Everyone loves a holiday, as a family we like to camp in France. It’s not for everyone, some people much prefer to stay at an all-inclusive hotel and have room service. To be honest, Linda and I would also like that, but with 3 kids it’s rather expensive, so camping in France it is.
The thing I really like about holidays is the anticipation. The run up to the holiday, you are only a few weeks away from leaving the house to go on holiday, and work is not quite so bad as you have a holiday coming up. This is why I tend to book our holiday in January, I have six months of looking forward to camping in France.
Preparation for holiday is a multi-step process for us. We have all the kit we require for the camping, we have to make sure we have the right snacks for the car and we need to make sure all the paperwork is complete. We travel 3 days, going south to the Mediterranean coast, just north of the Spanish border, making the journey as much of the holiday as we can.
Paperwork Required
V5, insurance documents, booking confirmation for the tunnel or ferry, booking confirmation for the campsites, route plans, passports, GHIC cards and insurances. The list is not endless but you need to be prepared.
The route plan is surprisingly important, at least to me. I need to know where I will stop for fuel and to pick up food for lunch, I really do dislike taking a chance that we will find something. This is especially important on a Sunday as France does not have the same opening hours as the UK and if the shops are open at all on a Sunday then it will only be until lunchtime. This is not as bad in the South and tourist areas now, but in areas without a large tourist industry you are best shopping on the Saturday.
The Kit
This is where the list can be endless. We have learnt over time to keep lists from previous years and amend the list when on holiday or at least as soon as we get back. The 20 years of doing this journey have meant that we are much better at packing only what we need, rather than throwing everything and the kitchen sink in the car just in case. We have a book, its green and it’s called the avocado book.
Tent
Sleeping bag (appropriate for summer nights, 5–10°C rating)
Sleeping mat or inflatable mattress
Camping pillow (or use a small travel pillow/stuffed sack)
Headlamp or torch (with spare batteries)
Camping chairs or foldable stool
Camping stove or portable gas burner
Gas canister(s)
Lighter/matches/firestarter
Cooking pot/pan, utensils, cutting board, mug, bowl, plate
bottle opener
Cool box or insulated bag
