Large motorhome or twin-axle caravan: how to find a campsite in France that will take you

When does a motorhome or caravan count as large?

There is no official definition. On the road in France, the Code de la route allows up to 12 metres for a motorhome, 12 metres for a caravan including its A-frame, 18.75 metres for a car and caravan outfit, and 2.55 metres in width. No general maximum height is set. French campsites, for their part, have no obligation to take vehicles of that size: the limit is their pitches and their site roads.

In practice, trouble starts at around 8 metres for a motorhome and 10 metres for a car and caravan. You reach that point quickly: a 4.5 metre car and a caravan with a 6 metre body, plus the A-frame, already come to more than 11 metres. An 8 to 9 metre A-class motorhome or a twin-axle caravan counts as a large outfit almost everywhere.

The four obstacles when you arrive

• The size of the pitch. The French campsite classification standard sets a minimum area per pitch (80 m² from 3 stars) and an average area that rises with the number of stars. But an average hides differences: a site can have a few large pitches and many small ones.
• Site roads and bends. The standard requires clean, firm site roads, with no minimum width. A right-angle bend between two hedges, a tree or a low wall on the corner, and a long outfit no longer gets through, even if the pitch is big enough.
• Slopes and ground. An uphill entrance, terraced pitches or grass soaked after rain can stop a heavy vehicle, especially a front-wheel-drive motorhome.
• The site rules. Every French campsite has them, displayed at reception, and it is the manager who allows you in. The official model rules say nothing about length or twin axles, but some campsites restrict them in their own rules or on their website.

Five questions to ask before you book

1. “My outfit is X metres overall, A-frame included: do you have a pitch where it fits without unhitching?” Give the total length, not just the caravan's.
2. “What are the dimensions of the pitch you are booking for me?” Not the site average: the one you will get.
3. “Do the site roads to this pitch have tight bends, low trees or a slope?”
4. “Do you accept twin-axle caravans?” or “motorhomes over 8 metres?”
5. “If the pitch is not suitable when I arrive, can you offer me another one?”

Measuring your vehicle

Finding the right campsites on Campernest

In the search, the “Your accommodation” filter keeps only the campsites that really take caravans or motorhomes, not just rental accommodation. On each listing, the “Access by caravan and motorhome” block brings together what is known: twin-axle caravans accepted or refused according to the campsite's website, maximum length and pitch size when they are known. For an outfit over 10 metres, always phone the campsite before you set off.

To start, the page campsites for large motorhomes and caravans brings together the campsites that give their maximum length, those with the largest pitches and those that accept twin-axle caravans.

This information also comes from travellers. When you have got in with your caravan or motorhome, tell the other Nesters on the campsite's listing: the length of your outfit, the pitch, and whether access was easy or difficult. That is how everyone can find out, before leaving, whether their outfit will fit.

On arrival: look before you drive in

• Park in the reception car park, even if the barrier is open, and ask for the site map with your pitch on it.
• Walk the route to the pitch: bends, low branches, ground, room to manoeuvre.
• With a caravan, work out how you will get out again: reversing 50 metres along a narrow site road is much harder than driving in. A motor mover helps for the last few metres.
• With a motorhome, check there is room for levelling ramps if the pitch slopes.