Touring - camping france

hi, i am heading over to France tomorrow and im wondering about wild camping and asking people to camp in their gardens? would this work, as i want to save money and rather not spend 10 euros a night for a campsite. also can this be done in germany and switzerland?

thanks

you can only but ask,but i would rather have the 10euro in my pocket ,just in case.but good luck ,hope you enjoy your tour im off to france thursday.

I dont think you will be able top do that, particularly if you cant speak the language. The best thing about European campsites is the delivery of fresh bread at 6 a.m. In Sweden all land is open to the public.

I wild capped in france years ago whilst hitch hicking, but i was 19 and didnt care about anything, camped in the grounds of hotels, as well as middle of huge roundabounds

dmitrii i think you'll be ok ,your still young at heart people take kindly to lite minded folk.i seen a whole family of rumanians living on a roundabout in the dublin area (ireland) they were big news at the time they caused havock until they got rehoused.(fair play to them).emm not sure what became of them.anyway best of luck hope you save some bucks.

wild camping is no problem if you don't put your tent up (just sleeping bag and tarp), and stay hidden (duh!)... look for cheap "camping à la ferme" (farm camping) which usually means a primitive campsite on a farmyard with a basic shower/toilet block. Next cheapest are the "camping municipale" (council campground) good basic campsites, then come the private campsites with varying rates and facilities.
On the mediterraneann coast the campsites are VERY expensive in the summer, though a few kilometres inland you can find much cheaper.
Sleeping on the beach can be ok, but the police do patrol occasionally and you'll probably be woken up by the beach cleaning tractor (huge dragon kind of thing!)... hiding in the dunes is the best bet.
I usually check out a place to sleep first then move a way down the beach to cook and wait 'til it gets dark and people have gone home before going back to my sleeping spot.

If you do get problems with the police make sure they understand you're on a bike trip and will be moving on early in the morning... I believe it is possible to be fined, but have never actually heard about this happening (me I'm good at hiding ;) The french (even the police) have a soft spot for bicyclists :love: and "most" cars will pass with at least the legal one metre clearance on roads.


Have a beautiful tour de france :D

p.s oh there are a lot of "private" signs... respect these! The french have a lot of dogs (and the farmers mostly have shotguns handy!)

Wild camping in Switzerland is illegal, but possible if you're discrete. Keep an eye out for "schlaf im Stroh! (http://www.abenteuer-stroh.ch/en/default.asp)", which is a basic accommodation in a farmer's barn (w/ breakfast) for about CHF25. Have fun!