Do you want to spend a luxurious vacation in an open-air domain with sumptuous facilities, with numerous activities and entertainment? Opt for a 5-star campsite! With approximately 7,600 campsites, France is home to the second largest number of campsites in the world, after the USA. Of these, 3% are 5-star campsites. This means that there are nearly 230 5-star campsites in France. There are 1,300 4-star campsites in France. The 5-star category, the luxury version of camping, is a rapidly developing sector. How to find your way around? What to expect, what to expect in this prestigious category of camping?
Our 7 best 5 star campsites in France
It is difficult to select 7 campsites from among dozens of 5-star campsites across France. However, here is our selection made to represent different regions and environments
In Languedoc-Roussillon, we have a special place for the Mediterranean of Marseillan where you can spend a dream vacation with your feet in the water at Charlemagne, a 5-star campsite on the seafront with a water park, a spa area and access to a large sandy beach. On site: mini-club and teenagers' club, playground, entertainment and a wide range of air-conditioned mobile homes and camping pitches with electricity.
Camping on the French Riviera, in the PACA region, the camping des Tournels in Ramatuellein the mythical Gulf of Saint-Tropez, overlooking the no less mythical beach of Pampelonne, is a haven of happiness in a paradisiacal pine forest with luxurious facilities, cottages, large camping sites, a friendly and festive atmosphere.
For a preserved environment, l'étoile d'Argens Saint-Aygulf ecolodge in Fréjus, also on the French Riviera, is an exotic camping jewel with palm trees, lagoons, wooden cottages on stilts and 5-star activities for young and old throughout the season. This campsite on the French Riviera also offers: wellness center, whirlpools, heated pools, fitness area, river shuttle, tennis courts, multi-sports fields, mini-golf, mini-club, restaurant, mini-market, charging stations for electric vehicles, private port, bicycle rental, water sports base...
On the edge of a lake, the camping du Lac Bleu on the banks of Lake Annecyin the idyllic setting of a mountain setting, with the Alps and Mont Blanc in the background, this domain offers spacious and wooded pitches with a view of the lake and the mountains, mobile homes, studios, apartments, rooms, swimming pools and private beaches, comfort, tranquility and access to numerous water, air and land activities.
By the sea, the camping du Vieux Port in Messangesin the Landes (Nouvelle-Aquitaine), the campsite offers the authentic setting of the Landes forest for swimming, surfing and water sports. This campsite in the Landes offers direct access to the beach and the presence of the largest themed water park of the French campsites with a surfing machine, four temperate outdoor pools, a covered and heated swimming pool, 11 slides, a giant Aquasplash, whirlpools and the wave pool with its tropical atmosphere!
In the mountains with the camping la Pene Blanche in Loudenvielle in the Hautes-Pyrénées for a wellness and sports experience. A vacation with Japanese bath, Nordic bath and sauna in the open air, with a view on the mountain. It's included in the price of your stay, as well as the yoga initiation sessions. The Skyvall gondola is just a few minutes walk from the campsite to reach the resort of Peyragudes without a car. Here, everything is accessible on foot: shopping, restaurants, cinema, sports hall...
In the middle of nature with the Domaine de Soleil Plage in Sarlatin the heart of the Périgord Noir, on the banks of the Dordogne. You are here in a preserved wild environment, with cozy nests to stay in, a water park and dozens of activities: canoeing, hot air ballooning, visits to castles and troglodyte villages around, etc. In this Dordogne campsite, if you don't feel like cooking in the evening, it's dinner with a panoramic view, tapas evening or small take-away meals
Why choose a 5 star campsite ?
For a long time, camping was mainly an option for a vacation with basic comfort and at a lower cost. In the 5 star category, you get out of the picture! By staying in a 5 star campsite, you are in the register of charm, well-being and elegance. It is a perfect solution for a trendy vacation with charming and high class accommodations, classic or unusual, with high quality equipment, services and facilities, in sites that are often exceptional. These are generally large establishments with many activities. Your 5-star campsite often includes a water park, a gourmet restaurant, fresh bread and pastries delivered every morning, a delicatessen, and even a chic boutique. But what really makes the difference are the activities offered during your stay, day or evening, weekend or weekday. The campsite's website lists the majority of activities and leisure activities available during the day. On your arrival you will have the program of evening activities. Each domain organizes a complete schedule before the season
The 5 star campsite, less expensive than other luxury accommodations
The services offered in a 5-star campsite are equivalent to those of other luxury accommodation in hotels or luxury rentals, even though the price of a stay is significantly lower. With delivery, laundry and cleaning services, a wellness area, a games room, a water park, etc., the comfort is comparable to that of high-end hotels. The facilities within the campsite are generally accessible without prior reservation. The comfort and charm of the accommodations in a 5-star campsite - mobile homes, chalets, lodges, bubbles - are close to those of a palace room. In your prestigious bungalow, you will have a fully equipped kitchen, a private bathroom and, most often, a beautiful wooden terrace, a barbecue, a beautiful garden set, a natural environment and a sumptuous view! You will not be charged for access to additional facilities
Where can I find 5 star campsites?
The campsites in Languedoc-Roussillon, the campsites in Aquitaine and the campsites in the PACA region have the most 5-star campsites, with an idyllic location by the sea, sometimes with direct access to the beach, by a lake or river, in the mountains or facing a top tourist site, whether it be a castle, a charming village or even an exceptional natural site. Whatever the destination and the natural environment you have chosen, you will find on the spot, in each of the French campsites with 5 stars, quality play and sports facilities, starting with a dream water park. There is often a spa and wellness area, not to mention a young and dynamic team of entertainers for a friendly and even festive atmosphere on the site
What are the differences between a 5 star and a 4 star campsite?
The average size of the pitches is 10% larger for a 5-star campsite than for a 4-star campsite. The cost of a stay in a 5 star campsite is about 20% more expensive than a stay in a 4 star campsite. The activities and services offered will also make a difference. Prestige campsite managers know that it is essential to take care of their clientele in order to keep them loyal and to attract by word of mouth this category of wealthy and demanding residents, used to a certain environment and a good level of service. In a 5-star campsite, each member of the family is taken into account and pampered in the context of the entertainment, activities and services provided by the establishment
What kind of entertainment in a 5 star campsite?
This is where most of the outdoor vacation resorts focus on making everyone's stay unforgettable. You will find yoga teachers, sports coaches, a beautician, a hairdresser, a masseur and other specialists and professionals employed by the campsites to take care of the clientele in the various leisure and well-being areas of the campsite. Children are particularly pampered by teams of educators who provide a rich program of outdoor and indoor activities every day. Your stay in a 5-star campsite can be the opportunity to try out new activities: dance, theater, synchronized swimming...
What are the criteria for a 5-star campsite?
The services of a 5-star campsite are similar to those of luxury hotels and palaces. The reception must therefore be available day and night and the internal infrastructures of the establishment - bar, restaurant, aquatic area - must be accessible every day. Without this, a prestigious campsite would not really be one. The awarding of stars depends on many criteria. The size of the pitches, the quality of the reception and sanitary facilities, the playground and the services offered, each establishment is awarded a certain number of points for the attribution of its stars. In the case of a prestigious 5-star campsite, you are guaranteed to have pitches of at least 80 m², a welcome in 3 languages, the possibility of booking online 24 hours a day, an aquatic area, individual and heated sanitary facilities and many optional services (wellness area, gym, coaching...). The number of stars certifies a level of quality that reassures customers who are not yet familiar with the area
