Wild camping in euroland

Marmalade · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2009 Karma :

Any top tips, past history or nasty surprises while wild camping in europe, France specifically.

Any tips on finding a spot?

I usually go with cheap hotels or paid for sites but fancy a bit of camping on the cheap this weekend.
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G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

Harder than in the UK as there's very few hedgerows/stone walls to hide behind, but after a bit of riding around, I always found somewhere to sleep ok.

Being on a very capable trail bike certainly helped.

Just the usual stuff really - head for forested areas for better cover, etc.

One night in Italy there was a lot of dog barking, then I heard animal sounds close to me. I invoked the 'SEP' field and ignored.
Turns out that while I had stayed well away from other houses on the way in, there was a farm house just the other side of the rise I was camped next to. Reckon the farmer came out with dogs, decided I wasn't a problem and left again.

Stay away from alpine cows.

In France I camped somewhere that there was some scorching from a previous fire and some empty booze bottles. In the morning, saw a security van as I was packing up - made a point of exiting promptly, presume they were there for some other reason.

I really liked having a pop up tent - means little light shone around setting up in the dark and takes seconds (didn't bother to peg out most of the time.)

garth · World Chat Champion Joined: 15 Dec 2004 Karma :

I'm going end of the month, going to try and do a bit of wild camping if possible, I'll update this when I have / failed / been raped by bears.

P.addy · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

I'm of to Paella World in 2 days and am wild camping the whole time we are there.

I figure as long as we are out of the way, no one really cares, or so billions of forums say. They also say if you speak to someone who has larger than usual amounts of land, they are happy for you to set up for a night and head off in the morning.

There are LOADS of places you aren't "allowed" to camp in Spain, unsure about Frogland but certain regions in Spain like Aragon and Andalusia are a "Do not camp or we'll come shoot you/rape you" kinda areas.

The more you research the wildlife, the more you are put off, bears, lynx, scorpions, asp vipers... yeah... Laughing

_Iain_ · Banned Joined: 01 Feb 2012 Karma :

P.addy · Red Rocket Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Karma :

Nothing bar bears and lynx can kill you Wink

Marmalade · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2009 Karma :

G · The Voice of Reason Joined: 02 Feb 2002 Karma :

Ah; because I'm saying it is easier to wild camp in the UK than it is in Europe and you're confirming it's easy in Scotland, I'm the dopey one? Laughing

It is a bit early in the morning, so I'll forgive you Wink

.

Anyway, sorry, should have said 'England', because I know how the other parts of the UK love it when you use England to mean the whole Kingdom!

Marmalade · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2009 Karma :

Spudly · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Apr 2012 Karma :

Marmalade · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2009 Karma :

Spudly · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Apr 2012 Karma :

h, that explains it. Shame, I liked the username. Owner was a bit of a twat mind.
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The Old Apprentice

gorillaonabik... · Nearly there... Joined: 31 Jul 2011 Karma :

I am not a camper but used to live in the South of France.

I do not know about Northern or Central France but have happily kipped on beaches in PACA (Provence mainly). Have been to whole parties on beaches in places like the Calanques with 30+ revellers doing whatever party-loving revellers do on / around beaches at night.

The only places down South I have personally had issues with are Nice and the Cote d'Azur where police actively enforce the 'no kipping here' policy. This is all East of Toulon. As a note, I was in pretty public places and, erm, in one or two cases with a girl but more out-of-the-way areas will be fine.

Other than that I do not know.
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Mario_Kempes · Trackday Trickster Joined: 13 Jun 2013 Karma :

I've done a bit of wild camping in Catalonia near the French border. Got busted once and the police seemed pretty up for kicking my cunt in. Just acted as deferential as possible and got out of there.

The main reason they are so hard on it is because of the danger of forest fires. I've been here a decade now and there's been 2 really bad ones that I can remember off the top of my head.

Make a good effort to keep you and the bike well out of sight then hope for the best.