Au camping en français – Camping in French

One favorite French passe-temps (pastime) is camping alongside the beautiful French campagne (country side). Here are some popular places to camp in France, as well as some camping vocabulary below!

Le Ranolien, Brittany 

On the northwestern coast of France the Le Ranolien campsite in Brittany is found near Perros Guirec, a seaside resort that is known for its pink granite rock formations. This is an especially popular choice for those who are history buffs, as a walk along the coast will bring you to a building used to house the German army during WWII, complete with evidence of gunfire and bombings.

 

Les Péneyrals, Dordogne

Les Péneyrals campsite in the Dordogne is only 10 km from the famed Lascaux prehistoric cave. Unfortunately the original cave has been closed to the public since the late 60’s in order to be preserved, but an impressive replica has been built close by that can be visited and admired. The details have been carefully reproduced, even the temperature of the cave.

 

Lavender farm, Provence 

The area of Provence is known for its lavender farms, which makes for a picturesque camping site, as well as gorgeous pictures.

 

Le Belledonne campsite, The Alps

Could you imagine camping with a view of the sunning and most extensive mountain range across Europe? You could do just that at Le Belledonne campsite and enjoy plenty of hiking, summer skiing at Alpine resorts, and mountain climbing.

 

Château de Marais, Loire Valley

The Loire Valley is known for its beautiful châteaux and vineyards, so naturally it makes for a popular campsite. The Château de Marais campsite is close to the famous Château de Chambord, pictured below. The Château de Chambord is the largest and most recognizable châteaux in the Loire Valley. It is famous not only for its grand size, but also for its impeccable blend of Renaissance and Medieval French architecture.

 

Now for some French camping vocabulary:

Un sac de couchage – sleeping bag

Des jumelles – binoculars

Un sac a dos – a backpack

Une hache – a hatchet

Une casquette – a baseball cap

Une carte – a map

Une lampe de poche – a flashlight

Un thermos – a thermos

Des chaussures de randonnée – hiking shoes

Une tente – a tent

Un spray anti-moustiques – mosquito repellant

Un feu de camp – a campfire

Un couteau suisse – a Swiss army knife

Une trousse de secours – a first aid kit