A Traveller's Checklist for Camping in France

So, you''ve booked your campsite, packed your luggage, and you''re all set to go camping in France But before you jump in the car and head off on your holiday, run through this checklist to make sure you haven''t missed anything essential

So, you''ve booked your campsite, packed your luggage, and you''re all set to go camping in France. But before you jump in the car and head off on your holiday, run through this checklist to make sure you haven''t missed anything essential...

Check Your Route, And Check Your Car

Many people who go camping in France will be driving and so you should take all of the usual precautions before any long car journey. Breaking down before you''ve even reached the campsite is no way to begin your holiday! Check your oil, brakes and tyres; make sure you have a spare tire, can of petrol, and so on. Also make sure you have some Euros for the French toll roads ? it''ll be embarrassing if you are caught short!

You should also double check the route you are going to take. Even if you have a GPS route finder for you car, make sure you''ve got good maps as a back up, and do a last minute check online to make sure that there are no road closures or traffic snarl ups. Plan an alternate route or two, just in case you run into difficulties or delays along the way.

Make Sure You Don''t Forget...

With most of the better campsites in France being well equipped with supplies and facilities, gone are the days when you would have to take an exhaustive selection of camping equipment with you. But that doesn''t mean you can afford to be too relaxed when you are packing. Before you go, double check that you have the following essential items...

-Passports
-Drivers license, registration, and insurance information
-Ferry Tickets
-Booking reservation for your campsite
-Travel Insurance documentation
-Photocopies of all the above
-Good quality roadmaps
-Euros

Plan for The Sunny Days...

For the first few days you''ll probably be happy enough relaxing in and around your tent, but eventually either you (or more likely, your children!) will be itching to get out and about. Local excursions will obviously depend on where you are camping in France, but there are usually plenty of day trips and excursions to choose from including beaches, cathedrals, vineyards and water parks.

Plan ahead to know what options are available to you, and make sure you have all the relevant information to hand. Internet access might be difficult to come by in and around your campsite, so make sure you''ve done your research and have the necessary information written down or printed out.

...And Plan For The Rainy Days...

If you''ve picked the right time to go camping in France, then hopefully the chance of rain will be fairly minimal. But rain is always possible when camping and it is best to have a contingency plan. No one should go on a camping holiday without a deck of cards and a few board games, of course, but make sure you research what entertainment facilities there are in the campsite itself, as well as any indoor activities nearby that you can head to when the clouds come in.

Follow these steps, and you''ll be well on your way to having a great time camping in France!

Lorraine Waddell is the brand and advertising manager of Canvas Holidays, a leading European camping operator that provides the best selection of holidays camping in France the internet can offer. With over 40 years of experience, Canvas offer superb camping holidays to France, Spain and a total of 9 European countries.