Yes, Otley too - but over the border in North Yorkshire. We have a Leeds postcode, but pay our council tax to Harrogate!
I work for a friend who has a small local company, internet based, and I manage to work whilst away, keeping my job going in the odd hour here and there at some time each day during the week. Only once have we paid for WiFi and that was whilst hosting a Caravan Club tour at Chateau du Gandspette, where I had to pay 3 euros an hour!
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
We're in Weston. We're spoiled really, living somewhere scenic even if the local government arrangements are a bit odd! We do benefit from the old-fashioned service we get from Harrogate in terms of street cleaning, rock salt deliveries, and drain-cleaning and I think our bills are lower than Leeds!! And until very recently we had proper dustbins which the bin men carried out of your garden and brought back again every week!
We've been holidaying in France for thirty-odd years, firstly ready-erected tents, and a caravan since 1993. We like the more 'scenic' parts of France - rugged hills and wildness, which reminds me more of home so we love the Massif Central and the upland areas of the southern Languedoc - though we do like the beaches on the Med too as the sea is much warmer. We met a French man at the Devonshire Fell a few weeks ago and he said the scenery around here reminded him of his home area in the Auvergne - but with more tourists!
We're sort of 'unmanicured' caravanners - we have just a sun canopy, no groundsheet, and live mostly outside, cooking under the canopy in the heat (or occasionally in the rain). We love the informality of most French campsites. No 'jockey-wheel' to the white marker post there - just find a pitch, any pitch, and put yourself on it, however you choose. We also like the facilities provided. We go out of high season, but still like campsites with a pool and bar, small shop and good value restaurant if possible, and we find plenty of those using the ACSI Card. We've been on one site in late May/early June where only ten pitches were occupied and we had the pool to ourselves for most of the holiday!
Val, we are going end of May, beginning of June. We must get the ferry booked this week! Having the campervan gives us the freedom to move around and to follow the sun if necessary. We will spend 5 - 7 days in La Tranche sur Mer with my parents and sisters on a site they have been going to on and off for nearly 30 years - we all spent 2 weeks there in 2012 (our first foreign adventure with the van), but we feel we would like to see a little bit more this time.
We are like you with the 'unmanicured-ness', we have a wind out awning and prefer to spend as much time outside as weather allows. We like informal sites, the only facility we really need is a loo, as we don't have one in the van! And of course a shower if the trip is more than a couple of days!! A pool, bar and restaurant on site are nice, but we can do without, especially if they are available within walking distance so we don't have to unpitch the van.
Thank you for all of your very informative posts here, you are a mine of very handy information!
Karen x
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
We've sometimes given up and just used the data on one of our phones, if there's a good signal. One place in Italy wanted 5e for an hour! The site we were at in Northern Spain was also expensive and you had to go and sit in a small hut, Sometimes it's worth comparing what you would pay for using your phone, turning on the hot spot sharing mode and everyone connection to that. Obviously check your tarrif and data allowance!
If you are a BT Broadband customer you could join FON. Their coverage in France is now much better and it's free. If you aren't a BT Broadband customer you can still use it but you have to pay. FON
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: WiFi on French Campsites
