Tents are back! Time Out's essential guide to camping

Camping is cool again. And it has little to do with Cath Kidston designing tents. It seems we are yearning for the simple life – some no-frills respite from hectic city living. According to research company Mintel, over the last three years 23 per cent of Londoners have been camping; sites across Europe have seen a sharp rise in British visitors over the past five years. Granted, camping in a tent isn‘t everyone‘s cup of tea. Those ’Carry On‘ films, as well as GMTV outside broadcasts featuring a group of ’happy campers‘ in Cornwall in the pouring rain, might have something to do with it. But, as any camping aficionado will testify, there are few things more pleasant than an evening barbecue with beer followed by a good read by the light of a hissing gas lamp. It can be the most cost-effective family holiday – as little as £10 per night for a basic site in Europe – or a luxury trip, paying as much as £1,000 for three nights under the stars in Whistler, Canada. It‘s difficult to explain just how appealing and relaxing an outdoor hoilday is, but try it just once and you‘ll be hooked.

Where to go?
France is easily the most popular European destination for campers and caravanners, and no wonder: the weather is invariably dry and warm, it’s a doddle to get to by car and the scenery is often breathtaking. And that’s without taking into account the local village markets with all their fine wines, cheeses, pâtisseries and other wondrously tasty Gallic treats.

The best bet is to go for a privately owned, three- or four-star camping site with a pool, washing facilities and a decent restaurant-cum-café. Even the most expensive sites still work out far cheaper than the dingiest B&B or gite; around £25 per night for a family of four, including electricity and, in many cases, cold running water.

A good site should have clean ablution blocks with ‘proper’ loos, washing-up sinks and individual shower units. Its pitches should be fairly spacious (enough room for a ‘six-person’ tent, a kids’ tent and motor vehicle) and on firm, flat ground. Don’t expect the luxury of a nice soft, grassy pitch; in summer especially, the ground in France becomes hard-packed and very dusty, even at the best sites. But then, getting a little grubby’s part of the appeal. If you’ve got kids, and have chosen wisely, a large pool will keep them out of your hair for longer.

A quality campsite will almost certainly have its own café – from which you can order takeaways like fries, salad and pizza – a restaurant, and a small provisions shop supplying croissants, baguettes, milk, vegetables, tinned food, drinks, even bottled gas. Most decent sites offer ‘animation’ programmes for the kids (swimming games, painting, football etc) and allow free use of their sports facilities. And don’t forget to pack a set of boules.

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Gorges du Tarn and the Cévennes, Aveyron
The first vista of note that you come to on approaching this remarkably unspoilt region is Norman Foster’s magnificent Millau Viaduct, a monumentally tall road bridge spanning one of the many valleys. Then it’s over some rolling moorland before diving down to the amazing gorges that litter this neck of the woods. The Tarn is the most popular gorge for canoeing and kayaking and there is a beautiful corniche alongside. Likewise, the area is also a mecca for road cyclists and nature lovers.

The other gorges include the Dourbie and the Jonte, the latter of which has an established community of rare griffin vultures. A little further afield is the magnificent Cirque de Navacelle (a huge hollow made by a long-defunct bend in a river) and several Knights Templar villages. Magic.

Hillside heave: The Village of Cantobre

Where to camp?
Camping Val de Cantobre
Centred on a cluster of ancient buildings – which serve as a reception area, two decent restaurants, a cavern bar and well-stocked shop – Val de Cantobre is one of the finest sites in Europe. The welcome’s a warm one, there are all the facilities you could wish for (including fixed rentable fridges and croissant deliveries to your tent) and, because all the pitches are terraced (the site is hilly), the views are sublimely unrestricted. Nestling in the Dourbie valley and overlooking the distant, picturesque village of Cantobre, the early mornings here are pleasantly cool – until the sun pops over the hill and it feels like someone’s opened the oven door. The rustic village of Nant is a short cycle away.

True, the pool is fairly small, but that’s hardly a major concern. Small wonder, then, that it’s part of the reputable Les Castels chain. Matchless. Dogs and caravans welcome, and charcoal barbecues permitted. Also check out Cantobre’s new wildlife website at www.wildlife-holiday.com.
Val de Cantobre (0033 05 65 58 43 00/ www.valdecantobre.com/mail info@valdecantobre.com).

Lac d’Annecy, Haute Savoie
Nestling beneath the lower peaks that lead to the Alps, Lake Annecy is considered the cleanest lake in France, with some of the warmest water. Annecy itself is a pretty town, with waterways, interesting boutiques and quaint little thoroughfares. And it’s only an hour-and-a-half’s drive (85km) to the heady heights of Chamonix with its stupendous views of Mont Blanc; Geneva’s an even shorter drive away (just 45km). There’s a lovely short cycle track that runs along the west side of the lake but, generally speaking, the area’s not ideally suited to family cycling – far too many hills. Keen mountain bikers, though, will be in paradise.

Where to camp?
Camping de la Ravoire
A small, cosy (you might think too cosy, given the closeness of your neighbours) and immaculately kept site set some 800 metres from the shores of Lac d’Annecy. Unfortunately, you can’t see the lake from the site, but you can see the paragliders leaping off the nearby Col de la Forclaz. The 112 pitches themselves (21 with water and all with electricity) are on the small side with little in the way of dividing shrubbery, but at least they’re level and, if you’re lucky, grassy. ‘La Ravoire’ also has a decent pool with waterslide, a café serving takeaways, a TV/games room, a bouledrome and a volleyball-cum-badminton court. It’s a mostly peaceful site, and perfectly suited to those after

a bit of tranquillity. Booking essential for July and August.
Camping de la Ravoire (0033 04 50 44 37 80/www.camping-la-ravoire.fr/email info@camping-la-ravoire.fr).

Loire Valley
The flat section of the Loire Valley between Orléans and Blois may lack sublime views, but it’s an intoxicating place for culture vultures – and not too far from Calais. The whole of this area is dotted with magnificent châteaux, all with their own tales to tell. Because it’s so flat, this neck of the Loire region is ideal territory for family cycling; there’s an attractive ride alongside the river and plenty more in and around the woods of the majestical Château Chambord. There’s also the added appeal of being able to go boar-watching from rustic hides along the roads around Chambord. And there’s a fantastic international outdoor karting circuit nearby.

Where to camp?
Camping Chateau des Marais
This wonderfully woody and pleasantly rustic site is situated a couple of kilometres from the River Loire in the ample grounds of a quaint château. It has an amazing pool complex, a lovely terrace restaurant and bar, a provisions shop and a takeaway. Set in a sparse hornbeam wood, it offers a wonderful mixture of sun and shade and, strangely, very few creepy-crawlies. The pitches themselves (133, all with electricity and running water) are of a very decent size and thoughtfully separated by tall hedging. Facilities include mountain bike hire, children’s entertainment and canoeing on the River Loire. Caravans welcome. Highly recommended.
Château des Marais (0033 02 54 87 05 42/ www.chateau-des-marais.com/mail chateau.des.marais@wanadoo.fr).

Franche-Comté
This little-known area of north-eastern France (known as the Jura) is only about six hours from Calais, and just 70 kilometres or so from Geneva. The propensity of beautiful lakes amid the velvety-green hills gives the area a Lake District flavour. Consequently, it’s fabulous walking and mountain-biking country. If you stay in the vicinity of Lac de Chalain, we can wholeheartedly recommend a visit to the Cirque de Baume and the picturesque monastic town of Baume-les-Messieurs. Pop in and buy some local wine and honey. Not far away is the popular Cascades du Hérisson, a wonderfully lush staircase of water some 65 metres high. As it’s a hilly, northern area, the weather in the Jura can be a little changeable during the summer months, but it’s invariably still nice and hot.

Where to camp?
Sunêlia La Pergola
A huge, slickly run site on the shores of tranquil Lac de Chalain, probably the most hospitable lake in the Jura region. La Pergola has all the amenities of a four-star hotel – the beautiful lake itself, three pools, a Jacuzzi, an excellent restaurant with two adjoining takeaways, a bouledrome, sandy volleyball court, even canoe, pedalo and mountain bike hire. Most of the pitches are on hard, stony ground, but at least there’s plenty of space and hedging between you and your neighbour, and if you’re lucky, you might even get a pitch with views of the lake. All pitches have their own electricity and water supply. Oh, and don’t forget to take some bicycles – this is an enormous site.
Sunêlia La Pergola (0033 03 84 25 70 03/www.lapergola.com/email contact@lapergola.com).