Yay! You’ve decided to go glamping in France – Great Choice!
A break in nature, in lots of wide open space and plenty fresh air, far from the madding crowds is what you are dreaming about? Then you’ve cracked it! You’ve decided to go glamping in France!
As a couple considering glamping in France for a truly romantic getaway, you couldn’t go wrong, could you? It is the country of love afterall. Perhaps you think, “What a fantastic way to unplug from our busy city lives and slow down by spending time in nature, in an altogether different environment and better climate. And what better way to recharge our batteries and reconnect with each other”.
Well absolutely! Couples glamping in France can be all that and more! But if you’re a couple, there are some specific things to consider when selecting your glamping holiday haven in order to guarantee a perfect stay:-
1. Family Friendly or Foe?
Your accommodation may be “just for two” but check you aren’t on a family friendly site. Kids love camping and a family glamping trip is a great way to prise children away from their electronic devices and make memories that can last a lifetime. But what do excitable children make? Noise. Lots of noise. Family friendly and romantic couple breaks mix like oil and water. This will not be the tranquil escape you’ve been dreaming about!
2. Groups Aloud!
Great, you’ve found a site that’s exclusively for adults. But – are groups allowed? This, you need to check! Tell tale signs are the makeup of the accommodation on offer. If there are lots of units, many with twin beds, an additional sofa bed, or extra single beds, then this could point to a stag and hen do destination. Being in the middle of party central does not bode well for quiet, together time. And even if it’s quieter groups of walkers and the like, where there are extra beds in the accommodation that you don’t need, the interior design and space is bound to have been compromised. That romantic ambiance will be missing!
3. Getting Mixed Up!
It’s often the case that there are no minimum stays for pure camping, just pitch for a night or two and move on, that’s the beauty of it; freedom! All well and good but expect a high turnover of folk to-ing & fro-ing and all that goes with that; disturbance! Clunking of car doors and slamming of boots, the mildly heated conversations mid tent putting up and the hammering of tent pegs into the sun beaten, hard ground. And then there’s the mishmash aesthetic of this transient tented community which only detracts from the wow factor of the glamping accommodation. Something to bear in mind, particularly if cars can park right next to the tents!
4. Not Caring For Sharing
Shared facilities, ok some are absolutely top notch; but they are still shared. You will also find that, through recent, unprecedented times, most sites have added additional facilities or restricted the number of glamping units they offer to the number of facilities they have; allocating for personal use. Some have not. When sharing is necessary, whether it’s the kitchen or bathroom facilities or sun-beds around the pool, there will be times when others are where you want to be. Privacy is compromised and in between routine cleans, you are at the mercy of other peoples’ standards; how have they left things for you to find?
5. Camping Not Glamping!
The term glamping is a portmanteau which is the blending of two words and their meanings; glamour + camping. However, you may find that in some circumstances, applying the word glamour to an offering is a bit of a stretch. A few basic bell tents dotted around an unremarkable field, pitched straight onto grass with sparse, mismatched furniture and little thought for comfort or occasion, is, probably not, in the true sense of the word, “glamping”. But if you are looking for a rustic, back to nature, often budget (but not always!) break, where you haven’t had to pitch your own tent, then this could be it.
6. The Distant Relative
Some offerings, under the banner of Glamping, are sometimes just too far removed from camping. Imagine there being nowhere to even toast a marshmallow! Along with beautiful tents, there are now many unique structures that have either been purpose built or repurposed as luxury glamping accommodation. From aircraft cockpits to tree houses, there’s plenty of choice and some are to die for. But all glamping structures are not created equal. If it’s more holiday cottage than hobbit house, without that connection with the outdoors – to nature – then authentic camping experiences will not reside there. In this new world of swanky glamping real estate, outdoor space and somewhere to sit and natter around a roaring fire, should be non negotiable!
7. Being too close for comfort!
The whole idea of a romantic break away in nature is to have lots of space around you. The stack ’em high mentality also exists in beautiful rural locations where you will find pods or tents squeezed together in regimented rows. Close neighbours are not desirable. Check that glamping pods and especially tents, are not crammed together!
8. Food miles!
A tranquil, rural idyll is probably the perfect location for glamping in France; even better if it’s off the beaten track. But make sure you are super organised if provisions aren’t close by. Alternatively, make sure there are plenty of onsite eating options. Rural France has a wealth of produce, often organic and you will find sites that partner with local producers be able to offer, delicious breakfasts and fabulous barbecue packs and picnic lunches.
If you opt for an “in the middle of nowhere”, getaway-from-it-all kind of place (sounds perfect!) you should expect to have to drive to a restaurant (it’s the norm!). So as you might not want to do that every time you want to eat out, find somewhere with a table d’hôtes or pizzeria and you’ve cracked it! It’s so nice just to be able to stroll, hand in hand, across the meadow at the end of the evening!
9. Stuck Behind The Wheel!
As long as you avoid the tourist hotspots by venturing off the beaten track, the roads in rural France are a dream. There are no traffic jams here, just the odd delay while waiting for cows or tractors to move from one field to another, every now and again. One of the benefits of opting to go glamping in France is being able to just pack the car and drive to your destination. Ok, if you are coming from the UK that means a hop across the channel but hey, for those coming by Eurotunnel, you don’t even need to get out of your vehicle. But while you can make the journey part of the holiday, it’s really nice to know that once you arrive you can have some car free days. So check that there are walks, cycle routes & even cycle hire on your doorstep and other activities too; if you want to do a bit more than “just be” for a couple of days that is!
10. Dog Friendly.
Unless you have a dog, you probably want to avoid dog friendly establishments. A non pet owner will always know that someone else’s much loved K9 has been present. The tell-tale signs are there, lingering, in the air & in (and worse case on) the porous soft furnishings. Even if there is mixed accommodation on site (some dog friendly, some not) expect some barking, uninvited groin sniffing and undoubtedly, some dog poop finding (hopefully not when you are running barefoot through the meadow – ick!).
But conversely, if you have a dog and you are taking them with you, make sure your dog friendly selection is just that. Find a place that is going the extra mile, with dog bowls, extra shade and doggy treats to welcome your fur-baby. A place that accepts dogs but at best, tolerates them, won’t feel particularly friendly to the pets or their owners.
Here’s one way of easily avoiding all of the above! 😉
So there you have it, 10 things to consider before you reserve your glamping accommodation if you are a couple planning to go glamping in France for a romantic getaway.
With couple’s needs in mind at La Prairie Étoilée you will encounter no such pit falls. Created specifically to be a magical get-away-from-it-all glamping experience, exclusively for couples and situated at the very heart of rural France; La Prairie Étoilée is the perfect place for couples to slow down, totally relax and spend quality time together in nature.
If you’d like to know more, head over to the website www.laprairieetoilee.com
or get in touch by emailing bonjour@laprairieetoilee.com – we’d love to hear from you
à bientôt
Simon & Nadine
Check out our ecological and sustainable tourism principles in our Green Manifesto Our Pledge to the Planet!
