|
French camping holidays
No doubt about it that the French have been the "market leaders," so to speak, in the camping stakes at least all my lifetime, and I am 62 at the time of writing. There is no wonder that the French as a nation choose to take holidays, camping or otherwise, in their own country as opposed to going abroad like we do from the UK. Yes of course some of them travel abroad but to nothing like the same extent that we do, so why do you think that is?
French people to whom I have talked say that their country has everything they need - different micro climates, some of the best weather in Europe, good food, excellent Blue Flag beaches to the west and south, and no language barrier! I agree with all of that entirely.
Now the French have always taken to camping holidays like the proverbial ducks to water, and to this day we have known them travel several hundreds of miles after work on Fridays for a weekend of good surfing on the west coast, and travel back again sometime on the Sunday, and they always camp. That makes for a cheap weekend in the sun if there are several people to split the fuel costs, and most of them drive diesels anyway which makes it even more economical. All they have to spend then is on camping fees and as they take their own tents that works out at peanuts anyway.
Of course, they don't all stay in tents as most camping site proprietors will let mobile homes out (usually out of high season) for weekend use, and this is also very cheap when split between four of them.
Quite honestly, I envy the French in that they have such a lovely country, and added to that most of them have a pretty good lifestyle as well which, try as I may, I simply cannot envision anyone here in the UK being able to match. It isn't just the camping, it's the whole way of life, and even in the north - apart from the wilderness of western Brittany in winter - they have such an enviable climate in which to bask and do their thing.
All of the above is probably a good pointer to why we British invade their country every summer to enjoy the simple delights of French camping holidays British style.
| 
