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With 7,370 campsites at 1 January 2026,1 France has the largest campsite capacity in Europe, about a third of the total, and the second largest in the world after the United States, as of 2016.2 The sector attracts both domestic travellers seeking affordable outdoor experiences and international visitors drawn to France's diverse landscapes, coastal areas, and mountain regions.3
How many campsites are there in France?
How are campsites classified in France?
At 1 January 2026, 1,608 of France's 7,370 campsites (22%) held four or five stars, while 1,924 (26%) were unclassified.1 French campsites are classified by a star rating system ranging from 1 to 5 stars, with a portion remaining unclassified.6
- The breakdown by star rating at 1 January 2026 showed: unclassified (1,924 campsites), 1-star (312 campsites), 2-star (1,179 campsites), 3-star (2,347 campsites), 4-star (1,327 campsites), and 5-star (281 campsites)1.
What do French campsite star ratings require?
What a campsite must offer depends on its official star rating, set by Atout France.6
- Supervised activities run by a staff animator are required at 4-star and 5-star campsites, and optional below that.6
- Kids' clubs are required at 5-star campsites, unless the site is marketed as adults-only.6
- Extra entertainment facilities, such as a disco, an open-air theatre, a dance floor or a stage, are optional at every level and earn points towards a campsite's rating.6
How many nights do people spend at French campsites?
French campsites recorded approximately 153.8 million overnight stays in 20257.
- Overnight stays increased by around 4% from 147.8 million in 2024 to 153.8 million in 20257.
- Compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019, when overnight stays were 128.6 million, this figure increased by 20% to 153.8 million by 20257.
- French campsites registered approximately 34 million guest arrivals in 2025, up from 23.5 million in 20218.
- Guests stayed an average of about 4.5 nights7 in 2025.8
- August (33%) and July (28%) accounted for most of 2025's nights, followed by June (12%), May (8.5%) and September (8.5%).9
- Foreign visitors spent 45.1 million of the 147.6 million nights recorded in the April–September 2025 season in metropolitan France, about 31%.3
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, nights fell 29% to 90.9 million in 2020, then recovered to 115.6 million in 2021 and have topped 140 million every year since 2022.7
How much does camping cost in France?
In the 2025 high season, a family of three paid an average of €50 per night for a campervan or caravan pitch at French campsites rated three stars or more.10 Costs still vary widely by season and location.
- France was cheaper than the European average of €52 per night in 2025, and well below Spain (€60), Italy (€66) and Croatia (€68).10
Which regions in France have the most campsites?
Occitanie and Nouvelle-Aquitaine host the largest number of camping facilities, with 2,564 establishments combined at 1 January 20261, representing 35% of France's total number of campsites.
| Rank | Region | Campsites | Share of all campsites |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Occitanie | 1,287 | 17.5% |
| 2 | Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 1,277 | 17.3% |
| 3 | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 1,150 | 15.6% |
| 4 | Bretagne | 682 | 9.3% |
| 5 | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 634 | 8.6% |
| 6 | Pays de la Loire | 563 | 7.6% |
| 7 | Hauts-de-France | 381 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | 311 | 4.2% |
| 9= | Normandie | 309 | 4.2% |
| 9= | Grand Est | 309 | 4.2% |
| 11 | Centre-Val de Loire | 218 | 3.0% |
| 12 | Corse | 185 | 2.5% |
| 13 | Île-de-France | 64 | 0.9% |
Which départements have the most campsites in France?
Vendée had the most campsites of any French département at 1 January 2026, with 310, ahead of Charente-Maritime (274) and Ardèche (265).11 The top 10 are almost all on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, with Ardèche and Dordogne the main inland exceptions.
| Rank | Département | Campsites |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vendée | 310 |
| 2 | Charente-Maritime | 274 |
| 3 | Ardèche | 265 |
| 4 | Finistère | 244 |
| 5 | Dordogne | 224 |
| 6 | Morbihan | 223 |
| 7= | Hérault | 209 |
| 7= | Var | 209 |
| 9 | Pyrénées-Orientales | 173 |
| 10 | Landes | 171 |
What types of accommodation are available at campsites in France?
In the April–September 2025 season, equipped pitches such as mobile homes and chalets drew 59% of campsite nights in metropolitan France, although bare pitches still made up 56% of all pitches.3
- Bare pitches (for tents, caravans, or campervans) numbered 356,200 in the April–September 2025 season, in metropolitan France, constituting 56% of total pitches available and accounting for 41% of total nights spent3.
- Equipped pitches (mobile homes, chalets, furnished tents) totalled 283,500 in the April–September 2025 season, in metropolitan France, representing 44% of total pitches and accounting for 59% of total nights spent3.
- An estimated 250,000 mobile homes were installed in French campsites.12
- Glamping and unusual stays such as treehouses, yurts and lodge tents are one of the ways the FNHPA, the campsite owners' federation, is helping France's 3,000 small campsites renew their offer.13
- Long-stay pitches, rented by the year rather than to passing guests, numbered 160,477 at 1 January 2026, about 19% of France's 848,302 campsite pitches.5
Other Resources
What facilities and amenities do campsites offer in France?
Campsites in France offer a range of facilities.12
- Swimming pools are available at 49.5% of campsites.12
- Wi-Fi access is offered by 63% of campsites.12
- Bar services are available at 53% of establishments.12
- Restaurant or catering services are provided by 43% of campsites.12
- Grocery stores or supply points are found at 42% of sites.12
- Water slides are featured at 14% of campsites.12
- Spa or Jacuzzi facilities are offered by 9.5% of sites.12
What is the economic impact of campsites in France?
The camping sector supported an estimated €31 billion of economic activity and 196,000 full-time-equivalent jobs in France in 2025, about 0.5% of GDP.14 That counts campsites' own business, their spending with suppliers and their guests' spending nearby.
- Campsites generated an estimated €4.7 billion in turnover and 34,540 full-time-equivalent jobs in 2025.14
- Campers spend an estimated €9.8 billion a year outside the campsite, mainly on transport, eating out and food.14
- Campsites were France's largest provider of commercial tourist beds at 1 January 2015, with 2.67 million of 5.39 million, against 1.28 million in hotels.15
Motorhome rental in Europe
- France motorhome rental
- Paris motorhome rental
- Motorhome rental in Croatia
- Motorhome rental in Dublin
- Greece motorhome rental
- Lisbon motorhome rental
- London campervan rental
- Munich motorhome rental
- Rome motorhome rental
- Motorhome rental in Switzerland
References
- Insee — Capacité des communes en hébergement touristique (campings, hôtels) · insee.fr ↑ b c d e f g
- Insee — Tableaux de l'économie française, édition 2018: Tourisme · insee.fr ↑
- Insee — Parc et fréquentation des campings, données annuelles · insee.fr ↑ b c d e
- Insee — Dossier complet France entière (TOU T2: nombre et capacité des campings au 1er janvier 2020), archived June 2020 · web.archive.org ↑
- Insee — Capacité en hébergement touristique: emplacements de camping en France au 1er janvier 2026 (DS_TOUR_CAP) · api.insee.fr ↑ b
- Atout France — Référentiel de classement des terrains de camping et PRL · atout-france.fr ↑ b c d e
- Eurostat — Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments (tour_occ_ninat) · ec.europa.eu ↑ b c d e
- Eurostat — Arrivals at tourist accommodation establishments (tour_occ_arnat) · ec.europa.eu ↑ b
- Eurostat — Nights spent at tourist accommodation establishments, monthly data (tour_occ_nim) · ec.europa.eu ↑
- PiNCAMP Price Analysis 2025: Camping Prices Rise Moderately · business.pincamp.com ↑ b
- Insee — Capacité en hébergement touristique: campings par département au 1er janvier 2026 (DS_TOUR_CAP) · api.insee.fr ↑ b
- FFCC — Les chiffres clés · ffcc.fr ↑ b c d e f g h i
- FNHPA — Dossier de presse 2024: Camping 2024, le succès des vacances pour tous · fnhpa-pro.fr ↑
- FNHPA — Dossier de presse 2026 (incl. Asterès study of the camping sector's economic footprint in 2025) · fnhpa-pro.fr ↑ b c
- Insee — Tableaux de l'économie française, édition 2016: Tourisme · insee.fr ↑
- Insee: French Tourism and Camping Statistics · insee.fr
- FNHPA — Campsite Numbers Nationwide and Regional Data · fnhpa-pro.fr
- FFCC: Camping Community Insights and Trends · ffcc.fr
- Eurostat — FRA Route Information and Performance Data · ec.europa.eu
