Does anyone happen to know how tolerant the French are (in general terms!) when it comes to the issue of wild camping??
I know that the French have more by-laws than you can shake a stick at but if there is a general opinion as to whether we are likely to be chased by pissed off Pierre it would be good to know!
My only experience was in 2012 on a one week trip of France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. We spent a couple of nights in France and just disappeared into woods as it was getting dark and was up early in the morning as you would do over here.
On the last night just outside Lille we headed into some woods with a definite no camping sign and saw runners, dog walkers and a man and his daughters on bikes. We waited a while and then set up camp on a clearing and then man and daughters came back past us! Said nothing to us and we were gone by 6.45am and on the Eurostar back to blighty.
So I would say same as here, use your common sense and keep out of sight and you will be fine.
I wild camped for 14 nights July 2014 in the Alps as far north as Annecy then made my way via most of the big cols to Provence and Mont Ventoux then over into the Pyrenees.
Used a Terra Nova jupiter bivvi bag, no tarp or anything, so was quite low profile.
A few people saw me once or twice but I never had any bother , always tried to camp out of site of the road and away from any houses, and used a trangia alcohol stove rather than my noisy MSR dragonfly.
Also don't rule out 'camper van areas'. In January I asked at one town hall if I could camp in their camper van area and they said yes, I then just camped in another without asking because it was so far out of town I didn't think anyone would mind. I did ride past another in the Gironde with a big 'no camping sign' though.
Wild camping a few people saw me setting up or taking down the tent and were more worried about me being cold than where I was camping. On one occasion a bloke walked past with his wife and did say 'allez' to me but I wasn't even putting the tent up just going through my gear off the side of a path.
I mostly camped in the dunes on my way down the west coast but it was January and so deserted, I don't think I would have been able to do that in the summer.
To be honest at times I was pretty brazen with some of my camping spots like below which was at the far end of a park on the edge of a small town (it was Sunday and the weather wasn't great).
All advice I would agree with. Bear in mind France is much more rural than England (not other parts of UK) and I find having been 'wild camping/travelling' through France for over 35 years, it helps if you ask at farms or houses or churches - most folks I have met are very accomodating. Even to the extent of being offered food, water, showers or even the occasional bed! Make sure you can speak at least a bit of french and always always be polite. Along GR routes people expect some folks to be camping out.... Be aware of hunting seasons and access. Mostly noted on local signs . If nobody is around do the usual set up late/depart early.
It's a lovely place to travel through. Enjoy and bonne route!
I may have mis-remembered but I believe I read somewhere that when cycling after dark in France you need to wear hi-vis by law. This may be incorrect and or not enforced. Gairy should be able to confirm either way.
It was something I read after the Trans Continental race last year but I may have got my country wrong.
Lyn from freewheelingfrance.com posted a comment on a blog I wrote about helmets/hi-viz in Spain, stating the following;
It’s not compulsory – ever – to wear a helmet in France.
You are, however, meant to wear a high-viz vest outside town centres, particularly after dark and in poor light/weather.
Yeah I didn't have a hi-viz top in France and had no problems at all. I don't think it's heavily enforced. Saying that I didn't really see much sign of the police that I remember!
Someone gave me one in Spain and pretty much insisted I took it. I then later had a chat with the Guardia Civil at one point about my lack of cycle helmet, donning my hi-viz seemed to placate them.
I spent about a week or so camping in France, but I never wild-camped. i just knocked on door and asked permission to camp on their land. Small farms and stuff it doesn't even feel too intrusive, although as I got closer to Paris the farms disappeared and I had to ask at people's house. that said, I only got rejected twice and I camped about ten or so times. I was routinely offered food and occasionally wine. Some of the random encounters were a lot of fun, so I heartily recommend asking to camp even if your French is terrible (mine certianly was, and it's only gotten worse since).
, always tried to camp out of site of the road and away from any houses, and used a trangia alcohol stove rather than my noisy MSR dragonfly.
