One-star campsites are fairly basic (and becoming increasingly rare as owners compete to improve amenities, gain extra stars and attract more custom), but two-star sites (the most numerous) generally provide a reasonable level of comfort. Municipal sites, often found on the edge of towns and villages, usually fall into this category, though there are some achieving higher grades. Three and four stars usually mean some level of luxury, often extending to first-class restaurants popular with locals as well as campers and beautifully landscaped swimming pools.

The most popular route across the Channel is by ferry or tunnel to Calais, and while the immediate area won't encourage you to linger, a short drive south along the coast will bring you to Boulogne. Here the old town is a delight of exploration, with its basilica and many restaurants, while overlooking the sweeping sands, Nausicaa is one of the finest aquarium's you'll find anywhere. Farther south, Le Touquet, a once fashionable resort that still retains a high level of popularity, also has a beautiful beach where you can see or indulge in sand-yachting at low tide, and the town is quite lively too.

Most people, however, head farther west for Brittany and, to a lesser extent, Normandy, which includes the most famous sight in France outside Paris - Mont St Michel.

Brittany's seaside highlights are many, from the medieval walled town of St Malo and Dinard, its attractive neighbour resort delightfully sprawled around inlets across the Rance estuary, all the way to the mouth of the River Loire and La Baule, all fine sands and warm seas which could pass as a chic resort on the Mediterranean.

Follow the Loire, probably the most majestic of France's rivers, inland, and you'll see some of the finest chateaux in the nation, built pre-Revolution for aristocrats, kings and queens. Among the best are those of Chambord, Blois, Cheverny, Amboise, Chenonceau, Chinon, Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau and Saumur, but there are many more. Worth exploring, too, are the towns of Orleans, Tours and Angers. And don't forget the excellent wines of the region, such as Vouvray, Bourgueil and Sancerre.

South of the Loire estuary, the coastal character changes, with Pornic the last reminder of Breton coastal scapes. Beyond, the inland areas become marshy and are separated from the sea by sand-dunes and pine forests. This is the Vendée, a much favoured area of campers, with resorts like St Jean-de-Monts, St Hilaire-de-Riez and Les Sables-d'Olonne, all popular destinations. But if you want more than a beach holiday be prepared to drive inland a little.

Camping La Boutinardière, Pornic, Loire Atlantique, France

Off-shore, three islands, the Ile de Noirmoutier, Ile de Ré and Ile d'Oléron, all connected to the mainland by toll bridges, can be crowded in high season, but on the mainland, La Rochelle, built around its medieval harbour, is one of the most charming towns on the west coast. Farther south, Royan is a fashionable resort, but beyond the mouth of the River Gironde there's a seemingly never-ending playground stretching for around 200km to Biarritz. The coast of Aquitaine comprises huge stretches of sandy beach backed by sand dunes and pine forests that provide endless fun for children. But beware the surf - the Atlantic rollers that crash ashore can be awesome. Resorts on this coast are not plentiful and quite small - Arcachon is perhaps the longest established, but there are others, like Biscarrosse-Plage or Mimizan-Plage, which act as honey-pots so beaches can be busy. Head away from the resorts though, and there's a good chance you can find a stretch of beach pretty much all to yourself.

Don't expect to find out-standing scenery though, or much in the way of cultural diversions, unless you visit Bordeaux and the famous vineyards thereabouts. Or head farther inland to the Dordogne, an area of honey-coloured medieval villages and towns, where early man left much evidence of his passing, including the amazing cave paintings of Lascaux. The caves themselves are closed to the public, but an exact replica has been reproduced nearby.

Heading farther south along the coast brings you to Basque country, with resorts like Biarritz and St Jean-de-Luz, close to the Spanish border and within striking distance of the Pyrenees if you feel the yearning for a change of scene. Don't forget to pack the hiking boots, because there is some sublime walking waiting to be enjoyed. And there are some delightful towns and villages to explore like St Jean-Pied-de-Port, Luz-St Sauveur and Gavarnie, to name just a few of the many waiting for you to stumble upon.

Cirque de Troumouse, Hautes-Pyrenees, Midi-Pyrenees, France

     At the eastern end of the Pyrenees lies Languedoc-Roussillon, the province curving round the western end of France's Mediterranean coast. At one time this was an unpleasant area, the marshlands being home to swarms of mosquitoes. Since their eradication, however, it has become a very popular area with a number of modern resorts springing up, like Argelès, (which has more campsites than any other town in France - in the region of 80), Canet-Plage, Cap d'Agde (one of the most famous nudist resorts in Europe) and La Grande-Motte. Culture is not in short supply here, with picturesque Collioure, a centre of the Fauvist art movement a century ago, nestling twixt mountain and sea, the medieval walled town of Carcassonne inland, Béziers, on its hilltop overlooking the River Orb, the university town of Montpellier, and Nîmes, remarkable for its Roman remains.
     Just south of Nîmes lies one of the strangest landscapes, the desolate wetlands of the Camargue, famed for its varied wildlife, including around 400 bird species, among them flamingos which nest here in spring and summer.
     To the east, beyond the Rhône delta, lie Marseille, once much maligned but now undergoing an image change, and the resorts of Provence and the Côte d'Azur, including the most fashionable in France, like St Tropez, Cannes, Antibes and Menton. The best time to visit is slightly out of season, when the main crowds have gone, but if it still seems too busy head for the hills and explore some of the perched villages like Bormes-les-Mimosas or Grimaud. Or go farther inland to the Grand Canyon de Verdon, one of the most spectacular gorges in Europe.
     The farther you go inland, the more mountainous it becomes as you head into the Alps. This is a vast area extending north to Lac Leman and just waiting for the more adventurous camper. Places to head for are too many to mention here, but some not to be missed are Briançon, an old fortified town guarding one of the routes through the Alps and the highest town in Europe, Chamonix, providing access to the highest peaks, including Mont Blanc, and pretty Annecy, combining mountains and lake in its perfect setting.

Camping Serre-Chevalier, near Biançon, France

Lesser mountains fall away to the west and north, the Vercors leading down to the Rhône Valley, the Jura spilling across from Switzerland. Both offer excellent hiking, and cross-country skiing if you're in to winter camping (all the mountain regions have campsites that open all year round).

Most people rush through the Rhône Valley on their way to somewhere else, but it's well worth veering off either side of the river, where you'll find some wonderful unspoiled country to explore, especially in the Drôme and Ardèche. And, of course, some of the most famous names in French wine are produced on the slopes bordering the river. There are major towns to visit, too, like Valence, Vienne and Lyon.

Farther north are more wine producing areas. First of all there are the rolling hills of the Beaujolais region, with its quiet villages, many of which give their name to a type of beaujolais. Beyond are the acclaimed vineyards of Burgundy, an area also rich in history. In medieval times, the Dukes of Burgundy were more powerful than the French king, their influence stretching from Holland to the Swiss border. Places to visit include Dijon and Beaune.

Head north-east and you come to Alsace, on the border with Germany. In fact, history has seen this area swop several times between France and Germany, despite the fact the Rhine acts as a natural border, and as a result there are many Germanic place names and many of the villages have a distinctly German appearance. Scenically it is divided between the Vosges mountains in the west, with its remote villages and bristling with castles that once defended the frontier, and the Alsace Plain in the east where you'll find the magnificent and historic Strasbourg and Colmar. Where the mountains meet the plain are the vineyards of Alsace, joined by the famous wine road, and lovely medieval villages like Kaisersberg, Riquewihr and Eguisheim.

To the west is Lorraine and its capital, Nancy, famous as a flourishing centre for art nouveau at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, the city features many art nouveau buildings, while many works by exponents of the style can be seen at the Musée de l'École de Nancy.

Farther west you reach France's most northerly wine-producing region, Champagne. Reims and Epernay are the main production centres for this famous sparkling wine and beneath the streets endless kilometres of cellars store millions of bottles of the stuff. Moët et Chandon alone has the equivalent of 90 million bottles of champagne in its 28km long galleries at Epernay.

Then finally, there's Paris and everything this beautiful city has to offer. There are several campsites around the capital, the closest just a few minutes from the centre in the Bois de Boulogne. Among others are those at Maisons-Laffitte, Versailles (handy for the chateau), and Disneyland Paris's own site at Marne la Vallée, east of the city.

Further information

A good campsite guide is worth taking along with you if you haven't pre-booked your sites. Comprehensive regional guides are available free from the French Government Tourist Office, either to personal callers at 178 Piccadilly, London W1J 9AL, or by phone on 09068 244123 (60p per minute all times). There are also some good commercial guides such as Michelin's Guide Camping Caravaning France and Alan Rogers' France, both available at good bookshops here, or the Guide Officiel Camping Caravaning, published by the Fédération Française de Camping et de Caravaning and available at bookshops in France. The latter can also be obtained in this country direct from Alan Rogers' Guides Ltd, Burton Bradstock, Bridport, Dorset DT6 4QA. All are updated annually.

There are several British companies providing a campsite reservation service for independent campers travelling to France. Leading operators include Eurocamp Independent (tel: 01606 787878), Select Site Reservations (tel: 01873 859876), and Haven Europe (tel: 0870 242 6666). Ferry bookings and insurance can also be arranged.

About the Author

John Lloyd is a freelance editor and travel writer/photographer and has contributed to numerous travel guides on France, including the Illustrated Guide to France, Walks and Tours in France and Secret France (all published by the AA), France The Versatile Guide (Duncan Peterson), The Insite Guide to Normandy and On the Road Around Normandy, Brittany and the Loire Valley (Thomas Cook). He currently edits Camping Magazine.