guide
Yes, you can camp in France in winter, provided you pick a campsite that is genuinely open and equipped: most sites close, and many of those that call themselves “open all year” are not open for pitches. Of the 511 campsites we verified, 221 have an off-season opening confirmed by a source, 71 turn out to be seasonal and 219 remain unconfirmed. This guide helps you choose the right accommodation, check what matters before booking, equip yourself safely and find where to go.
The choice of accommodation decides everything else. Here is how we see it, based on what the campsites in our selection publish.
| Accommodation | Who it suits | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Heated chalet or mobile home | First winter stay, families, weekends | Is heating included or charged extra? Is the rental open on your dates? |
| Caravan or motorhome | Well-equipped travellers, skiers | Pitch amperage, suitable gas, frost-protected water, snow clearing |
| Tent | Experienced campers | Does the campsite accept tents in winter? Some campsites, such as Le Relais de Vallée Blanche, do not |
This last point comes as a surprise: on our pages, several campsites that are open in winter keep their pitches for the summer season. That is the case of Le Relais de Vallée Blanche in Sallanches, where tents are only accepted during the summer season, and of Le Marintan in Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne, whose pitches close from October to April while the chalets and mobile homes stay open. To sleep under canvas in January, you therefore have to start by finding a campsite that accepts it.
If you are heading to the slopes with a caravan, everything is covered in our guide to winter camping (known in France as caravaneige), with the choice of gas, selection criteria and mountain campsites by massif. We do not go over it again here.
The list is short, but each line spares you an unpleasant surprise. Put these questions to the campsite, by phone rather than through a form.
Our page “Why campsites close in winter and how to find those that stay open” covers the traps in “open all year” listings and the questions to ask. For a short stopover, chalets and mobile homes are the easiest to book.
You fight the cold first with insulation, well before heating: a thick ground mat or an insulating layer under the mattress, a sleeping bag suited to the stated temperature (read the comfort temperature, not the limit temperature), several thin layers rather than one thick one, dry socks for the night and a hot drink before bed. In a caravan or mobile home, close the curtains as soon as night falls and dry damp clothes outside the room where you sleep: humidity chills.
Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless and non-irritating gas, so you do not notice it. Santé publique France (the French public health agency) records around 4,000 poisonings a year in France, mostly in winter, and lists heaters, portable heaters, generators, barbecues and cookers among the appliances involved. Its prevention recommendations: ventilate well, have heating appliances serviced regularly, keep vents clear and install a carbon monoxide detector.
Translated to camping, and this is our advice rather than a quotation from an official text: never use an appliance that is not designed for indoor use inside a tent, caravan or mobile home, do not leave it running while you sleep without ventilation, and bring a carbon monoxide detector with a fresh battery. If you have a headache, nausea or feel unwell at the same time as other occupants, get out into the fresh air and call the emergency services (15, 18 or 112 in France). For details on the symptoms, see the Santé publique France page.
Vehicle equipment is regulated for driving into the mountains (French rules). According to service-public.gouv.fr, from 1 November to 31 March (page published for winter 2025-2026, to be rechecked for the current season), all vehicles with four or more wheels, motorhomes included, must be fitted in mountain areas marked by road signs with either four winter tyres carrying the 3PMSF marking or removable anti-skid devices (chains or snow socks) for at least two driven wheels. Vehicles with studded tyres are exempt. This requirement covers 34 départements in the Alps, Massif Central, Jura, Pyrenees and Vosges ranges. For motorhomes, our article “Motorhome in winter: laying up or travelling” also covers autonomy, water and vehicle equipment.
Of our 221 verified campsites, 131 are in the countryside, 57 in the mountains, 19 by the sea and 3 in a town. Each area has its own use.
| Area | Verified campsites | What for |
|---|---|---|
| Mountains | 57 | Ski slopes, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing |
| Countryside | 131 | Hiking, thermal spas, quiet, mushroom picking |
| Sea | 19 | Coastal walks, mild winter |
| Town | 3 | Sightseeing, stopover |
In the mountains, 49 of the 57 verified campsites mention skiing, a resort or nearby slopes. Camping Caravaneige Le Giffre in Samoëns, with heated washrooms and accommodation and the Grand Massif ski area, and Le Haut des Bluches in La Bresse, closed only from 8 November to 17 December 2026, are good examples. Depending on snowfall, ski areas open earlier or later: booking a winter camping stay depends on the slope calendar as much as on the campsite’s. At Las Closas (Err), from November to April the campsite only opens on weekends and school holidays according to the tourist office. By the sea, the appeal is walking and quiet; of our 221 campsites, 51 mention thermal spas or baths nearby and 109 mention hiking. To browse the whole list, see the pages mountain campsites and seaside campsites.
Here are some verified campsites open off-season, grouped by region, with a winter fact taken from their page. The dates are those published by the campsites: confirm them before booking.
For the other regions, the campsites by region pages of the portal list the verified campsites. Our calendar “Off-season camping: where to go from October to March” then guides you month by month.
In winter the good news is that low season is generally cheaper than summer, except during school holidays in the mountains, when you book early. Our pages show concrete deals: Au Jardin de la Ferme in Six-Fours-les-Plages applies a reduced rate on pitches from January to April and from October to December; La Forêt de Tessé (Charente) has a low season from 1 September to 30 June; Au Petit Port de l’Houmeau near La Rochelle offers long-term rental from September to April. If winter is your life project rather than a getaway, read our article on living year-round in a campsite or mobile home, which sets out what the law allows.
Do not rely on the directory alone: dates change from year to year, and several campsites publish their 2026-2027 calendar. Always confirm your dates by phone or in writing.