Caravaning du Grand Sart

Camping du Grand Sart lies in Sainghin-en-Mélantois, a village in the Nord department south-east of Lille, about 15 km from the city centre and very close to the Stade Pierre-Mauroy. The fairly small site has about 80 shaded pitches marked out by hedges, for tents, caravans, vans and motorhomes. Some pitches have a stabilised surface, which suits heavy vehicles, and others are laid out for visitors with reduced mobility, close to the accessible washrooms.

The atmosphere is that of a family campsite run on a human scale. Two furnished chalets complete the offer, but they are designed for stays of more than three months and the campsite lists them as fully booked until the end of 2026, so they are not a standard holiday rental.

As for opening, the official website announces a welcome all year round. The washrooms stay open in winter and are heated, which allows motorhome and caravan owners to stop off in the off-season. The only restriction shown at the time of writing is that tents are not being accepted until April 2027. Reception is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 7pm; on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, arrivals are by reservation only.

This set-up suits mainly those who want to sleep near the Lille metropolitan area without paying city prices: weekend visitors, people attending an event at the stadium, cyclists or business travellers passing through.

Lille (Grand’Place, Vieux-Lille), the La Piscine museum in Roubaix, Tournai and Arras can be visited all year round; cycling routes starting from the campsite.

The campsite deliberately keeps things simple and concentrates its resources on the essentials. The spacious washrooms include facilities for visitors with reduced mobility (adapted washbasin, shower, WC and sink) and for children. They are open all year round and heated in winter. A dedicated area is provided for emptying chemical toilets and grey water, and reception explains how to use it.

A laundry room has a washing machine and a tumble dryer, which work with tokens sold at reception. Wifi is free for all campers. A boules court welcomes pétanque players all day, and reception offers a few practical services to make the stay easier.

The two rental chalets have a living room with open-plan kitchen (gas hob, microwave, fridge, crockery, television), a bathroom with WC and a mezzanine bedroom; bed linen is not provided. They are reserved for long stays and cannot be rented by the night.

The website mentions no swimming pool, no restaurant and no shop on site: for meals and shopping, you need to go to the neighbouring villages or to Lille. All the facilities described above work in the off-season, except for the tent pitches, which are currently closed until April 2027.

Here the appeal lies mainly in the location: the Lille metropolitan area can be explored from the campsite, by car, by public transport or by bike. The page devoted to cycling routes recommends rides starting right from the site and points to the Paris-Roubaix cycle route: you go to Fretin station, take the train to Valenciennes, then ride a route of moderate difficulty, 85 to 96 km long, to Roubaix.

The campsite itself has a boules court open all day. For outings, the campsite suggests the Grand’Place in Lille and Vieux-Lille, the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, the La Piscine museum in Roubaix, the Péronne-en-Mélantois marsh for nature, as well as Tournai in Belgium, Arras and the Centre historique minier in Lewarde. The Louvre-Lens is also among the suggested visits.

Most of these places can be visited in any season, which suits autumn and winter stays: museums, Lille city centre, markets and matches at the stadium do not depend on summer weather. No entertainment or kids’ club is announced on site; the campsite presents itself as a quiet place, to be used as a base for exploring the region.