Is wild camping legal in France? What the law actually says

The principle: free unless forbidden

The starting point is article R.111-41 of the French planning code (Code de l’urbanisme): camping is freely practised outside public roads and spaces, with the agreement of whoever has use of the land. The freedom exists, but it stops at the landowner’s rights — and special texts withdraw it in certain areas.

The distinction that follows governs everything else. A bivouac is a single-night stop with a light shelter pitched in the evening and struck at dawn, leaving no trace, no rubbish, no fire. Wild camping is a lasting set-up, often over several days, with kit deployed. Almost every rule that tolerates the first forbids the second.

The 7 pm – 9 am window appears in nearly every French regulation governing bivouacs. Outside it, the tent must be struck and packed away. Remember that one rule and you are in order in most situations.

Where it is forbidden or restricted

This table is not exhaustive and does not replace checking local orders. It covers the situations a cyclist or walker actually meets.

Main areas where bivouacking is forbidden or restricted, and the applicable text.
Area	What applies	Reference
Private land	The owner’s agreement is required. Without it, you are occupying land without right.	Code de l’urbanisme, art. R.111-41
The 100-metre coastal strip	Forbidden outside built-up areas.	Code de l’urbanisme, art. L.121-16 onwards (loi Littoral)
National park core zone	Camping forbidden; bivouac generally tolerated from 7 pm to 9 am, more than an hour’s walk from a road access. Each park has its own charter.	Code de l’environnement, art. R.331-62 onwards
Nature reserve	Its own regime, often stricter than the neighbouring park.	Code de l’environnement
Forests and sensitive sites	Frequent seasonal bans, especially during wildfire risk periods.	Prefectural orders
Within a commune	The mayor may forbid, restrict or confine bivouacking to particular areas.	Municipal by-law

Why the local order overrides everything

This is the point most articles omit, and the only one that really counts on the ground: a municipal or prefectural order can forbid bivouacking where the general principle would allow it, and it can be issued at any time.

Wildfire risk — very broad seasonal bans across the south, often from June to September.
Wildlife protection — breeding seasons, nesting sites.
Water catchment protection — perimeters closed year-round.
Tourist pressure — coastal and mountain communes saturated in summer.

The practical rule is simple: check the municipal order of the commune where you mean to stop, and the prefectural order for the département. Town halls display them, and many publish them online. In a protected area, the park visitor centre is the place to ask.

Options with no grey area

Legal bivouacking is not the only way to sleep outdoors for nothing. Halta lists 7 310 free places, of which 5 247 are pitches and shelters whose very purpose is to take someone for a night.

The 5 247 listed pitches and shelters — unstaffed cabins, mountain shelters, prepared pitches: their use is intended, not merely tolerated.
The 2 036 free campsites — municipal sites left open, aires naturelles out of season.
Ask the landowner. A farm, a closed gîte, a garden: agreement makes the night entirely regular, and it is granted more often than people expect.

This guide describes the general framework as of 1 septembre 2026. It replaces neither a local order, nor a park charter, nor legal advice. For a specific place, the town hall and the park visitor centre are the only sources that count.

Frequently asked questions

Is wild camping allowed in France?

Bivouacking is not banned as a matter of principle. The French planning code allows camping outside public roads with the landowner’s agreement. But the coastal law, park charters and local orders restrict it across many areas.

Can you bivouac in a French national park?

In the core zone of a national park, camping is forbidden and bivouacking generally tolerated between 7 pm and 9 am, more than an hour’s walk from a road access. Each park has its own charter; the visitor centre will confirm it.

Can you camp on the French coast?

Not within the 100-metre strip from the shoreline outside built-up areas: the loi Littoral forbids it. Many coastal communes add a by-law extending that ban to the whole seafront.

What is the difference between a bivouac and wild camping?

A bivouac is a single-night stop, light shelter pitched in the evening and struck at dawn, leaving no trace. Wild camping is a lasting set-up over several days. Rules that tolerate the first almost always forbid the second.

How do you find out whether bivouacking is banned in one specific place?

Check the municipal order for the commune and the prefectural order for the département: they override the general principle and change with the seasons. In a protected area, the park or reserve visitor centre is the reference.

Are there places to sleep outdoors in France with no grey area?

Yes. Halta lists 5 247 pitches and shelters whose purpose is to take someone for a night — unstaffed cabins, mountain shelters, prepared pitches — plus 2 036 free campsites.

Is wild camping legal in France?