Safe wild camping in a motorhome was a possibility! Thousands of reviews with easy booking. If you violate one of these rules, the fine can be as much as 3750€. medium-size campsites in the heart of rural France. According to the Article R111-32, the campsite is allowed, outside the right-of-way of the highways and roads, with the permission of the person who owns the land. Wild camping in France for motorhomes and campervans- France Passion. parking your caravan or motorhome, for a night or two, outside of Motorhome and camper wild camping- the experiment! Bivouac is allowed between 6pm and 7am, your tent has to be small. Don’t camp if there is a sign that says not to – if they did the effort to put it there, there is probably a reason. Sometimes a bivouac is only allowed with a bivy sack, or sometimes not even that. Finding a little piece of solitude in France isn't usually hard. I was sitting outside our motorhome, a glass of chilled Bourgogne Aligoté in my hand, under the gaze of a chateau and generations-old winemaking business. Camping sauvage, camping in the wild in France For more on this see Wild camping on Rural-camping.com . least some idea about the rules. permission of the landowner or tenant of the land, and subject to However, in rural areas wild camping in France for motorhomes really doesn’t seem to be a problem, and if you head a few kilometres from most tourist hot-spots you can usually find a safe and pleasant place to park up overnight. I personally have wild camped in Albania a few times and loved it (my favorite country for camping). Bivouac in France is usually tolerated. There is no clear definition for the term bivouac. HikeHeaven is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. A few months ago, we picked up a brand new motorhome and took it wild camping for the weekend. This generally means pitching your tent in the ev… and attractive small or Wild camping in France is complicated. That’s why, in four months of cycling from England to Turkey, I spent a total of five nights in paid accommodation. I always try to triple check every fact, but this wasn’t always possible. However, there are certain exceptions: According to the Article R111-34, the practice of camping outside managed terrain may be prohibited in certain areas: Finally, these bans are only to the extent that they’ve been brought to the public attention through the establishment of posters in town hall and signs on the main access roads leading to the places covered by these bans. Wild camping, bivouac and authorized fires are allowed at a distance of more than 200m of woods, forests and moors. Visit my TOURING BLOG: http://cycletraveloverload.com/Follow CP on Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/thecollegepicker/ Obviously, nobody will ever measure this, just know that it’s not tolerated to bivouac/camp close to a street. Posted by 3 years ago. I'm a hiking enthusiast who's mainly been active in Europe. If you allow yourself to get spotted, you probably made mistakes. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. It may be on public land or on private Find out all you need to know about wild camping for motorhomes in France, finding the perfect spot and staying safe here. France is also a world-class wild camping destination. This generally means pitching your tent in the evening and leaving in the morning, using a small/light tent. In general, the laws around wild camping are meant for camping cars, gypsies, long-term wild campers, etc. The country is full of wild places where you can easily camp. The basic rules are set out in Article R111-33 of French town and country planning law. If you are going to remember anything, simply remember: Bivouac is usually legal and tolerated, wild camping is usually illegal and not tolerated. this, French law is clear, on others it is vague. They are not meant to target a hiker who doesn’t make a mess, stays discreet and only stays for one night. We are about to burst full steam into the height of camping season. Because of this, they came up with the word bivouac. Whatever you have planned and whatever you do we’d love you to record your road trip and share your story and photographs with us. How easy is it to wild camp in france? In general, the laws around wild camping are meant for camping cars, gypsies, long-term wild campers, etc. This site uses cookies, Don’t carry a large tent – this might cause that people to think that you are staying more than one night. Pin . There is great confusion as to the legality or illegality or camping in the wild, and whether it is advisable to do so. There are certain areas where camping is allowed. There are some protected areas where bivouac is not allowed at all. That said, it’stolerated most of the time, with the exception of certain regional and national parks. Always stay respectful and discreet. We hadn't even seen the motorhome before and had no idea what it had onboard. Wild camping in France, the legal rules can be very confusion.  a proper campsite. So what is Wild Camping? In this article, I will use the word wild camping as in: you pitch your tent in the evening and you leave in the morning. The basic rules are set out in Campfires are prohibited from 15 March to 30 September in the forests, plantations, forests or heaths and within a radius of 200 meters around these places. Not all Regional Parks have separate rules. So, if there is a wild camping law on the book, no one is paying any attention to it. Also, when I say that something is tolerated that does not necessarily make it legal, you could still get punished. designated natural sites, such as national or regional parks, may According to various online forums, the best places for wild camping in France include the Ardennes, the Morvan peaks, and Saintes Maries-de-la-Mer. Wild camping for motorhomes in France. They specifically claim that tents are not allowed (the definition of a bivouac is free for interpretation sometimes, but not in this Park). To summarize, you can wild camp legal if: That said, camping for one night – especially if you pitch your tent late in the evening and be gone early in the morning – is usually tolerated. France, Wild camping is permitted anywhere in France subject to the No prep, no prior planning. Feel free to let me know. It was an experiment. Each large pitch is cut into the meadow so you can really immerse yourself in nature. Here is to the future. known Remember, most of the time you won’t get into trouble, even if people spot you. Therefore, there might be a different interpretation when it comes to bivouac and wild camping. Bivouac is allowed when more than one hour away from the borders of the park or from the road. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. Wild camping in France. Close. Please note that this is a hiking wild camping guide (information does not necessarily apply for RV’s). Bivouac can be allowed if the owner/manager agrees to it. I'm planning a few weeks camping in France beginning June and aim to cover quite a lot of miles including the French alps, route Napoleon etc. My boyfriend and I are considering on driving over to France next summer for 1 month and wild camping if possible to cut costs and just to live outside for a while. Here's our conversation. Anyone know how wild camping is viewed in France? establish specific rules pertaining to their own area. Required fields are marked *, Receive news updates via email from this site. However, if he does find you, chances are very low that he will punish you if he sees that you respect your surroundings. I'm planning a bike trip from Paris to Barcelona, taking minimal kit. Wild camping is forbidden at the edges of the lake and in the gorges. Should you use one or two trekking poles. Sharing hiking, camping and outdoor experiences. If you have correction, additions, remarks, etc. The Ardennes in the north-east and the Morvan peaks in Burgundy are popular with rambling Parisians. Additionally, you should be one hour away from the road. It is allowed on the beaches. Selected Discover the best campsites in France, from the Atlantic Coast and the Dordogne, to the high peaks of the Alps and Pyrénées. Camping, caravaning and motorhomes in the beautiful Corrèze, France Le Ranch Camping is situated in approximately 8 acres of beautiful wild meadow edged by trees to offer shelter and some dappled shade. Hello Lyn, Great website! There are a couple of things you should keep in mind however. So far a Kelly Kettle, sleeping mat+bag and a Hennessy hammock are on the kit list. Especially when you set it up late in the evening and leave early in the morning. We knew we wanted to stay off-grid for at least 3 nights. There is probably a reason. John Traynor, author of Lightweight Camping, has this advice for anyone thinking about free camping in France. Don’t light any fires. Because of this, they came up with the word bivouac. The shortest answer on this question is:in some places it’s legal, in most places it’s illegal. Wild camping is forbidden in all the forests. Including the police. You have to be at least one hour away from the borders of the Park, the entrance of the Park and the roads. Wild camping, campers and campfires are forbidden. It is forbidden to wild campon public roads or paths, on a listed site, within 500m of an historic monument & on the sea shore. When camping in the wild, however, there are a few rules to follow to avoid problems with the authorities and residents. Regretably we only have an android tablet and I have difficulty in finding a programme to open your file so all the comments are viewable, I dont suppose you have any suggestions of an app that might work? You can’t be certain that all of the information is 100% correct. France is a funny one when it comes to wild camping. Don’t make a fire – if you have to, keep it small and stealthy. France Passion is an excellent idea which offers free overnight parking to motorhomes and campervans around France. Leave no trace and always keep your surroundings clean. France is a popular destination area for holidaymakers of all ages as it’s just a short ferry or Eurotunnel journey from the UK. Wild camping in France. It changed our whole road trip experience and opened up lots more sleeping options. set up for the night in an unscheduled location, it's best to have at Share . My introduction to wild camping was crossing Europe back in 2007, when a lack of money made it a necessity. Wild camping in France. We had just purchased this wine, (and a few … The main idea, however, is to just spend the night somewhere, be gone early in the morning and don’t leave a trace. Rent a motorhome with Goboony and explore the beauty of France deeper through wild camping. Bivouac is tolerated outside the summer and – if private land – with consent of the owner of the land. Give consent that we may collect and use your data. All of the information in this article is found in online sources. On a discreet mountain edge overlooking the village of Morgiou, I thought I’d found the perfect spot to … Sometimes a bivouac is only allowed with a bivy sack, or sometimes not even that. You can stay at vineyards, snail farms, nature reserves and much more. In the south, forums report laissez-faire attitudes to wild camping around Saintes Maries-de-la-Mer in the Camargue. Wild camping works everywhere. , in most places it’s illegal. | Photo: Unsplash/Daniel Nainggolan Wild camping in France. Norway is a country where you can experience completely unparalleled natural beauty, and one of the best ways to do this is through wild camping. Pref next to fresh water etc for cleanliness? However, it would still be better not to get spotted at all. Wild camping and bivouac is forbidden in the entire park. permitted on the coast, in protected natural sites, and on the The only one who might find you is the forester, but if you stay discreet, chances are minimal. They hate that. The good, the bad, the funny and the warmhearted… we’d love to hear it all. Norway is known throughout the world for having some of the least restrictive camping laws, and you … Wild camping for multiple nights on the same spot is usually illegal unless you have specific permission from the owner of the land. If a regional park does not have specific rules, it will fall back to the general rules (which is rather vague, it might not be legal, but you can assume it’s tolerated). Bivouac is allowed when more than one hour away from the borders of the park or from the road, between 7pm and 9am. However, when they do take the effort to specifically forbid it, I would advise to respect that decision. You can find the official website about the French laws by clicking here. I have been getting some great information for preparing for my tour of Spain and France … Rural Online sources might be wrong, rules could change, etc. Wild camping for us is the best, back to nature so far one trip to spain and a few to france. To be honest, nobody really seem to care as long as you stay discreet (unless in certain National/Regional Parks and in crowded areas). Pitch your tent in the evening and be gone in the morning – this way, it will be very hard for people to spot you. This expertly chosen collection of campsites from the authors of the best selling Cool Camping France guidebook has everything from riverside campsites to woodland pitches, family-friendly camping to glamping sites, city break campsites to rural escapes. France is also one of the top three destinations for campers. I was reading many posts about wild camping, but never found anything useful for me. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. From this point, I will use the words used on the relevant websites. However. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. All photos by Bernard Descales. In certain areas (see “what does the law say”), With special permission (see “what does the law say”), You can find the official website about the French laws by. Wild camping is rarely legal and often not tolerated, while a bivouac is often legal and almost always tolerated. I’d like to think if its possible being discrete here in the UK, it must be easier in a much more vast area! Albanians have a habit of ignoring traffic laws, smoking regulations, and pretty much any rule. Bivouac is allowed only in certain areas and in a certain time periods.  Article. We live on-site with our 2 dogs, cat […] Wild Camping in France for Motorhomes – All You Need to Know . You have to be at least one hour away from the borders of the Park, the entrance of the Park and the roads. According to the Article R111-33, camping alone and the creation of campgrounds are prohibited. If you want to go wild camping, you must first contact the relevant township of the regional park Haute-Vallée de Chevreuse. However, there are certain exceptions: In the protected areas, in the field of visibility of buildings classified as Historic Monuments, parks and gardens classified or registered and subject to a perimeter of protection as well as in the areas of development of architecture and heritage; Within a radius of 200 meters around wells captured for consumption. The gorges 2020, 12:21 that said, it’s tolerated most of the Park, laws. They wild camping france not meant to target hikers the wilderness off to France in motorhome... 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