Hi guys , we are seasoned travellers in our caravan. We now have a motorhome as our boys have jumped ship . I have just booked ferries that will land us in France 17th May. I don't want to book any sites but now realise this weekend is whit bank holiday in France.We have ten days in France then 5 days to get us back to Rotterdam Do you think we will be ok to find a site on spec at this time of year or should we book in advance.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
Without knowing where you are landing in France, or which area you will be visiting, or what style of sites you prefer, or whether you have checked out the latest ACSI low season discounts, or whether like most motorhomers you will check out out a few Aires , which can rarely be booked …..It all makes it hard to advise, but personally I wouldn’t worry.
Last year we were already in France before the Whitsun weekend and wanted to move sites on the Friday. Just in case, I rang 3 sites we'd earmarked, and all were full! This was in the Loire area. We did manage to get in the 4th no problem though. Depends where you're going, if you have a site in mind, and want to stay for the weekend or longer, it wouldn't do any harm to check beforehand. Also, if you're after an overnighter near the port or tunnel, it may still be an idea to check, as that's also the weekend before the UK Bank Holiday at the end of May.
Edited to say that in over 30 years of going to France we've never booked a site, apart from a couple of times, when we've booked a site close to the tunnel as it was August BH when we arrived. But last year other sites we were on before that weekend seemed busier than normal, hence our decision to check sites beforehand, which turned out to be a good thing. Better than driving there and meeting the "Complet" sign at the entrance and having to turn back!
The Whit B/H isn't part of a week long (or longer) school holiday so unlikely to be that busy unless within easy reach of Paris.
We live in France, a couple of years ago we went to Interlude on the Ile de Re for "Whit week" - booked a mobile home. Site maybe 2 thirds full - and a fair number due to a conference on site and (diminishing) popularity with students just finishing finals. That's among the most popular sites in France that early in the season.
I'd get well south if you want decent weather - even living in the Dordogne mid May can be pretty variable.
Check on sites in areas you're interested in as by no means all will be open mid May.
We will be travelling from Dieppe , we don't have any particular plans , was going to check the weather . Think we will book somewhere in the Loire for the first weekend and go from there.
We found that over the last couple of years some ACSI sites have been very busy so much so that we've been turned away or just squeezed in. We had a much bigger motorhome at the time which may have contributed to this.
If you're thinking of heading somewhere that might be popular you may want to consider booking.
That said, we found plenty of sites that had plenty of space but things have been much busier the past couple of years.
Don't forget to leave a review of the French and other European campsites you have visited!
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Whit bank holiday
via mobile 14/12/2023 at 8:03pm
