Magical municipals

Over the last 12 years, I've stayed at an awful lot of French campsites. I'd hate to hazard a guess at how many but, given that we used to spend up to five weeks travelling from campsite to campsite, often only staying a night or two before moving on, I can guarantee the number is well into the double figures. With number comes diversity - we've stayed in a lot of different types of campsite. We've stayed in all-singing, all-dancing campsites, like Le Soleil in Argeles-sur-Mer, with 800+ pitches, a pool, kids club, restaurant and a host of other facilities. At the other end of the scale, we've also stayed in small, quiet campsites, such as Les Portes du Trièves near Grenoble, where the toilet/washing block and reception are the only facilities. Of course, we've also stayed at lots somewhere in between, and the truth is that we like all types. They all serve a purpose - sometimes it's good to have somewhere quiet, where you're guaranteed to get a pitch and a good night's sleep. Sometimes it's nice to stay somewhere buzzy, where you can swim or eat out without leaving the campsite and the kids are always entertained.

The swimming pool at Le Soleil in the south of France

With diversity in size and facilities, of course, also comes diversity in price - and we have found a huge range of prices throughout our campsite experiences. On the whole, we've found camping to be cheaper in France than in the UK, paying over 50 euros for some of the bigger campsites but as little as 10 euros in some of the smaller ones. The cheapest campsites, we've discovered, tend to be municipals. For those who have never come across these before, municipal campsites are owned by the local authority and you can find them in most towns and large villages. They tend to be on the outskirts, but it is usually walkable to the town/village and thus to any facilities you may need. The campsites themselves tend to be low on facilities, as you would expect for a low price: you should find decent sanitary and washing up facilities, probably a couple of washing machines and maybe a children's playground - and that's probably it. However, you will often find that you are given free or reduced access to the local swimming pool and occasionally other local facilities (we've been offered free mini-golf and reduced cinema tickets in the past). Unless you have a desperate need for bells and whistles on site, municipal campsites make the perfect base for exploring France. You're likely to find one near most major sites and attractions, and you can usually walk into the town for dinner if you don't fancy campsite cooking.

Municipal campsite in Autun

Free municipal swimming pool in La Roche-Chalais

Municipal campsite in Gignac

Having just said that municipal campsites are low on facilities, there are exceptions. We had stayed at La Hallerais, just outside Dinan in Brittany, at least three times before we realised it was a municipal campsite. It has a small heated pool, tennis courts, a playground, table tennis and mini-golf, all free of charge. It also has a restaurant, a games room and a small shop, plus a large, well-staffed reception area. We returned (and still do) for several reasons: we really like the location, with its beautiful riverside walk into Dinan; it has good facilities and plenty to keep the children occupied; and the toilets and showers are some of the biggest and cleanest we've come across! But another huge draw has always been the price: a pitch for a tent and a family of four is just over 20 euros per night - and that's including all the facilities mentioned above! We had always wondered why it was so cheap compared to other similar campsites, until all was explained when we noticed the word 'municipal' on its website. So while you won't get anything on the Eurocamp level at a municipal campsite (or at a Eurocamp price!), there are bigger, more facilitied (is that a word?!) municipals out there if you look, so don't assume they're only for those who like a basic campsite!

One of our many pitches at La Hallerais over the years

Kids' swimming pool at La Hallerais

Wildflowers at La Hallerais

The riverside path from the campsite into Dinan

Even if you're not keen on spending the night under canvas, you don't have to rule out municipal campsites. Just like Eurocamp, municipal campsites do mobile homes too - and at a fraction of the cost! As a general rule, you can expect your mobile home to have a fully equipped kitchen, with a fridge, hobs and microwave (but no oven or dishwasher - sorry!), a toilet and shower, indoor and outdoor table and seating, and separate bedrooms for you and the kids (if travelling with a family). They cover all your needs - you have all the facilities you need in the home itself, plus you get to use the campsite facilities too - laundry, playground and whatever else you need. Hey, you can even use the campsite toilets and showers if yours are being used! You'll need to bring your own towels and sheets (although they can often be provided at a cost) but otherwise you have everything you need right there. It's drier than a tent, more private than a hostel and cheaper than AirBnB - what's not to love?! Just as an example, we recently spent a week in a mobile home in a municipal campsite at La Roche-Chalais in the Dordogne - it cost 190 euros for the four of us. A Eurocamp mobile home in the Dordogne over the same period would normally cost around £1,000. Yes, you'd get more facilities - but are they really worth £800 a week?! As with the price of camping, you can expect to pay more for a mobile home in those campsites with more facilities or in particularly desirable locations. Either way, it's an extremely cheap way to holiday if you don't like tents!

Our mobile home in the Dordogne

A few final tips: firstly, the Michelin guide to camping in France is particularly helpful for finding campsites, municipal or not. Secondly, you won't always find a website - or at least, not a very good one! - for municipal campsites; be prepared to do a bit of digging, emailing or even phoning. Thirdly, as municipal campsites don't tend to be frequented much by British tourists, the staff often speak no or limited English. If you speak a little French, it does come in very handy - if not, make Google Translate your friend! Finally, if travelling with children during the summer holidays, the middle to end of August is the cheapest time to go. What's classified as high season varies in France, but the middle of August onwards is apparently mid-season in the Dordogne, with Brittany following suit a week later - travelling at the beginning of August would have meant paying high-season prices, so it's a potential saving of £100-200 a week to travel a bit later!

Sadly, I've not come across municipal campsites anywhere other than France, although I hear that Portugal has a similar system. But if you fancy a cheap French adventure, give them a go - after all, money saved on your accommodation means more money for eating, days out and, of course, your next holiday!