Advice on wild camping?

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barnesy

Well-Known Member
Hi,

A friend and i are planning to cycle france to Barcelona and then up to Monaco in late May, and hopefully catch 2 grand prixs on the way.

We plan to go low budget so wild camping may be in order, although ive heard campsites are quite cheap and abundant in France?

Has anybody got any good tips on wild camping, maybe links to guide on finding good spots etc?
 
I have no particular advice to offer, I just wanted to say how envious I am ... sounds like a great trip. I'll be scrutineering at the season opener in Bahrain, but that'll be my only one this year.
 

vernon

Harder than Ronnie Pickering
Location
Meanwood, Leeds
Sometimes it isn't easy to find a campsite or a secluded spot for wild camping especially in the vast areas without trees, hedges and walls.

Municipal camp sites can be as cheap as 4€ per person.
 
Location
Midlands
I do not think other peoples tips are much help when it comes to finding places to wild camp - it is about opportunity - and having a plan - the more you do it the easier it becomes to spot the little places that you can use for the night

Personally I do not wild camp by choice but when it becomes obvious that I am going to have to I make sure that

  1. I am not in a town or city
  2. that I have enough water for cooking and coffee
  3. about 1 hour from dark I start to look for suitable places - generally near the road I am on but screened from it
  4. I am gone well early in the morning
France is not that easy to find places in as in a lot of areas everything is cultivated and often well fenced - where it is not cultivated there is normally a good reason for it not being cultivated and putting a tent up would be quite difficult - not to say that it is impossible to find somewhere though - along the med coast it will not be that easy to wild camp as much of it is developed

Spain is easier as they tend to be a bit more careless about leaving little bits and pieces of land that can be used

Plenty of cheap Municipal campsites as you go south but they become more expensive with proximity to the med
 

andym

Über Member
Yes campsites in France are veryy reasonable value - travelling on my own I would normally allow 7-9 euros a night, but it might well be cheaper for two if you are sharing a tent.

Information is very easy to come by. Google Maps is a really valuable tool as it enables you to check the campsites along your route without having to know the name of the location. Alternatively every commune (well almost), and every department and every region has a tourism website which will give you the information you need. And it's all free. There are also guidebooks which provide listing - the most useful/comprehensive are in French eg the Guide Routard.

Bear in mind, that wild camping is definitely illegal along the coast. In national parks 'bivuoacking' (how is that word spelt?) may be permitted, but may be restricted to certain places. Best to check.

If you do wild camp or camp somewhere with permission try not to leave any trace.

If you are stuck somewhere one option would be to ask permission. Obviously if you are somewhere really remote then there will be no one around to ask but equally, with luck, no one to object.

Also don't rule out hostels and gites d'étape which can be very good value.
 

MarkF

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
Hi,

A friend and i are planning to cycle france to Barcelona and then up to Monaco in late May, and hopefully catch 2 grand prixs on the way.

We plan to go low budget so wild camping may be in order, although ive heard campsites are quite cheap and abundant in France?

Has anybody got any good tips on wild camping, maybe links to guide on finding good spots etc?

Sounds a great idea. I've never wild camped in France, for me it's not worth the cash saving to forfeit the lack of hassle and a good shower. I've camped on the beaches north of Barcelona though, without a problem, not in resorts of course.
 
If you're going to be wild camping at that time of year, then it's unlikely you'll need a tent. It'll be warm to hot, so a comfy mattress (like an Exped or Thermarest etc), summer sleeping bag or silk sheet and possibly a light tarpaulin is all you'll need 'sleeping-wise'.

It is nice to have a tent from time to time, mainly to have a long interrupted rest, if need be; also, having access to toilets and showers is BLISSFUL when you've been on the road a while and haven't any more clean clothes.

Sounds like it'll be fun, though.
 

andym

Über Member
Sounds a great idea. I've never wild camped in France, for me it's not worth the cash saving to forfeit the lack of hassle and a good shower. I've camped on the beaches north of Barcelona though, without a problem, not in resorts of course.

Don't want to sound like a grumpy old man, but people can and do get fined for sleeping on the beaches in Spain (as well as France). The law applies to all the beaches not just those in resorts. So if you're going to do it make sure you're well hidden, don't light fires and remember try to avoid places that look like they might be protected/sensitive environments.

If you're going to be wild camping at that time of year, then it's unlikely you'll need a tent. It'll be warm to hot, so a comfy mattress (like an Exped or Thermarest etc), summer sleeping bag or silk sheet and possibly a light tarpaulin is all you'll need 'sleeping-wise'.

I was thinking: 'he must be a lot more resistant to the cold than I am', then I saw that you were from Oslo. So I guess that explains it.
 

Brains

Legendary Member
Location
Greenwich
Done a lot of wild camping in France. However mostly in the Alps.
They have an unwritten rule of "7 to 7" - don't pitch before 7pm and be gone by 7am

Wild camping is all about finding the right spot and over the years we have found some brilliant ones
 

Banjo

Fuelled with Jelly Babies
Location
South Wales
P Smiffy mentioned making sure you have water. Same applies to food. Buy it early in the day. No good finding a great spot and then realizing you have a ten mile eachway journey to buy food and water.A green low profile tent makes you less conspicuous.

Im no expert but have managed to learn from my mistakes on the couple of short trips I have done. Lots more mistakes to make this summer Im sure.:biggrin:
013-4.jpg


Invisible from the road.
 
Location
Midlands
If you're going to be wild camping at that time of year, then it's unlikely you'll need a tent. It'll be warm to hot, so a comfy mattress (like an Exped or Thermarest etc), summer sleeping bag or silk sheet and possibly a light tarpaulin is all you'll need 'sleeping-wise'.

If it is a nice night I quite often just lay out a groundsheet and not bother with the tent - however, in mid -summer along the med you often get some very "good" thunderstorms :rain: in the evening and night - easily recognisable as they approach by the noisy flash things
P Smiffy mentioned making sure you have water. Same applies to food.

No apologies :laugh: - food for me is a default situation

That I have enough water for cooking :hungry: and coffee

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Camping Savauge - Pelopanese -1000m
 
Tip No.1 Get a good tent.

Tip No.2 Don't let the wife/husband/partner find out you just bought a new lightweight, small, green tent when you already have a heavier, bigger, well used, purple one that sufficed last year.
 
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