You'll already know if you're used to going camping in France: prices vary considerably between high and low season, and between different establishments. And why is that? Quite simply because the price will depend on a number of criteria, depending on whether you prefer a bare pitch on which to pitch your tent or motorhome, or whether you opt for a rental with more or less services. The same price variations will apply depending on the facilities and services available on the pitch and, of course, its location: whether it's a tourist spot or not, more or less far from the seaside or the lake...
Average price in high season: €30.1 per night on a bare pitch or €970 per week in a mobile home
On a bare pitch, you will pay an average of €30.1 per night for 2 adults with electricity. On average in France, this rate ranges from €16.1 for a non-rated site (without stars) - it was €14.9 5 years ago - to almost €60.6 for a 5-star campsite - €10 more than in 1999. Three-star establishments are the most numerous in France: on average, a night at one of these mid-range campsites will cost you €28 a night.
If you want to come with more than one person (with another adult or with teenagers), you will need to add an average of €5.1 per night per extra person, i.e. around €6 for a 3-star campsite or €9 for a ***** campsite.
To rent a standard mobile home (4 or 5 people), you'll pay between €336 and €727 per week for a 1-star campsite and €1,326 per week for a 5-star campsite. Note that weeks renting a mobile home can cost up to €2,246.6 at a ***** campsite, which is three times as much as at the most upmarket campsites. For the 'mid-range' (3-star), a week in a mobile home costs €729.
Understanding the differences in campsite prices
Why are there price differences depending on the campsite classification? It's easy to understand: a 4- or 5-star campsite will generally offer a swimming pool or even a water park worthy of a theme park, impressive entertainment and services for children, often a SPA, not to mention Wi-Fi access. All these facilities and services come at a price, of course.
The size and capacity of your accommodation will also influence the price: a mobile home, for example, can have just one bedroom... or up to 4!
The price will also depend on the level of comfort of the accommodation required:
- A standard rental - the basic rates - has a fully equipped kitchen, a terrace (but not always) and sometimes air conditioning as an option.
- Comfort and Grand Comfort rentals often include air-conditioning, top-quality beds (sometimes 160 cm) and bed linen/towel kits.
- A Premium rental will offer a range of unique services, such as top-of-the-range design features, a jacuzzi, real garden furniture with trees and even, why not, a private swimming pool? Inevitably, these top-of-the-range facilities and services push up the bill.
So if you choose an unusual rental or premium accommodation, with air conditioning and a jacuzzi on the terrace, for example, the price per week will be much higher. The price of the unusual and comfort ++ for your holidays!
You can also choose a large plot with private sanitary facilities (sink, shower, toilet), a very welcome luxury that will add to the rental price of the plot.
Campsites with or without a swimming pool?
Offering a swimming pool at your campsite is an investment that campsites have to make, but it's often a decisive argument for holidaymakers with children. The average price for a pitch at a campsite with a swimming pool or water park is almost 50% higher than at a campsite without one.
For example, while a night on a bare pitch at a 3-star campsite costs €28, it falls to €23.86 on average if the site does not have a swimming pool - and rises to €30 if it does.
All categories taken together, a pitch will cost you €11.3 more (per night) if the campsite has a swimming pool.
The campsite's location
Campsite prices also depend on the département. Among the most 'expensive' departments in France, you will (almost) exclusively find those on the Mediterranean or Atlantic coasts:
- In 2024, a small exception was made with the Paris Olympic Games: at €80.2 a night, the only campsite in Paris broke all records for prices. Similarly, at some campsites in the Yvelines, you had to pay almost €65 a night for a bare pitch!
- In the south of France, a bare pitch for 2 people costs an average of €45.10 per night in Hérault, €44.3 in Var, €38.8 in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, €39.4 in Pyrénées-Orientales, €37.97 in Bouches-du-Rhône and €37.31 in Alpes-Maritimes.
- On the Atlantic coast, for campsites in the west and south-west of the country, there are wide disparities, with Charente-Maritime, for example, costing an average of €29.4 a night at a campsite on the mainland, but 44.57€ for a campsite on the Ile de Ré and 44.84€ for a campsite on the Ile d'Oléron, the Pyrénées-Atlantiques (40.40€ per night), the Gironde (38.48€ per night) and finally the Landes or the Vendée (34.2€ per night).
Conversely, it will cost you less than €15 a night if you go to Eure-et-Loir, less than €15.43 a night in Indre, €17.1 a night in Eure (but almost €19 a night for a 4-star hotel), or around €17.5 a night on average in Yonne or Orne. These are not exactly departments renowned for swimming, but they do offer opportunities for nature walks or cultural discoveries, which are other assets for a successful holiday.
How can I pay less for camping?
A significant proportion of campsites - between 15% and 20% - have been using dynamic pricing for some years now (you know, like for flights or train tickets...). To put it simply, prices are adjusted according to market demand in real time, seasonality, weather conditions, etc. For the same campsite accommodation, the price you see on Monday will not be the same as the one you see on Tuesday. Our advice: book early, before everyone else.
Take advantage of promotional offers
Well in advance of early booking or at the last minute, campsites offer promotions, flash sales, sales or special Black Friday offers: stay 7 nights for 6, 30% off your first week... There are no miracles for taking advantage of these offers: arrive at the right time or check them regularly. CampingFrance.com allows campsites and chains to publish special offers, which you can consult in the Our special offers section.
Choose a location
If you're on a bit of a tight budget, don't go for a campsite located directly in THE seaside resort or a site with its feet right in the water: choose a campsite a few kilometres from the beach, where you'll benefit from lower prices and can still use your car (or bike!) to explore the surrounding area.
Finally, if you're not keen on having a swimming pool on the campsite (you prefer the beach or the river, or are more into hiking), we suggest you choose an unequipped campsite. You'll pay less per night, while benefiting from the campsite's other services and activities.
How are these figures calculated?
The prices given in this article are based on data from the official Camping-caravaning Guide (and therefore CampingFrance.com!), based on a sample of 1,436 campsites.