What food basics to take camping... we're going to France HURRAH

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only 5 sleeps!!
and I am writing my packing list
just thinking it would be good to take tea bags (dh very particular about his morning cuppa) and some stuff for breakfast the first morning as we'll be arriving late the night before and kids will prob be up before the campsite shop opens.
Any other kitchen basics it is worth taking? We'll be there for 2 weeks..
Thank you :)

none! stop at a supermarket over there and get the local kit :-)

Where in France? We have just returned from camping near Lyon and the Alps.

Definitely take tea/coffee/long life milk/cereals and a couple of pot noodle type things because not all campsites have big shops.

Having said that, obviously I didn't eat any cereals, that was for the children, it was pain au chocolat and croissants every day for all of us!

If you've room I would take-

Kids favourite squash (at least to get you started before weaning them onto local stuff)
Some familiar snacks
Ketchup/other favourite condiments
Peanut butter/jam/nutella
Tea bags
Fruit/non messy food for giving out to avoid crisis moments on the journey.

Oh yes and cereal.

I'm having a self catering holiday in the uk soon.

As well as the above, I plan to take:

Pasta and jar of white sauce ( add cheese for easy and quick meal)
Cheap ( basic range) wash- up liquid and sponge
nutella
Beans
Bread/ rolls - 1-2 days supply

I would stock up on food before you get to the camp as camp shops tend to be expensive.

Bobbi ooh I know, can't wait for crusty bread and cheese and pate and wine. However I am trying to be organised so we avoid last year's debacle of arriving in the time of shut supermarkets and hungry wailing children...
.. and knew you seasoned campers would have top tips for other stuff - yes, of course, washing up liquid, thanks invicta. Happily the dcs hate squash so water will do for them, but dd has a ketchup thang so that is an excellent reminder felicity
belgo we are going to the coast near Perpignan.

SO EXCITED. Just ordered walkie talkies as my bro and parents will be staying in a different part of the same campsite and thought it might be a good way to annoy eachother communicate. Feel like a complete kid. Yay!

Very nice area. It will be hot. We stayed at a campsite near Carcasonne a couple of years ago, it was beautiful. If you can, visit the Citadel.

Take all the basics you can. Food is very expensive in France. Save your money for the wine and nice stuff.

Quenelle, is it really? We eat pretty simply on hols, bbqs & salads and then bread & milk & cheese .....which obv is all fresh & we'll get there. Maybe I'll take balsamic and dried herbs but not sure what else?!

Mmm getting images of sitting out eating olives and munching on BBQ chicken and drinking a Chablis in the balmy summer night!!

You definitely need to take teabags and instant coffee (French supermarkets tend to stock mostly filter coffee and tea bags are hard to find).
I usually take a days supply of pasta and sauce, cereals and long-life milk.
Many of the sites where we stay have deliveries of fresh bread and croissants etc. in the morning and you can order the night before so I don't take bread.
Apart from wine, food can be slightly more expensive in France (especially things like crisps, chocolate bars and English brands of cereal) so you often need to look for local alternatives. Also bear in mind that French supermarkets are open for much shorter hours (typically closing at 19.00 hours) and are often closed at lunch-times (12-2pm).

Ok, I think I'll take pasta and some tinned tuna & tomatoes actually too so I have at least one easy stand by meal. Ta, good advice

I normally take any spices I might use because I haven't always been able to get them, but mostly we just eat french food! Croissants, Baguettes, Pates, Stinky Cheese, Wine, Pastis...

Oh i really want to go to France now

EnglushGirl sorry! But not...

One more thing - Weds 15th August is a Bank holiday in France so most shops won't be open! (Bakeries seem to open every morning though!)

Oh- does that mean we can expect hellish traffic?!

Usually French motorways much quieter than the UK, but it will be busy (particularly roads to coastal areas) and service-areas on auto-routes could be packed. That was our experience last year, but still less traffic than UK motorways though!

We saw some fab fireworks last year on the 15th but the roads weren't too bad. We take teabags and Marmite but buy all other food there. Most breakfast cereals seem to be chocolate based, but we've found that the food was a little cheaper than last year and the set menus are very good value when eating out.
and that is down in the south in the tourist areas.

We're going on Monday and the only food we will take is Marmite. Everything else is easy to get there. Even baked beans (dd3's food of choice).

We generally find that if you root around the basics ranges in Super-U and Carrefour and similar it's not very different in cost from shopping in the UK. Some things cost more but others are cheaper, so it evens out.

I've just finished writing out a packing list... And doubt we'll get it all in the car as it is, so will be taking tea bags and nothing else by default! Dh has reminded me we 'need to leave space for 3 crates of wine on the way home'. Dcs will be staying in France then

All we take is Marmite and teabags.
Thanks for the info about Bank Holiday on Wednesday. We're going on Tuesday and I was planning a supermarket shop for Weds, so may have to rethink that one.

Wendeville whereabouts are you going?

Flying into Marseille, then travelling about 100k east to Le Lavandou
Travelling very light as we have to carry everything except the tent. Meeting my parents there with their caravan.

That's a lovely part of the country! One of my friends lived near Marseille for a year (I visited every chance I had!) and I went to Nice with dh pre-dcs, so I know it a little. We're heading further west, to a bit of France I don't know at all..