Best All Year Campsites in France | Alan Rogers

Le Bourdieu, a converted farm, is a charming, small site located deep in the hills of the Ariège. Its quiet location, far away from any busy roads makes it a very safe environment for young families and for children to roam around freely and safely. This hillside site is now predominantly occupied by mobile homes and cottages available to rent, leaving just three pitches, with rather difficult vehicle access, available for touring units. Facilities include an outdoor swimming pool with sunbathing area, a recreation room and many organised activities. This is a perfect site for relaxing and recharging your batteries.

Camping Le Parc is in a very wooded area, less than 6 kilometres from the beaches of Palavas and Carnon. The campsite is also close to Montpellier, a busy student city, which can be reached by tram in about 20 minutes. Camping Le Parc is a perfect base for exploring the city and the beaches. The campsite has 66 touring pitches with electric hook-up points available. Thirty-four accommodation units are available to hire. The pitches are spacious and well-shaded by mature trees, separating each pitch and making them ideal for staying cool during the summer.

Across the river from Sully-sur-Loire with its imposing château, this all-year-round site makes a comfortable base for exploring this part of the Loire valley. There are 100 varying sized, level stony/grassy pitches with 80 for touring, all with 10A electricity, water and drainage. They are mostly arranged in groups of six surrounded by low hedging with a few trees giving just a little shade. Between the main area and the river there is an extra area for tents; with shady, unmarked pitches but few electric points. Many pitches have views over the river but, unfortunately, not of the town or its château.

Camping de l'Île is located in Ranchot, Jura, France not far from Besançon. As the name suggests, the campsite is located on the island, in this case between the Doubs River and the Rhine-Rhône Canal. It offers a peaceful and scenic location for a camping getaway. When you arrive at the campsite, you will find 26 touring pitches with electric hook-up points available. The pitches are spacious and vary in size and are surrounded by mature trees, and many are located on the water's edge of the Doubs River.

Le Clos Auroy is a well established and attractive family run campsite with English-speaking Dutch owners. It is just 300 metres away from Orcet, a typical Auvergne village just south of Clermont-Ferrand. Being close (3 km) to the A75, and open all year, it makes an excellent stopping off point. It has a calm atmosphere, which may tempt you to stay longer. The 85 good sized pitches are on level grass, separated by high, neatly trimmed conifer hedges, offering lots of privacy and some shade. All have 10A electricity and eight are fully serviced. Situated on a gentle hillside, the higher pitches have better views but less shade than those lower down. The bar, restaurant and pool areas are close to the reception and entrance thus ensuring the remainder of the site is more tranquil. In winter, only 20 pitches are available.

This is a short stay, city site just off the A6 autoroute and within easy reach of Lyon centre. Kept busy with overnight trade, the reception and the café (in July and August) is open until quite late. There are 239 separate numbered plots, all with 6/10A electricity. Those for caravans and motorhomes are mostly on hardstanding's and are on a slight slope, while those for tents are on a flatter grass area. All have shade.

Le Futuriste is a neat, modern site, open all year and very close to Futuroscope. Its location is also very convenient for the A10 and N10 motorway network. There is a total of 123 individual, level, grassy pitches of a generous size, divided by flowering hedges, 74 with 6A electricity and 55 with water. There are also six chalets and ten mobile homes to rent.

Camping Résidentiel la Pinède is a quiet site set back from the bustling resorts of Cap d’Agde and Sète, and is positioned amongst 300-year-old pine trees, partly on a hillside with views of vineyards and causses. All 155 mobile homes are privately owned or available for rent, they are well cared for with pretty, red tiled roofs and brightly coloured shutters, wooden decking and gardens. Cars are left at the perimeter of the site and paths meander through the pretty gardens and homes. Please note that there are no touring pitches here. The smart clubhouse at the heart of the site, which houses the bar and an entertainment-free restaurant, with a south facing terrace overlooking the pool area. There is also a second smaller heated pool, spa and children’s pool on the terrace below. La Pinède is open all year.

Set in the southern Charente Maritime, just 40 miles from Bordeaux and surrounded by forests. This site is a haven of tranquillity and calm. It has its own fishing lake which is completely fenced in and gated. There are 45 pitches for touring and 15 mobile homes which are available to rent. All are easily accessible and offer dappled shade. Whilst the site is on different levels, the pitches are generally level. Electricity is 10/16A. La Motte is a family run site and offers a quiet and relaxed atmosphere.

This traditional rural campsite, located in oak woodland in Burgundy, is surrounded by agricultural land and is within striking distance of the towns of Auxerre, Gien, Joigny and Montargis. There are 29 good-sized touring pitches, with electrical connections (10A) available, and a further seven tent pitches; the remaining 55 are occupied by seasonal units and rental accommodation, including two wooden chalets. The nearby village of Champignelles has a few shops and cafés and a couple of restaurants, while Auxerre is a lively city, a Ville d’Art et d’Histoire and a major centre for wine and gastronomy, with the vineyards of Chablis just a few kilometres east.

Nantes Camping is a modern, well equipped site with several types of pitch and different types of accommodation to rent. It lies within the city limits in a peaceful, park-like setting with mature trees. It has 86 flat, good sized pitches for touring units. Some are on grass, some on hardstanding, some are both. All have 16A electricity, water connections and drainage with taps nearby. There are 41 tent pitches on separate grass areas, all with electricity and water to hand. The campsite also has 79 accommodations to rent, made up of cottages, chalets, canvas and wood tents.

Les Hameaux des Lacs is a member of the Chalets en France group. This group comprises four chalet parks in southern France. Please note, however, that there are no touring pitches here. The site is open all year and can be found at the heart of the Tarn et Garonne department, south east of Montauban and forms part of a Base de Loisirs. Leisure facilities on offer here include tennis, an equestrian centre, a swimming pool, and a multisports pitch. Sailing and windsurfing are popular on the lake, and fishing is also possible. Chalets here are attractively dispersed around the site and are all available to rent.

Les Hameaux des Marines is a member of the Chalets en France group. This group comprises four chalet parks in southern France. Please note, however, that there are no touring pitches here. This coastal site is attractively situated 300 m. from a fine sandy beach at the northern tip of the Ile d’Oleron. The nearest beach, the Plage des Huttes has been awarded the European Blue Flag accreditation for its cleanliness. The site is open all year and includes a heated and covered swimming pool. The Ile d’Oleron has miles of excellent cycle tracks and a number of these run very close to the site. The 48 wooden chalets here are attractively dispersed around the site and are all available to rent.

Camping de Montreal is an all-year campsite, located just a few minutes from J42 on the A20. You can be sure of a warm welcome from Hans and Leonie, the Dutch owners of Camping de Montréal, in the heart of the Limousin countryside. The site provides 60 terraced pitches; 13 are occupied by chalets, mobile homes or bungalows, while 47 pitches are reserved for touring units. The pitches are mainly level, and most have excellent views over the eight-hectare leisure lake. All have electricity (10A), some have shade, and tall cypress hedges separate many. There are a few pitches near the sanitary block which have hardstandings and are used in the winter or after heavy rain. The single toilet block has recently been refurbished to a high standard. The small restaurant, open much of the year, is popular with campers and users of the lake.

Camping Pyrénées Nature is at the foot of the Pyrenees just outside the centre of Oloron-Sainte-Marie. Camping Pyrénées Nature offers a tranquil escape in a stunning setting, perfect for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. With its convenient facilities and diverse nearby activities, the campsite caters to a range of travellers seeking a memorable Pyrenean holiday. The site has 130 grass pitches, of which 110 are for touring units and have a 10-amp hook-up point available; all pitches are spacious and separated by hedges, giving you privacy, and mature trees shade most. There are also ten seasonal pitches and 11 chalets, bungalows and hikers' huts available to hire