Booking campsites in France (long)

[KnackeredOfLeeds]

We are going on our first overseas trip with our motorhome this August, driving down near Grenoble(S,E France) with ds3 and dd1 I want to make a couple of overnight stops (dijon, Burgandy area) where they play swim etc before having to pack them up for several hours driving, but I'm having difficulty finding/ picking sites. Can you just roll up in France or does it have to be booked a month in advance like the UK? Any info greatly appreciated..

I think you can just roll up.

Your post isn't even remotely long!

Mum and Dad used this model - we'd take the ferry to Le Havre, aiming for the Loire, and just stop when we got tired. Our goal was to find a campsite where we could eat, sleep and have breakfast before heading straight off again in the morning. My recollection is that we always found somewhere to stop, although not always on the first try and not always at a very well equipped site.

At many sites you can just roll up and it will be fine - but the more specific you are about the facilities you'd like the better off you'd be either booking in advance or at least having a short list.

Have you come across ukcampsite? They have reviews of a lot of sites in France as well as the UK. DH and I have stayed here two or three times now, once with DD1 (at 15 months). It's a bit further south - just south of Beaune - but we've found it to be a really friendly site, there's 3 pools (one inside, one outside and a toddler pool) and assorted small playgrounds, plus ducks on the lake. They sometimes have a bouncy castle outside the shop. And they do a lovely boeuf bourginon and chips take away - looking forward to having it again in September...

Another vote for Tangle's recommendation domaine eperviere. We did a 2 week Eurocamp stint there a couple of years ago. We loved it and the site takeaway does simply the lushest boeuf bourguignon ever. When you go to the takeaway, they want you to take 2 pans - one for the beef and another for the frites

The restaurant is pretty good too

If you're in the area I would recommend the cave at Buxy for a visit to stock up on some sensational wines. It's a fab, friendly, no pressure cave.

Am very at your visit in September Tangle

Sounds like you go to Burgundy for some of the same reasons as us, JetLi

We do have a soft spot for the Buxy co-op, as we got all our wedding wine direct from them - although that was in 2002 and the last time we went they did seem to have got just that little bit too big. The Cave de Bissey has a nice selection and is a bit less touristy. For whites we've found La Cave Des Grands Crus Blancs in Vinzelles to fit what we're looking for (and it fits in nicely with a trip to Cluny).

We've only been to the site with Canvas before - this is the first year we'll have been with our own tent. Which is really exciting and also really scary (haven't quite got things like refrigeration sorted, and we have to pitch with a hyper 3 yr old...) Still looking forward to it though - its been a pretty bad year so far so its a bit of a beacon to look forward to

Thanks for the recommendations Tangle - I'll file them away. We were there (I think) late September/early October - literally it was the final 2 weeks that the site was open, so we saw all the harvests. Sadly with the strength of the Euro at the moment we're not doing France this summer Finances just won't stretch to it I'm afraid. It's Cornwall instead which will be lovely I'm sure. I hope you have a fab time in September though

we have done several trips in motorhome in france, portugal and spain and nederlands, have camped under canvas in northern spain, italy switerland and france and never ever booked a campsite before arriving at the reception..

we also use the free airs in france and some have free electric and others charge for electric and a minimal charge for the night, the air in samur is free and so is the two electric points

there are hundreds of places to camp for free on stopovers in france and they are happy to let you as they think you will spend money in the town so camping for free benifits there town shops.

grenoble looked great as we drove through last summer - we went folkstone on the train to france as it was the chepaest and booked through the caravan club - it was cheaper than any of the ferries.

we drove up through belguim as the motorways are free - and also lux is cheaper for diseal and then down through france on the free A roads - the toll roads will be more expensive in a motor home than a car will cost and we found doing this route not that much further in miles and well worht the saving.

we stayed at epinal on the first night