When and where is wild camping forbidden in France?

Camping holidays are increasingly popular in France, but what are the rules if you want to escape the constraints of a campsite and set up your tent as you go? Beware: you cannot just pitch up anywhere.

Firstly, it depends on the style of ‘camping’, and whether it can be defined as ‘bivouacking’ or ‘camping’ with a vehicle.

• Bivouacking: Sleeping wild without a tent, or pitching a small and light tent for a single night, usually done by hikers or mountaineers.

• Camping: Setting up camp for longer with a larger tent, and/or perhaps with a vehicle or campervan.

What does the law say about wild camping in France?

Article R111-32 from the Code de l’Urbanisme states: 

• Pitching a tend for one night or more in the countryside is legal, provided you have the landowner’s permission, and there is not a ban on camping in that place (see list below)

• Setting up camp for several days with a vehicle is less tolerated

There are some places in which wild camping, even bivouacking, is banned. The full list is outlined in Article R111-33.

The list includes:

• Sea shores

• Listed or protected sites

• Sites that are classified or awaiting classification

• Areas protected within the field of vision of buildings classified as historic monuments

• Areas designated for the protection of architectural, urban or landscape heritage

• Forests and woods in which a fire risk has been declared

• Nature reserves, Parcs Nationaux, or Parcs Régionaux

• Within 200 metres of water sources used for public consumption 

• Within 500 metres of designated historical sites

Bivouacking v camping

Some areas, particularly regional and national parks, are strict about whether campers are considered to be bivouacking or camping. In many cases, permissions and bans for each are outlined further by local by-laws or decrees, so campers are advised to check carefully before heading out.

The website lecampingsauvage.fr lists the regulations for each of France's nature parks. For example: 

• Parc national de la Vanoise: All wild camping and bivouacking banned, except near refuges

• Parc national des Cévennes: The national park's website states that only bivouacking is allowed, without motorised vehicles. Campers must stay 50 metres away from each side of marked hiking trails. They must not use tents, or only use lightweight tents that cannot be stood up in. They must stay for one night only, and be present only between the hours of 19:00 and 09:00. 

• Parc National du Mercantour: Bivouacking allowed more than one hour’s walk into the park area, between 19:00 and 09:00. Use of a tent you can stand in, a caravan, or other shelter is banned.

The Le Camping Sauvage website does not just list rules or national parks, it also has a map of places in which wild camping and bivouacking are permitted nationwide. This is peer-created; campers add locations themselves.

Overall, wild campers and bivouackers are advised to:

• Arrive late and leave early

• Respect the environment

• Do not light a fire if it is not safe/unless you have to, and always put it out completely

• Choose a discreet location

• Remove all traces of your visit when you leave and do not leave any waste

• Do not spread out too much

What are the penalties for breaking the rules?

The penalties depend on the situation, and can be severe.

For example:

• Wild camping or bivouacking inside a nature reserve that does not allow it is punishable under Article R. 332-70 of the Code, which is a third-class offence, with a fine of up to €450.

• If your tent is pitched within a listed or classified natural monument, this is a criminal offence under Article L. 341-19 of the Code. Penalties range from six months to two years' in prison and a fine of €100,000 - €375,000.

The penalties in France are considerable; in some countries, including in Scandinavia and in Scotland, for example, wild camping is much more tolerated, particularly if campers only stay for one night and are unobtrusive (e.g. no excess noise, no rubbish, no large fires).

The warnings about wild camping come as national figures show that holiday camping is rising in popularity in general, and a new ranking of the top national sites was unveiled by Pitchup.com, in the Pitchup Review Awards 2024, on May 23.

Read more: New ranking shows ‘best campsites’ in France

The 'best' campsites vary in their facilities and sophistication, but most have toilets and showers. Some also offer extras such as an on-site pool, sports and family activities, a shop, restaurant, and/or bar.