Tents are back! Time Out's essential guide to camping
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Packing it in
One
of the biggest binds with camping is getting everything you need into
the car. Unless you’re planning on living it pretty rough and don’t
mind forfeiting some of life’s little luxuries, you might find that
your family hatchback is simply too small. The best bet for hatchback
and sedan owners is to fit a roof-rack container from Thule or
Halfords. This item alone will take your car’s capacity up to that of
an estate, the car of choice for most camping aficionados. The Volvo
estate seems to be the most popular vehicle among seasoned campers;
certainly in France. To put it to the test, last year we took along a
Volvo XC70 four-wheel drive estate and managed to fit in everything we
needed. The car was effortless to drive and supremely comfortable on
the long hike south to Millau.
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A word of caution when
transporting canister gas abroad: pack it in an easily accessible area
(out of the sun) because chances are Eurotunnel staff (possibly at the
ferry ports too) will ask to inspect them for security reasons.
Rummaging around in the depths of a packed boot space is no fun when
customs officials are impatiently looking on.
Getting there
Eurotunnel (aka Le Shuttle)
This
is the fastest way to cross the Channel by car. Shuttle trains run so
frequently you can just turn up. However, it’s advisable to book if
you’re travelling in school holidays. The journey itself is about 35
minutes long. Eurotunnel does not accept LPG-powered cars. Also an
ideal option for those who don’t want to burn up the environment by
driving is to take the Eurostar to Paris and change there for easy
access to nearly all of France’s best camping regions
(www.raileurope.co.uk).
Eurotunnel (08705 35 35 35/www.eurotunnel.com).
The ferry
Ferries
are always slower than the Chunnel, but there’s nothing like a stiff
sea breeze. If a ferry company offers it, we recommend spending the £10
extra to travel in the ship’s private lounge. P&O, for instance,
has spacious, quiet Club Lounges. P&O (08705 980333/ www.poferries.com).
Camping providers
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| One of Les Castels' gem
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Les Castels
We’ve only heard good reports about this
French organisation. It started in 1959, when founder Georges Pilliet
sought to get château owners to open their land to campers. Today, 41
independently owned four-star sites make up the chain and every one has
had to meet certain criteria. For instance, all Les Castels sites are
situated in the grounds of châteaux, mansions or historic buildings,
and most are located in tranquil areas of the countryside.
Les Castels (0033 02 23 16 03 20/ www.les-castels.com).
Eurocamp, Canvas Holidays and Keycamp
If
the thought of taking along a tent and masses of equipment fills you
with dread, why not try one of these holiday providers? Contact
Eurocamp, Canvas Holidays or Keycamp and they’ll arrange everything for
you. All three operate out of the best four-star campsites throughout
France; their pre-erected tents are spacious and filled with pretty
much everything you need. Simply turn up and move in. They also
specialise in the rental of mobile homes. And all offer excellent
‘animation’ programmes for kids.
Eurocamp (0870 9019
410/www.eurocamp.co.uk). Canvas Holidays (0870 192 1154/
www.canvasholidays.co.uk) Keycamp (0870 7000 740/ www.keycamp.co.uk).
