> The mobile home: the most popular
“Mobile” homes - because they are built on a frame with wheels - are by far the most common in the campsites. The mobile home, which has greatly developed over the past few years, often features vinyl cladding, a roof with two slopes in imitation slate, and decorative shutters. Enough to make them look like a small house, leading some campsites to rename them “cottages”. In most cases, they have an adjoining patio (sometimes covered).
Inside, there is a kitchen area, a living room/dining area, one, two or sometimes three bedrooms, and a bathroom with or without separate toilets.
When you book, you should bear in mind that a model for four does not necessarily mean that there are two bedrooms. There might only be one bedroom and a sofa bed in the living room. In most rental accommodation, there are two bedrooms, one with a double bed and one bedroom with two single beds for children. There is often a sofa bed in the living room. This is described as a mobile-home sleeping 4 to 6 people. If there are six of you, for reasons of comfort, it is better to opt for a mobile-home with three bedrooms. Over the past few years, in fact, campsites have been investing in this kind of accommodation to meet the needs, among others, of families with three children. And blended families: Some campsites have mobile homes with 4 to 6 bedrooms.
When booking, don’t hesitate to ask for details about the features of your mobile home, particularly when it was built. A mobile-home built over ten years ago and with a flat roof cannot be rented at the same price as a more recent construction. What’s more, let’s admit that it’s less pleasant, and from an aesthetic point of view... it’s quite ugly.
> The chalet: higher standards
Sometimes known in France as HLL (Habitation légère de loisirs: light leisure accommodation), the chalet looks very much like a wooden house with a tiled roof. The surface area varies from 25 to 40m². Considered as superior to a mobile home, the chalet is made from traditional materials to blend in with the landscape, and is of a higher standard than a mobile home even in terms of the facilities inside. But that is not always true! Sometimes the rent can also be much higher.
As is the case for a mobile home, the idea of a model accommodating 4-6 people often results in two bedrooms and a sofa bed in the living room. Of course, the chalet also has a large living room, including a kitchen opening onto the lounge/dining area. There is also a covered patio included in the overall surface area.
> The bungalow: canvas and (often) no bathroom
This term is sometimes overused and refers to a chalet and more generally to campsite rental accommodation. In open-air hotel services, the bungalow is a large, square, strong tent covering about 20 m². It has a floor. Inside, there are two separate bedrooms with beds, a living room/kitchenette. There is no toilet or bathroom, so the bungalow is closer to the camping spirit, because it means the occupants use the shared sanitary facilities. It strikes a nice balance between traditional camping and rented accommodation.
> Unusual rentals: another way to spend your camping holiday
As much to stand out from the crowd as out of ecological conviction, more and more campsites have introduced unusual accommodation into their rental range, highlighted in particular by the glamping spirit.
Ideal for those who want a holiday in a location that doesn't really look like their "home": in a gypsy caravan, a yurt, or even a tree house, renting on a campsite becomes downright exotic. Note: the level of comfort of these unusual accommodations is not the same everywhere. A wooden caravan or a modern yurt, for example, can have a shower room and toilet, which is not the case for a tree house perched 5 or 10 metres above the ground.
See a selection of campsites offering unusual accommodation