France camp-sites - recommendations please

[LORNA]

Hi, have been following the thread started by Regency and picked up a few suggestions for campsites. Would really value any suggestions for the Loire, anything near Nontron in Limousin, the Western Pyrenees. We are hoping to go for at least 3 weeks in July/August (being teachers we have to have these weeks unfortunately!). This will be our first time abroad in our recently purchased Autosleeper Clubman and thanks for all those who contributed thoughts prior to us making this purchase! We have camped in France before but not in a motorhome (tents and 3 kids some years ago!). Not bothered about pools and prefer quietish to bustling. Reallly appreciate anything you can share, thanks a lot, Lorna

[LordThornber]

I would post this elsewhere for a better response, if you're like us and don't need all singing and dancing sites, I recommend the Municipal network of sites.

 

All good value and almost always near to a town or village. You can find some of them on the web if you google a town you fancy, or in the caravan club european sites book.

 

Martyn

[Randonneur]

Lorna, do you mean Western Perigord, as the Western Pyrenees are much further south than Nontron.

 

[LORNA]

Hi, we are calling in on friends who live near Nontron then proceeding down to the Western Pyrennees we hope! Have bought the Michelin Guide to Camping in France but do you think the Caravan Club book is better? Also where else should I post this if this site isn't the right one? Thanks for any advice you can offer, Lorna

[Camperdude]

Hi Lorna

 

If you need a campsite in Nontron there's one called Camping de Nontron and used to be a Municipal site.

 

http://www.campingdenontron.com/multimedia/sitecamping.html

 

The campsite is within walking distance of Nontron. I've stayed there in Late June/Early July and it was very quiet with large pitches and a friendly owner.

 

It's listed in the Caravan Club Europe 1 book which is all I use when touring France. B-)

 

Hope this helps.

 

Regards

 

John B-)

[LORNA]

Thanks John - looks like I need to buy the Caravan Club guide then. Good to know there's a good site near Nontron. All the best, Lorna

[LordThornber]

LORNA - 2010-02-21 10:27 AM

Also where else should I post this if this site isn't the right one? Lorna

 

Hi Lorna, possibly in Sites Speak, which is on this Forum if you didn't know, lower down than Chatterbox.

 

Sometimes you get a better response.

 

Martyn

[LORNA]

Thanks will try this today!

[Brian Kirby]

With respect to all concerned, this was a post about taking a motorhome to France, and seeking advice on suitable sites while there.  I'm afraid I simply can't understand the redirect to the sites area, where there is no guarantee that sites recommended would suit motorhome users.  Even caravanners have different requirements to motorhomers.  We're not perchance trying to say that only motorhomers who wild camp, or use aires de services in preference to sites, are allowed onto the Motorhome Matters section of the forum, are we?  Surely not.  :-)

All Lorna needs is guidance as to where to find the sites.  She has the Michelin (which I used to think excellent, but stopped using after it was re-vamped a few years back).  She has been recommended Caravan Europe 1, which is far more informative, but has (understandably) a slant to caravanning (meaning only that some of the references to motorhome facilities do not always seem to have understood user requirements).

Lorna would be well advised to get a Camping Carnet (Camping Card International), because most French sites will give a small discount on presentation of these (in recognition of its automatic public liability third party insurance provision), and because it will be held by the sites in preference to your passport.  Obtainable from the Camping and Caravanning Club, the Caravan Club, and possibly AA/RAC. 

If she will be using a sat nav that will take downloaded POIs, she may like to go here http://tinyurl.com/y8stdka and download the France campsite set.  Be warned, it is a big file and may be more than some sat navs can handle at one go.  Downloading to an SD card would probably be wise.  That will locate the sites reasonably accurately, while the guides would allow the "better" ones to be identified.

She could also consider getting just the ACSI disk (but not the guide with discount card - no discounts July/Sugust)here: http://tinyurl.com/ycon8ct , and while there, if she doesn't have one, may wish to consider buying a copy of this book http://tinyurl.com/y8fbcwu which contains a wealth of information about motorhomes and their use.

If she is prepared to be a bit flexible, avoid coastal and other honey pot areas, and to arrive at sites as soon after 14:00 as possible, she should have no need to book in advance.  There is a good municipal at St Remy-s-Avre, another at Courville-s-Eure, a good ex municipal at Chartres within walking distance of the centre, an excellent small site at Ste-Foy-la-Grande, and a very good municipal at Dax (les Chenes) and, of course, loads of others.  :-D

[LORNA]

Thanks for this very comprehensive reply - we don't have SAT nav but the other ideas are very valuable. Have just added the CC Europe 1 book to our bookshelf and getting very excited about using the sites etc. Good to hear we won't necessarily have to book if we are sensible about arrival times and locations even in school hols. As usual, the advice is much appreciated, Lorna

[Rod_vw]

Having totally forgotten to pack any campsite guides for a trip to France a few years ago we stopped at a convenient motorway services and purchased a Michelin Camping Guide. Even with schoolboy French (and being a schoolboy was a long time ago!) we found it one of the best guides ever bought.

 

With regard to the POI link that Brian has kindly provided, the data supplied works very well with Autoroute so if you have a laptop computer I suggest that it would be very helpful.

 

We tour France in a motor home almost exclusively by the above data nowadays.