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Five luxury French campsites

Forget city chic – get back to la nature with these perfect pitches, says Hannah Russell

La Tuilerie in Limousin is a working farm with cows, sheep - and a collection of tepees and yurts

La Tuilerie in Limousin is a working farm with cows, sheep - and a collection of tepees and yurts

La Tuilerie, Limousin

La Tuilerie is a working farm with cows, sheep – and a collection of tepees and yurts. Sleeping up to six, they are all furnished with futons, tables, rugs, sheepskins, cushions and wood-burning stoves. A kitchen is located in the farmhouse, with the opportunity to cook on campfires outside and a communal four-course table d'hôtes offered once a week. All food is either grown on the farm itself or sourced locally, so guests can collect and cook fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat.

La Tuilerie, Limoges, Limousin (00 33 5 55 63 37 19; limousin-farm-holidays.com ). Tents start at €350 per week, including a welcome bakery basket.

Melusine, Poitou-Charentes

This campsite has three medieval-style pavilion tents, surrounded by wildflower meadows. Guests can picnic in their private garden, relax in a hammock or light a bonfire in the fire pit. Inside, the tents have sheepskins, Persian rugs and cushion-strewn beds. There's a plunge pool to cool off in, or petanque and badminton for the more energetic. The beaches of La Rochelle are also close by.

Melusine Camping, L'Aubourgere, St-Germain-de-Longue-Chaume, Deux-Sèvres, Poitou-Charentes (00 33 5 49 63 39 49; melusine-camping.com ). Tents start at €200 per week, self-catered.

Le Camp, Midi-Pyrénées

This collection of tents and yurts is a cut above. An hour's drive from Toulouse, they sit under an arboreal canopy with views over an expansive oak forest. Bathrooms are stocked with organic toiletries and have indoor/outdoor showers, while guests can collect and cook produce from the salad garden. There's also a natural swimming pool.

Le Camp, Varen, St-Antonin-Noble-Val, Tarne et Garonne, Midi-Pyrénées (00 33 611 943 368; lecamp.co.uk ). Yurts start at £115, tents £130, both include breakfast.

Canvas Chic, Rhône-Alps

Now three years old, this secluded camp by the Ardèche River gorge reinvents itself each year and, new for this summer, is the "Grand Coeur" yurt, which serves as a dining room and a space for yoga, meditation and recitals. The 14 spacious, Kazakh-style yurts are decorated with French and Moroccan furnishings, while a brisk hike into the gorge is rewarded with dramatic scenery.

Canvas Chic, Mas Serret, Labastide de Virac, Ardèche, Rhône-Alps (00 33 475 384 277; canvaschic.com ). Yurts start at €500 for three nights, half board.

La Croix Du Vieux Pont, Picardy

Only an hour and a half's drive outside the French capital, this extensive holiday park is a popular family site. There are three pools and a parkland play area, as well as a spa and gym, golf course, walks and river activities. Accommodation consists of tents, mobile homes, chalets and bungalows. New to the park this year is a clutch of chic safari-style tents, each with two spacious bedrooms, sprung beds, and a living area with kitchen and dining area.

La Croix du Vieux Pont, Berny-Rivière, Aisne, Picardy (00 33 3 23 55 50 02; eurocamp.co.uk ). Safari tents start at £525 per week, self-catered.

 

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Comments

The cost of getting there
[info]millytant wrote:
Friday, 10 July 2009 at 11:30 am (UTC)
Have you seen the cost of travelling over to France during the summer holidays - its outrageous!
Cheaper when you are there though
[info]millytant wrote:
Friday, 10 July 2009 at 11:38 am (UTC)
I wanted to mention that it may be worth holding back on any purchases of camping equipment until you arrive in France. The french hypermarkets usually have excellent quality sleeping bags, tents and other essential camping equipment at prices much MUCH lower than on the UK - especially in July.













(no subject) - [info]iq_tests - Monday, 20 July 2009 at 05:20 pm (UTC) Expand
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