Glamping in France
on the banks of the wild Loire
Most glamping sites in France sit within sight of the sea, on the Mediterranean coast or behind the Atlantic dunes. A third option exists, inland. In Haute-Loire, our campsite in Auvergne faces the wild Loire, 65 km from Saint-Étienne and 31 km from Le Puy-en-Velay. Guests spend the night in a safari lodge, a perched cabin or a wooden caravan, each with a private terrace and a view of the valley. Welcome to CosyCamp.
Glamping in France, the CosyCamp way
Glamping in France means spending your nights outdoors without giving up a real bed, electricity and, in most rentals, a private bathroom. On our site it also means living inside a working garden. More than 3500 plants and shrubs grow here, in permaculture vegetable beds, orchards, aromatic borders and hedgerows designed with the Centre de Ressources en Botanique Appliquée in Lyon.
The river shapes everything else. Our natural swimming pool is the Loire itself: shallow, slow and classified Natura 2000, warmed by the sun to 25 or 26 °C in summer. Kids jump from the basalt rocks below the peak of Artias, where the water runs deeper. Over 100 bird species share this location with our guests, from eagle owls to red kites.
In brief:
- Two thirds of the pitches serve traditional camping under canvas.
- Every electrical bollard on the site delivers 16 amps.
- Pitches measure 100 m², or 150 m² in the Privilège range.
Glamping holidays for families, couples and friends
A glamping holiday changes shape depending on who travels with you, so our site combines space with equipment that suits every age. The main swimming pool stretches 20 metres by 10, and its gentle access ramp makes it family-friendly for young children and for guests with reduced mobility. Around the water, a grass beach, sun loungers, parasols and children’s games replace the noise of an aqua park.
Our guests usually fall into 4 profiles:
- Couples pick a perched cabin with a river view for an unusual weekend far from the crowds.
- Families enjoy the heated pool and the 40 cm children’s pool designed for first swims.
- Friends gather at the Bivouak, a 1500 m² terrace where round tables seat up to 15 people.
- Businesses book 2 equipped rooms for 20 and 30 people, each with a fitted kitchen.
Whichever profile fits your trip, the whole site stays car-free, and the outside car park keeps every vehicle at the gate.
Choosing and booking your glamping accommodation
Booking a glamping holiday in France raises the same practical questions every time: which shelter, which comfort level, which season. Among the places to stay on our site, some suit a single night, others a fortnight.
Here is how a stay takes shape:
- Pick your dates, knowing the swimming pools run from the start of May to the end of September.
- Compare our unusual accommodations, from safari lodges to wooden cottages and caravans.
- Decide between a rental with a private bathroom and a canvas tent using the shared facilities nearby.
- Leave your car on the outdoor car park, then borrow one of our luggage trolleys at reception.
- Reserve massages, yoga sessions or the indoor pool once your tent or cabin is set up.
Ten of our rentals carry insulation and electric radiators, which stretches the season well beyond July and August. The Cottage Premium, for instance, sleeps 8 people across 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, with a large terrace facing the countryside. Guests camping under canvas can also rent a table, chairs and a fridge, delivered straight to the pitch.
A 4-star eco-chic campsite built on concrete commitments
CosyCamp holds 4 stars, yet what defines our glamping site concerns the way we build, clean and cook. Each cabin and cottage uses untreated Douglas fir cut in the region, naturally rot-resistant, assembled by a company from the same department. Our ecological campsite sits on stilts, so the soil underneath stays intact.
The same logic applies indoors. Our cleaning products carry the EcoCert label and rely on pine enzymes, while an ecological laundry washes our linen without solvents or phosphates. Flow reducers equip every tap.
Food follows the same line. Eric, a chef for 30 years, cooks local and organic produce from the valley and serves a regional dish every Thursday. Pasteurised jars of home cooking wait in the Salle de Vie outside restaurant hours. Cars stay outside this eco-friendly car-free campground, so evenings belong to the river and the fire.
Our team’s take: the Bain Romain surprises most first-time guests. This 15 m² indoor pool, heated to 32 °C, hides inside a Douglas-clad building at the heart of the scented garden. It combines a hot tub, a counter-current system and soft lighting, and we privatise it in 1-hour slots. Book at reception, ideally for the end of the afternoon.
Getting here and exploring the Auvergne
Reaching our glamping site takes less time than the map suggests. From Paris, a TGV and 2 regional trains cover the journey in around 5 hours, against 556 km by road. Lyon lies 122 km away, roughly 1 hour 40 minutes by car, and Lyon-Saint-Exupéry airport 136 km. A camping near Lyon that still feels like the end of the world is a rare find.
Here, the valley does the work. Free canoes take guests to the ruins of Château d’Artias, and waymarked paths start straight from our camping on the edge of the Loire.
Several day trips are within easy reach:
- Le Puy-en-Velay, 31 km away, shelters a UNESCO-listed cathedral and a chapel on a volcanic chimney.
- Mont Mézenc climbs to 1753 m, 40 km away, with a view as far as the Alps.
- Lavalette lake adds supervised swimming, sailing and a 29 km trail around the lake.
- Chalencon, a medieval village, keeps its castle and the legendary Pont du Diable.
Fancy trading a crowded resort for a few nights beside the last wild river in Europe? Book your stay at CosyCamp and discover what glamping in France looks like inland.
