Lemon pageant.
Is motorhome wild tenting authorized in France?
Okay, let’s begin on the beginning- are you even allowed to go wild tenting in France with a motorhome or camper van?
The reply is sure, the French authorities does permit wild tenting… with some caveats. These are:
- You have to have permission from the landowner
- You can’t wild camp with a motorhome or camper on the French coast
- No motorhome wild tenting is allowed in French Nationwide Parks or close to designated historic websites
- French Native authorities have the correct to create particular guidelines for his or her space which have to be displayed on indicators prominently and adhered to.
Sensible guidelines for wild tenting with a motorhome in France
Let’s be trustworthy, it’s uncommon that you simply’re going to have the ability to discover the landowner to get permission if you wish to wild camp in a distant location, like the center of the woods. However that doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t keep in a single day.
So long as you apply widespread sense and are respectful of different individuals, particularly native residents, you’re unlikely to be moved on when you comply with these easy tips:
- Solely keep one night time
- Don’t attempt to park up in entrance of somebody’s home, or blocking their view. Keep away from all land that’s clearly well-maintained and a part of somebody’s non-public property.
- Don’t keep in a single day at locations with indicators banning in a single day motorhome parking
- By no means block an entrance or the highway
While we’re speaking virtually, the foundations relating to wild tenting with campervans by the coast could be very strictly enforced in summer time; Might-September for among the hottest and historic locations in France.
Nonetheless, when you’re touring in France outdoors the height instances, you’ll most likely be completely discover free tenting by the French shoreline for an evening, so long as there are not any apparent ‘No parking’ indicators.
The identical applies to the French Nationwide Parks. Many have strict signage in all places, however there are a number of areas the place the native police will flip a blind eye so long as you solely keep for one night time.
NOTE: There’s a new France winter tyre law- learn extra right here
How do you discover motorhome wild tenting spots in France?
There are a few methods to seek out one of the best free motorhome wild tenting spots while you’re touring Europe in a motorhome. Our favorite is the Park4night web site or the app. We use each, however desire the app while we’re driving (do NOT take a look at it while you’re ACTUALLY driving- this can be a job on your navigator.)
We use the app to discover a free in a single day motorhome stopover in France like this:
- Resolve roughly the place we wish to keep, usually while we’re en-route (we determine how for much longer we wish to drive)
- Open up the Park4night app on a telephone or iPad
- Search across the location we’ve chosen
- Take a look at opinions and images to see if it might swimsuit our motorhome and trailer
- Discover 2 or 3 choices, select the one we like most and pop that into our motorhome sat-nav.
Motorhome wild tenting in France- how a lot does it value?
Nothing at all- that’s one of many beauties of it! You don’t even really want any particular package in your campervan or motorhome, though after 3 years of untamed tenting round Europe, these are our 5 important objects for motorhome wild tenting we suggest you keep on board.
After all, when you keep in an aire or a spot the place it’s essential to pay, there shall be a price. And I suppose there’s a price for gas, fuel and meals, however in any other case, wild tenting with a motorhome or campervan is affordable!
Etiquette for Wild tenting in France for motorhomes and campervans
So, how DO you wild camp with a motorhome? Listed here are some tips that can assist you:
- Don’t put out tables/ chairs/ awnings. This isn’t a campsite (NOTE- we have now used our out of doors chairs and BBQ a number of instances once we’ve been wild tenting in the midst of nowhere. Use your judgement.
- Don’t make loud noise
- Clear up ALL litter/ waste- no excuses
- Watch youngsters and pets and don’t allow them to wander away- wild tenting doesn’t imply there’s no-one else round. Be vigilant
- Be smart about security. Lock doorways and home windows earlier than going to sleep. You may want to match an extra motorhome door lock you could lock from the within.
TOP TIP: You don’t want as a lot package as you assume you do to remain off-grid with a camper. Learn our wild tenting for motorhomes important gear information right here.
Can a campervan wild camp in France?
Completely!! Many campervans wild camp in France- even these with out their very own lavatory. Right here’s a full information on tips on how to tour France in a campervan.
Can a Caravan go wild tenting in France?
You could have heard that caravans usually are not allowed to remain in a single day in Aires in France. Nonetheless, there’s nothing to cease you wild tenting with a caravan- so long as you comply with the foundations about widespread sense and discretion above. Additionally, take note of your caravan safety– wild tenting can depart you extra susceptible.
A few of our favorite motorhome wild tenting spots in France
I do know it may be daunting if you first keep off-grid, whether or not that’s in France otherwise you’re making an attempt motorhome wild tenting in Scotland.
To assist, we’ve created a database of our favorite in a single day parking spots- a mix of aires, low-cost motorhome stopovers and motorhome wild tenting areas across the UK & Europe.
These are locations we’ve stayed (and preferred!) and we’ve put all of them collectively in a database for you. There’s a map, GPS co-ordinates, hyperlinks to images and extra info- when you’re involved about wild tenting with a motorhome however actually wish to strive it, it’s an effective way to start out. Discover out extra right here
Different choices totally free motorhome parking in France
When you’re on the lookout for various to wild tenting with a motorhome or campervan in France, there are a few choices.
I discussed French Aires briefly above. These are a scheme which is widespread throughout Europe- authorized areas for in a single day motorhome parking close to villages, cities and main French cities.
READ MORE: When you’ve by no means used Aires earlier than, yow will discover out all about them and tips on how to discover them in our French Aires information.
France Ardour- motorhome wild tenting various
France Ardour is a scheme which gives free in a single day parking to motorhomes and campervans round France. You’ll be able to keep at vineyards, snail farms, nature reserves and way more, in return for getting a meal or a few bottles of wine (or some snails!) It’s an analogous system to Britstops.
Many of the areas are a model of untamed camping- you’ll often be staying in a parking lot or gravelled space of the enterprise and only a few of them have electrical hook-up or waste disposal, though many can supply recent water when you want it.
You must be a part of the scheme upfront and order the guide and card earlier than you’ll be able to reap the benefits of the free motorhome parking spots. Personally, we desire to wild camp with our motorhome additional away from individuals and civilisation, however it’s an amazing various when you get pleasure from vineyards and assembly native enterprise house owners.
All in all, motorhome wild tenting in France is a LOT simpler than it’s within the UK. Observe our tips above and also you’ll be completely superb.
Don’t overlook you could at all times pop right into a motorhome or campervan web site in France when you can’t discover a spot you’re feeling snug in. There’s no rule that claims you need to go free tenting each night time. We frequently do two or three night time of motorhome stopovers in a wild tenting spot or an aire, after which use a campsite for an evening or two to calm down, use the services, possibly do some laundry after which transfer on.
Need extra Wild Tenting ideas?
